Tyler and I enjoyed birth class tonight. It's been fun to watch the girls' bellies grow each week! The first couple due is due in mid-April. We're second! And the other 5 or so couples are due nearer to the end of May.
Tonight's topic was the first stage of labor and what we can do to make it easier on us. Apparently it's a good thing to lay low during this stage. It helps some women to mimic sleep and others like to get up and move around while resting in between contractions. We did a practice run of first stage labor by (get a load of this...) putting a cold pack of ice on one of our feet to simulate the discomfort. It sounds totally bizarre but we all agreed it worked! Us girls got a better sense of what we'll act like during the first stage and the guys got a better sense of how to coach us. For the record, Tyler will be the best coach. Ever.
The food of the week was protein so the couple in charge brought 7 layer dip. Yummmmy. We're up next week and will be bringing a broccoli salad and a spinach salad. Here are the recipes we decided on in case you're looking to make something green this week:
Broccoli Salad
Ingredients:
1 head broccoli
6 to 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup raisins, optional
8 ounces sharp Cheddar, cut into very small chunks
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Trim off the large leaves from the broccoli stem. Remove the tough stalk at the end and wash broccoli head thoroughly. Cut the head into flowerets and the stem into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add the crumbled bacon, onion, raisins if using, and cheese. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, stirring well. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently.
Cranberry Spinach Salad
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons minced onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Directions:
1.In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook and stir almonds in butter until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and let cool.
2.In a large bowl, combine the spinach with the toasted almonds and cranberries.
3.In a medium bowl, whisk together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, onion, paprika, white wine vinegar, cider vinegar, and vegetable oil. Toss with spinach just before serving.
And here are some interesting things we learned at class:
1. A lot of women labor best at home so it's not a bad idea to stay home longer for a quicker labor.
2. The average time of uninterrupted, rhythmic contractions is 15-17 hours.
3. Almost every woman will hit the Natural Alignment Plateau (NAP), where contractions continue but dilation stops for a while. This is often when doctors give women pitocin because they think they've quit progressing. Reasons for the plateau include: (a) mom and baby need to get in physical alignment, (b) softening of cartilages needs to happen, (c) balancing of hormones needs to happen, (d) immunities need to be produced for baby, (e) some of mom's muscle groups need a quick break.
