If you’re anything like us, you wouldn’t think twice about dropping a few hundred $$ on a nice vacation, after scouring the internet for the best deals of course! So why wouldn’t you invest in classes to help you prepare for one of the biggest transitions of your life, finances permitting. After taking our class and then visiting the hospital for a group ‘meet and greet’ to learn the hospital procedures and meet the doctors who may be on call during our time to deliver, my husband and I were astounded at the lack of basic knowledge some couples displayed when it came to question time. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend this as a time to simply ‘wing it’! What pain relief is available to you, what time frame can they be administered, what happens if you get sent home, what should you be looking for during contractions, whats the timing of them, what should you do when your water breaks, what if there’s colour to this liquid, when should you call the hospital etc. These are likely some of the many questions going through your mind, and this is BEFORE the baby even arrives! Let’s not even get into the first few days of breast feeding, what to expect in hospital from the nurses, what happens when you get home, when is the first doctors visit after and so on. This is one of the things we did in preparation for our little one that I’d highly recommend to first time parents. You may have a lot of family and friends that have been there and done that who can help, and that’s great. But this is your personal journey, and getting educated is one of the best forms of preparation you can have, because believe me, when those first pains hit, you’ll want to know what you’re in for as panic will not help anyone! Another wonderful benefit to taking prenatal classes is the potential friends you can make in your area who are going through exactly the same thing. There’s comfort in knowing you’re not alone, and being able to bounce ideas off one another, when the hormones take over, you’re feeling heavy and sleep starts to evade you. Plus your baby will have friends from birth. There’s a good chance you’ll be on maternity leave together, so what better friend to make than ones whose babies are experiencing the same things yours are. It’ll also help you get out of the house when you realize you haven’t stepped outside in days! Which class to take? There are a few styles available, depending on what you’re looking for. I’d recommend one as close to home as possible so the families you meet live nearby too. Here’s some to explore in the Vancouver area; Baby Prep™ Prenatal Sessions This is the class we took, the knowledge we gained in preparation for what was to come was invaluable. Ours was run by registered nurses who work in the maternity ward, so they knew their stuff. Some of it can be a bit confronting, but knowledge is power I’d say. They were great at addressing concerns raised, providing coping techniques, suggesting how to make best use of hospital resources and delivering this information from a neutral stand-point. Being medical professionals they were very careful to provide factual and professional opinions over personal ones. General Link to classes in Vancouver  Belly to Baby The Birth Place - Roundhouse Community Centre Birthing from Within Lower Mainland Childbearing Society Preparing for Parenting Dancing Star Birth Douglas College (North Vancouver & Richmond) Here are some other links for prenatal services and information you may find of use; Birthdocs Resource Page Soma Studios prenatal massage resource page Good luck, hopefully you gain as much out of your chosen class as we did!