And then I was an exercise ball believer
We took an intense birthing class before the tiny human showed up. It was 8 weeks long, once a week for 3 hours. We covered everything from emotional health to where to get the best fuzzy socks (with traction) for your hospital bag.
When we first walked in on the very first day, I balked. I felt awkward and out of place, since we were the least pregnant people there, and as anyone who has ever met me can attest, I don't always do super awesome with new people. I'm a strange combination of shy and weirdly sarcastic in new situations, which is definitely what every birthing class needs.
I started feeling even MORE awkward when the instructor turned on relaxing music and told our husbands to massage our necks. And even more awkward than that when we went around the room to rate how relaxed we felt on a scale of 1-10. Relaxed? Are you kidding me? My blood pressure hasn't been this high in years. Right around that time... the instructor told us that we were welcome to bring our birthing balls to class with us to keep ourselves comfortable.
I kid you not, I almost got up and walked out right then. Who were these fruity people who couldn't handle sitting in normal chairs and keeping their hands and their ratings to themselves for 3 hours? Birthing balls? Are you kidding me?
The awkwardness continued the next week (the husband may have bribed me with Chick fil A to get me to go back) when we started doing other movements and stretches that were supposed to help our hips. When the instructor came by to see how I was doing... the answer was 'pretty much horrible'. I was tight. Of course. Because I was drowning in awkwardness and I could never touch my toes in the first place, so when you add a belly and tell me to wiggle my hips, you're just lucky I don't break into tiny pieces.
"You should get an exercise ball," she says. I nod to placate her, and look online at exercise balls to see how much they cost when we get home. But I don't buy one.
The next week, the couple that we were couple crushing on (admit it- you do this too. You window shop for couple friends everywhere you go) mentioned that they had stayed late last week to learn some exercises on the ball. "Its amazing," she claimed. And she pulled one over to sit on during class. We stayed a little after class but ultimately chickened out before we even touched the ball. I did, however, bravely ask the instructor if we could learn next week.
And I bought an exercise ball.
The next week, we stayed after and our instructor taught me a variety of things to do on the exercise ball. Hip circles and back stretches and breathing and arches... things that would make my body feel better, and handle labor better. Supposedly.
We went home and started doing them every night before bed. And you know what? My body did feel better. I fell asleep more easily. I was indeed more comfortable.
For the last 3 classes, we were even brave enough to bring our ball from home. That's right. We turned into the people I was so afraid of during our first class. It was the most comfortable place to sit for 3 hours... and the more pregnant you get, the more important that is.
We are ball-ievers. Ha.
The ball is where I spent several hours of our false labor. Its where my water broke, and where I sat afterwards while waiting to head to the hospital.
We didn't use the ball during labor on account of my epidural and my spectacular water breakage, but I'm sitting on it at my desk right now as I write this blog post. I may even throw in a couple of hip circles before I'm done.
When we first walked in on the very first day, I balked. I felt awkward and out of place, since we were the least pregnant people there, and as anyone who has ever met me can attest, I don't always do super awesome with new people. I'm a strange combination of shy and weirdly sarcastic in new situations, which is definitely what every birthing class needs.
I started feeling even MORE awkward when the instructor turned on relaxing music and told our husbands to massage our necks. And even more awkward than that when we went around the room to rate how relaxed we felt on a scale of 1-10. Relaxed? Are you kidding me? My blood pressure hasn't been this high in years. Right around that time... the instructor told us that we were welcome to bring our birthing balls to class with us to keep ourselves comfortable.
I kid you not, I almost got up and walked out right then. Who were these fruity people who couldn't handle sitting in normal chairs and keeping their hands and their ratings to themselves for 3 hours? Birthing balls? Are you kidding me?
The awkwardness continued the next week (the husband may have bribed me with Chick fil A to get me to go back) when we started doing other movements and stretches that were supposed to help our hips. When the instructor came by to see how I was doing... the answer was 'pretty much horrible'. I was tight. Of course. Because I was drowning in awkwardness and I could never touch my toes in the first place, so when you add a belly and tell me to wiggle my hips, you're just lucky I don't break into tiny pieces.
"You should get an exercise ball," she says. I nod to placate her, and look online at exercise balls to see how much they cost when we get home. But I don't buy one.
The next week, the couple that we were couple crushing on (admit it- you do this too. You window shop for couple friends everywhere you go) mentioned that they had stayed late last week to learn some exercises on the ball. "Its amazing," she claimed. And she pulled one over to sit on during class. We stayed a little after class but ultimately chickened out before we even touched the ball. I did, however, bravely ask the instructor if we could learn next week.And I bought an exercise ball.
The next week, we stayed after and our instructor taught me a variety of things to do on the exercise ball. Hip circles and back stretches and breathing and arches... things that would make my body feel better, and handle labor better. Supposedly.
We went home and started doing them every night before bed. And you know what? My body did feel better. I fell asleep more easily. I was indeed more comfortable.
For the last 3 classes, we were even brave enough to bring our ball from home. That's right. We turned into the people I was so afraid of during our first class. It was the most comfortable place to sit for 3 hours... and the more pregnant you get, the more important that is.
We are ball-ievers. Ha.
The ball is where I spent several hours of our false labor. Its where my water broke, and where I sat afterwards while waiting to head to the hospital.
We didn't use the ball during labor on account of my epidural and my spectacular water breakage, but I'm sitting on it at my desk right now as I write this blog post. I may even throw in a couple of hip circles before I'm done.
