Pregnancy Syllabus

Welcome to Being Pregnant 101

This is a self directed 9ish month course.

Text books and Resources:

• What to Expect When Your Expecting by Heidi Murkoff (Medical Birth Book) This is a somewhat depressing book about how mother and baby develop, and all the medical things that can go wrong.
• Ina May's Guide of Childbirth by Ina May (Natural Birth Book) This is a book about natural childbirth that probably is the reason why natural childbirth is seen as hokey and anti-science, but it has a variety of stories, not all of which are weird.
• The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Diane Wiessinger (Nursing Book) This book is an unsubtle advertisement for La Leche League and is so pro nursing that it disparages any other life choices, but it also has a ton of good advice and how-to information.
• The Calm Birth School by Liz Stanford (Online Hypnobirthing Class) A series of positive, down-to-earth, convenient 15-20 minute videos that cover preparing for labor, breathing techniques, and how father can help out, but a little basic.
• The Pregnancy Podcast by Vanessa Merten (Podcast) A series of ongoing episodes that cover topics from detailing the steps of a c-section, to sleeping suggestions with an emphasis on informed consent and a healthy focus on peer-reviewed articles and real scientific studies.

First Trimester Learning Objectives:

• Learn about how pregnancy progresses and the changes in your body.
• Learn about labor and different methods of labor.
• Learn about medical interventions.
• Choose which interventions you want and why.

First Trimester Assignments:

• Know how to keep a secret.
• Choose a medical care provider.
• Be very very tired.

Second Trimester Learning Objectives:

• Choose a laboring method.
• Practice calming techniques.
• Learn to feel baby move.
• Learn about baby products.

Second Trimester Assignments:

• Start to see belly grow.
• Change medical care provider.

Third Trimester Learning Objectives:

• Learn about nursing and infant care.

Third Trimester Assignments:

• Be uncomfortable.
• Gather baby supplies.
• Wait.

Location Sentimentality

If someone asks me if I remember a specific person in a classroom I often ask them where they were sitting. I’m more likely to know who they are referring to if I know where they were. Telling me what they were wearing or what they look like is rarely helpful. Basically location is very important to trigger my memory.

It works the same way with memories. I’m far more likely to remember and share memories when I return to the location in which the situation occurred.

The other day Jeremy was laughing at me for keeping a book mark that was really just a scrap of paper, but I explained who gave it to me and the circumstances surrounding it. He said maybe it is a good thing that I was keeping it because I have such a location based memory and that item triggers my memory just like a location would. 

This made me wonder... Do the people that are considered to be the most sentimental also have locational memories? Are those 2 linked? 

Where Did All the Coming of Age Rituals Go?

 I watched a YouTube video the other day that brought up (almost as a side note) how many of the rising generation (the Millennials shall I say) prefer not to grow up. They even use the term "adulting" to discuss how hard "real life" things like insurance and having a full time job are. I have been guilty of this myself.

This made me start thinking about how in the past and/or other cultures have dramatic and significant coming of age rituals/customs/etc that often involved a change of dress or other physical appearance (short dresses to long dresses, braids to free hair and/or buns, tattoos, etc), and actions of independence (prestige hunting, overnight camping alone, earning money outside the home, courting etc.).

Now however, it seems like most rituals that involved change of dress and appearance have entirely disappeared from our Western culture. And the rituals involving independence have been assimilated into the benefits of teenage years without the responsibility. For example teenagers date and have jobs but the jobs are predominately to pay for things like recreation and their own car not for the support of their family or themselves and dating is not generally with the view of marriage (at least anytime soon... not that that is a bad thing but that used to be the only time you courted).

I wonder if this lack of ritual change from childhood to adulthood that makes the transition to adulthood so undiscernible has lead to the increased attitude that adulting is just hard and not something that is desirable...