reunion.

When we were pregnant, Sam and I took the Bradley Method Course to prepare for the big day. It was a 12 week course that met every Wednesday for 2 1/2 hours. I thought it seemed a bit much at first, but it ended up being really helpful- both for labor, and for our first steps in parenting. You obviously will never be fully prepared for it all, but this class got us as close as we could possibly get. I'm the kind of person that likes to know exactly what is going on with my body. I think I would have been much more freaked out if I wasn't as prepared as we were. 

One of the nice things about the class is that you meet every week with couples who are going through the exact same thing as you. Also, during the last class of the course the instructor invites former students who have recently had their babies to share their birth stories. Sam and I volunteered to speak just last week, and it was actually really fun. They were shooting off questions left and right, and I was feeling like a superstar mom. It was hilarious because we shared our story immediately following another family who  had a very rapid labor. They had to call an ambulance, and she hardly made it to the hospital before the baby arrived. From beginning to end, her labor lasted around 3 hours. So, I pretty much freaked out the class when I followed up with my labor story- which did not last 3 hours, but 3 days. Ha!

In our original class, all of our due dates were within a couple of months of each other. When the course ended, we would get email updates when all of the babies were born. And, last weekend we all got together for a reunion! How cute are these babies? 

It was so much fun seeing everyone again, and swapping baby stories. One of the moms took these photos. I don't know where I was when they were taken- pretty sure I was inside eating or something (oink). I love these, though! I especially love all of the photos of the dads and their babes. After watching these dads support their partners for months, it was beautiful to see them cradling their babies. And, the photo of the three dads rocking the football hold is priceless.

I highly recommend taking a birthing course- especially the Bradley Method. If you are in the Bay Area, you should take it from Sabine Henrie. She is an excellent instructor, and extremely kind and loving. She has an open-door policy for life- meaning you can call her with questions whenever you want. She is also a former dancer, and mother of two.

Let me know if you have any questions!