Sorry - I should have made it more clear in my first post. Reading back it did sound like it was my guy (which might have made some of my other posts a little confusing!!).

No, it was one of the other husbands. He's been a dick from the start, really, but this took the cake!!

The Chesboy loves these classes - comes to everything. Even my 10 minute antenatal appointments where you pee on a stick, listen to the baby's heartbeat, weigh yourself and go home. He's really very involved.

Also - I'd never talk about my own partner that way on a forum! Or anywhere, for that matter......

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We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs, but we still can't just behave ourselves. Even if to save our own lives, we are a brutal kind. The Shins

It was obviously a very interesting book...

Ok, that makes more sense.

So, what is this all about then?

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Jones:- We're going to teach them climbing, abseiling, canoeing, archery, shooting...

Interviewer:- Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible isn't it?

Jones:- I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the range.

Interviewer:- Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?
You're equipping them to become violent killers.

Jones:- Well, you're equipped to be a prostitute but you're not one are you?

Just a general off-topic comment about some guy's rudeness in our antenatal class. No hidden meanings....

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We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs, but we still can't just behave ourselves. Even if to save our own lives, we are a brutal kind. The Shins

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Calling Grace She'll Never Fall Again Love Remains In Her Calling Grace
She Will Rise Again Sacrifice The Saints Still Love Remains
I'm A Tart! What! You Want Some Of This!
I would Tarja...among other things...

Ha. I don't think so. I was half responsible for it too! In fact, I've never really understood that mentality. Perhaps I will when it's my turn.

The breathing's very important actually - all part of learning coping strategies. In the second and third stages of labour, contractions last for up to 90 seconds with only 30 seconds to two minutes in between. And those stages go for hours. You need to learn how to relax yourself.

But that's not covered in the antenatal classes. That's covered in a half-day workshop with the physiotherapists.

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We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs, but we still can't just behave ourselves. Even if to save our own lives, we are a brutal kind. The Shins

The breathing and relaxation techniques will work if you practice. That muscle is going to work whether you relax or not. If you breathe right and relax, you'll give it the nutrients and oxygen it needs. If you don't, I assume it would be something like having a very large charley horse.

Never listen to anyone talk about how bad it is. They probably just did it wrong.

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Order without liberty and liberty without order are equally destructive. - Theodore Roosevelt

I'm actually looking forward to it. I'm sure I have rose-coloured glasses on and am in la-la land to an extent, but that doesn't matter. To me, it's all part of the wonderful journey I'm experiencing and as my Mum says, it's the most productive pain you'll ever go through, and that's how you cope.

I believe I'll never feel more proud and more like a woman than when I'm holding my baby in my arms for the first time. It's a rite of passage and one that I don't want to miss.

And I'm also very fortunate that I have the most supportive and involved partner anyone could ever hope for (and no, I don't have to `make him' be that way - he just is that way). We are so looking forward to this together, and the fear and pain and anxiety of labour and delivery we will handle together.

I've not had anyone tell me all the pain wasn't worth it all in the end, and I believe that. I also strongly believe in the power of perception - if I'm not afraid of it, I will be more empowered, even though I know there'll be times during the process when I'll probably be terrified.

But billions of women have given birth successfully and if they can do it, so can I. And wow - what a feeling!

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We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs, but we still can't just behave ourselves. Even if to save our own lives, we are a brutal kind. The Shins

__________________
Calling Grace She'll Never Fall Again Love Remains In Her Calling Grace
She Will Rise Again Sacrifice The Saints Still Love Remains
I'm A Tart! What! You Want Some Of This!
I would Tarja...among other things...

Well I heard a horror story the other day - happened to a friend of mine actually. Yeah, it was pretty bad - the worst I've heard, in fact. BUT it doesn't bother me. These things are not the norm, they are the exception. And there is no reason to suspect that anything will go wrong until it does so I'm not going to start stressing myself out worrying about something that might never happen.

But yeah, some people aren't scared to share every gory detail of their labour experience and if you're open to it, fine, but if you're not - er, a bit of tact wouldn't go astray!!

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We've got rules and maps and guns in our backs, but we still can't just behave ourselves. Even if to save our own lives, we are a brutal kind. The Shins