Birth Art

So we started birthing classes last night. They are entitled "Birthing From Within", and for the most part, I think that they will be instructional and will help me deal with my feelings/emotions surrounding birth. I guess because the class is a safe environment, I can't really discuss the people in my class, you know, cause my blog is read by so many folks. We started off with my biggest fear- drawing our vision of what our strongest image of birth is. I have no artistic aptitude for drawing of any kind. I write, I cook, whatever, but I hardly even doodle so this was scary, especially because the instructions were so vague. Plus being in a strange group with unfamiliar people got all my anxieties out; I was close to tears the whole class.
We had an option of drawing on a big sheet of paper or in our keepsake journal. Everyone chose the paper except me. I guess if I am going to do something like that, not only did I want to start off small, but I also want it in a safe, bound place where I know I can show it to Sam eventually. Big pieces of paper tend to get lost in our house. In the book, there was also a place opposite on which to write, for which I was much better suited.
So- my image, which FYI everyone else shared with the group except me, again, strange people, fear of bursting into tears, etc... I drew the ocean in Atlantic City (well, that was what it was supposed to be). When I close my eyes and think of birth, I don't get alot of images except for waves- waves of pain, waves of joy, waves of fear; plus the Atlantic Ocean has always seemed a safe, happy place for me, and I liked the image of being rocked by the surf, minus the medical waste.
We then had to do pain coping exercises that involved gripping ice for a minute at a time. To my surprise (not really) the soothing chanting of the instructor irritated me to no end, what worked was my competitive nature- I pretended I was on Survivor and it was the final immunity challenge. I am not sure how I can translate that to childbirth. Also running song lyrics through my head helped, or recalling passages in my favorite books. (Thanks, photographic memory!!)
So 1 down, 5 to go, and hopefully I'll warm up to these people, cause I really want to make the most of every experience leading up to and including the birth of this child.
I went on Craig's List yesterday, and, lo and behold, there was a trove of rocking chairs!! Good times. So that's taken care of, and also we are going to look at sofa beds this weekend so that I can get rid of that house of horrors couch that i have and get something comfortable and useful for when people come to visit. It will probably still be ugly, though.
Nostrana tonight with Brian, and then, finally, Prison Break!! Jeff is going to see Todd Rungren with his friend Barry. I will write a brief review of this restaraunt tomorrow- it was restaraunt of the year 2 years ago. I am going to Target after work to get a little notebook in which to jot notes (not in necklace form, sorry Pam). So either I will look like a tool in the restaraunt or they will think I am a real critic and bring us free food. Let's all hope for the latter. Cheers!