Pregnancy & Childbirth: Laughing and Learning With Sheri Bayles

At 27 weeks pregnant, I'm starting to really think about my impending labor and delivery of Baby #2. Let's just say I'm uncertain. My first pregnancy wasn't easy and being unprepared for birth didn't help matters.

Over the last few weeks I've been reading up on labor, delivery and natural childbirth. From books to blogs, I've devoured every bit of advice and savored my new wealth of knowledge.

Recently, I was offered the opportunity to review the Laugh and Learn series and received 3 fantastic DVDs; Laugh and Learn About Childbirth, Laugh and Learn About Breastfeeding and Laugh and Learn about Newborn Baby Care.

Each video is a recording of a live class taught by Sheri Bayles, BSN, RN and award winning Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator. Sheri is also and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and since 1981, she has taught over 4,000 couples in the New York Metro Area including 20 over 20 years at New York Presbyterian Hospital as an Ob/Gyn nurse.

Wow. That's a ton of experience. And it shows in her thoughtful and humorous approach to teaching nervous parents like me about what to expect in labor and delivery.

Yes. Labor and delivery has been on my mind as of late, so I watched Laugh and Learn About Childbirth, first.

On the video Sheri teaches a comprehensive childbirth class to five couples, all in different stages of their pregnancies. The class is broken down into six lessons, beginning with the anatomy and preliminary signs of labor. The second lesson describes three actual signs of labor, and Sheri offers one breathing technique (which does not involve all that huffing and puffing you see on television.... I'm looking at you, TLC).

Sheri then discusses what labor will be like and offers comfort measures such as controlled breathing, massage by your labor coach, SigOth or partner and then gives detailed information about delivery, pushing and cord blood banking.

My favorite part is when Ms. Bayles talks about the medications used in Labor, such as pitocin for labor induction, stadol or morphine for pain relief (it really only takes the edge off, and makes you groggy between contractions), and the difference between an epidural and spinal block.

She discusses the use of forceps and vacuum to assist with delivery (and why they may be necessary) and explains the types of monitoring the hospital staff may use to make sure mother and baby are cared for throughout the labor and birth.

Sherri also explains cesarean section and the circumstances that may contribute to cesarean birth, she gives an honest account of what recovery from that type of surgery wil be like and talks about the importance of taking it easy during the post partum period.

I was very impressed with the volume of information Ms. Bayles provides in this 4 hour course; after all her motto is "knowledge is power." She answered many of the couples' questions and I found that all of my questions were answered as well.

Laugh and Learn About Breastfeeding is a comprehensive guide that teaches positions for nursing, how to breastfeed twins, offers advice on pumping and talks about all the supplies you may need such as Lansinoh for sore nipples, breast shield or nipple shields and even nursing pads.

I was happy to see real examples of breastfeeding using the positions mentioned. It's one thing to describe how to breastfeed, but quite another to see how it's done right.

Lastly, Laugh and Learn About Newborn Care shows parents how to give your baby his first sponge bath as well as his first tub bath, after the navel dries up and falls off, of course. Sheri shows us how to dress baby with minimal fuss and gives a list of the supplies needed for bathing, diaper changing and dressing your little one.

The goal of these videos is to put expectant parents, especially Moms-to-Be, at ease. Sheri does a fantastic job of delivering her lessons with humor and easy-to-understand information. She may use the medical jargon, but she full explains what it means. That's what I loved most about these videos.

Sheri is truly everybody's favorite childbirth expert. I'm so happy I had the chance to review her DVDs. Just after I watched them, I read an article in the June/July issue of Fit Pregnancy about Labor & Delivery, which quoted Sheri's motto, "knowledge is power." So true. I feel confident about all the things I've learned and I'm better prepared for my labor and delivery this October.

WIN IT! The folks at Laugh and Learn were kind enough to supply a set of DVDs to give away to one lucky reader. In the comments, tell me a birth story, share a nursing experience or tell me how you freaked out when your baby's umbilical stump finally fell off. One lucky winner will be chosen at random. Contest ends August 31, at 11:59 p.m. central time. Good luck!

Hemorrhoids Suck! Thankfully, I've Got Tucks!

Pregnancy is an amazing, beautiful time for most women. Our bodies magically transform, giving us the ability to carry a precious baby for 40 long weeks. But with the magic comes the unpleasant side effects of pregnancy.

Now that I'm nearing the end of my second trimester, I've been experiencing a truck load of pregnancy ailments. From ravenous hunger (and cravings!) to pregnancy acne, and let's not forget the mood swings and swollen ankles, I've experienced them all.

But the worst part of pregnancy, and the one topic most women are embarrassed and uncomfortable about discussing, is the hemorrhoids. It pains me to even mention it on this blog!

Let's face it: hemorrhoids are horrible. I had them with my first pregnancy, and I still remember the painful burning and itching they bring. While they're not considered a serious condition, they are seriously miserable and often intolerable.

When I experienced hemorrhoids during my first pregnancy, I just went to the drug store and bought that famous topical treatment. Walking from the back of the store to the checkout was like a walk of shame. While I was in line I made sure to hide the product so that no one would know my rear end was on fire. When it was my turn to pay, I was red in the face the entire time. It was so embarrassing!

Even though hemorrhoids are a normal part of pregnancy, it's still difficult to talk about them with others, and buying the remedy from the drugstore is even more difficult.

Thankfully, Tucks brand medicated products provide an effective and soothing relief. Tucks Hemorrhoidal Ointment, Hydrocortisone Anti-Itch Ointment and Medicated Pads can help with the discomfort, burning, itching and other side effects that hemorrhoids bring with them. Tucks also has a line of Take Alongs, medicated towelettes that give you a convenient way to treat hemorrhoid symptoms on the go.

The best part is that the Tucks products are packaged neatly, and the logo and writing is more discreet, making things less awkward at the checkout line.

And to prove that hemorrhoids are common during pregnancy, I'll share the fact that I experienced them recently. The Tucks products work wonders. Soon the pain and discomfort lessened, making pregnancy almost bearable again. Thanks, Mom Central, for sending a sample just in time!

Rocking Out With Guitar Hero

I never understood why video game connoisseurs were head-over-heels-in-love with the game Guitar Hero until I had the opportunity to try it out on our Nintendo DS game system. Guitar Hero ROCKS!

Music is something very important to me. I played the violin for several years, I have a collection of CDs two towers high (yes, I know they are probably outdated) and my iPod is maxed out with my favorite music. I wanted to learn guitar in college but never had the time. Now, Guitar Hero is nothing like the real thing, but it is absolute fun!

The fabulous ladies at Mom Central sent us two games from the makers of Guitar Hero: Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades and when they arrived, we didn't know which game to play first. We cracked them both open and went on our rockin' way.

Let's talk about features first. Using the familiar Guitar Hero Guitar Grip that fits in the game pack slot of the Nintendo DS, both Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades give the player the ability to jam along with their favorite tunes, and both games offer complete portability.

The Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits set list features 28 songs, all radio-edits of modern rock hits from bands including Coldplay, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, The Strokes and Wolfmother. Besides being able to take the game on the road, the Nintendo DS has a wireless feature that allows players to stream over 80 songs among three games (the third is Guitar Hero: Guitar Hero On Tour) and each includes multiplayer modes.

Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits has the all new Fan Request mode in which players can earn fans by performing their favorite songs in different styles (avoiding note bombs, hitting a 300 note streak or duelling another rocker).

Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades lets you rock out to some of the biggest hits from the 70s, 80s, 90s and today. I love that I can journey through rock history and shred to some of my favorite music and enjoy the decade themed characters and venues.

The Guitar Hero Guitar Grip peripheral is awesome. We can take the music on the go, and the grip has an ergonomic extension that mimics a guitar fret board (and I had no idea what that was until just recently, it's true). The grip fits seamlessly into the hand to deliver a unique Guitar Hero experience.

My husband and I played the game together and after getting comfortable with the grips, playing a few practice riffs and many note bombs, we had the hang of it. The song streaming is tons of fun. We were able to play many of the songs together, and the competition was fierce! It looks like I need more practice. My husband mastered the technique almost instantly.

Our son is almost five years old and he desperately wanted to play the game. The only disadvantage is that Guitar Hero games are designed for ages 10 and up, so the Guitar Grip doesn't fit well into the smaller hands. We did some adapting and Dawson was able to play each game with some help from me or his dad.

The funniest part about playing this game is that everyone begins to believe they are mega rock stars. We took the game to Grandpa's house and he and Dawson were rocking and moving to Cold Play's Violet Hill. My dad asked, "Who is this song by? Do they have it on vinyl?" We all were shaking our heads and laughing.

After seeing a commercial for the video games on television, my son began doing his very own "air guitar" dancing. I was enjoying his moves so much I didn't even think of getting the video camera.

We love Guitar Hero and thanks to Mom Central we're hooked up and hooked! Rock on!