HERE’S WHY

YOU’LL MEET YOUR NEW BEST FRIENDS

Pregnancy can be isolating if you’re the first, or only, one in a group of friends or your family to go through it. Online chats are great, as they connect you with pregnant women from across the globe, or across Johannesburg. But nothing beats meeting Nomvula from two roads down and comparing bumps, aches, pains and partners. “Many people who meet during antenatal classes remain friends for years,” says independent Johannesburg midwife Sue Cohen.

“They actually turn into family as their children grow together.”

These become the people you can borrow gripe water or advice from at 9pm, or the ones who tip you off about the specials on nappies at Checkers, or why to avoid nasty Sister Alice who only comes to the clinic on Tuesdays. Information like that is gold, and it can’t be bought online.

GOOGLE DOESN’T KNOW EVERYTHING

Just because you typed, “Should

I vaccinate my 6-week-old or rather skip all vaccines?” correctly into that search bar doesn’t mean you’ll get the right, medically sound answer. You might just get the answer of one individual from California with too much time on her hands and too little to worry about, who believes vaccine additives cause autism or some similar nonsense.

For accurate information that is also geographically specific, it is important to consult local experts with locally relevant medical knowledge. The same applies to wondering about what the norms are in South African hospitals – or your particular hospital – when it comes to pain relief options, C-sections, and when you may go home – all of which differ not only from country to country, but from hospital to hospital.

IT SHOWS COMMITMENT

Having a baby is a lot about gazing into her eyes and being filled with love and wonder – something you want to do. But it is also about being awake and changing a poo nappy at 2am – something you don’t want to do, but which you do anyway, because you are the parent of a baby now. Antenatal classes are like that: they demonstrate your commitment to taking up this task (even with its occasional inconveniences) to the very best of your ability, by learning as much as you can, and being as well prepared as you can be, even when you don’t feel like it.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

You don’t go to antenatal classes to make a point about how responsible and grown-up you are. The aim is to prepare parents-to-be for some of the things that they’ll encounter in their pregnancies, during birth, and in the first few weeks with their newborn. Depending on the class, a qualified midwife or nurse will take you through the last few months of your pregnancy safely by alerting you to possible risks, such as pre-eclampsia. You will be taught how to monitor your baby’s movements and when to seek medical help. You’ll discuss dietary tips, and be guided through the stages of labour and birth, so you can know more or less what to expect, and be advised when to go to the hospital or clinic. Natural deliveries and C-sections will be discussed. Partners may be taught how to support you during birth. At some classes, you may be given tips on managing pain in labour through breathing or visualisation, and, it’s true, many antenatal classes will also famously show you The Video. (This is footage of an actual birth.) Later, antenatal classes move on to demonstrating how to bath and burp a baby, breastfeeding positions, how to change a nappy, and share information on promoting exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months as endorsed by the World Health Organization. There will also be information about your post-pregnancy body and the changes you can expect. ●

ANTENATAL CLASSES DEMONSTRATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO TAKING UP TASKS TO THE VERY BEST OF YOUR ABILITY, EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE IT.