Written by guest {pregnant with twins} editor Lisa

During my prerequisite hospital tour to orient myself with the maternity ward, I was excited to sign up for some of the classes the hospital offered. As I approached each table, I was disappointed to find that I needed to sign up for the classes the day I first saw that 2^nd pink line! All of the classes were full well past my due date!

If you already have children, hearken back to the days before delivery: there were some things that were slightly uncomfortable to discuss, things that you may have felt silly asking. I’ve heard that all of that modesty flies out the window after giving birth, but not having navigated that path yet, there were those things that even when asking my closest friends I preface it with “ok, I have a labor question”. Even after reading a half a dozen books, I still had some questions. Thank goodness for the Laugh and Learn series! Sheri Bayles makes the answers to all of those questions feel like the most natural thing in the world. She ties in humor with direct factual information. Sheri truly is an expert childbirth coach!

The first video I watched was Laugh and Learn About Childbirth which covered signs of labor, labor & comfort measures, delivery, medications, inductions, Cesarean Delivery and postpartum. This was a welcome change from getting caught up on the internet every time a Braxton Hicks contraction hit me {“am in labor? How long did that last? Was that a cramp or something I ate?”} Sheri’s many credentials prepared her to answer all of the questions you either forgot to ask your doctor during your last appointment {placenta brain?} or just felt ridiculous asking. What I found most helpful was that this video answered all of the “what ifs?” Even though every woman may not have a forceps or vacuum delivery, understanding what they are and the risks and safety surrounding them would put any expectant mom at ease.

The next video I tackled was Laugh and Learn About Breastfeeding. This covered the typical stuff: feeding positions, burping, breastfeeding twins {of special interest to me}, as well as overcoming obstacles & pumping. If you are entertaining breastfeeding your baby, you probably have a certain comfort level with the whole concept of it, but again there are some things that you may not think of until you encounter them or just don’t want to ask. Sheri’s experience as a lactation consultant made her able to describe the process in a pragmatic way, while still making me laugh. After all, if you can’t laugh about a lot of this stuff, how can you possibly make it through? Also, having some visual examples of the “how to’s” is much more helpful than reading about it. While all women can grasp the concept of latching on {for better or worse}, actually seeing it and having it described simultaneously makes it a little less daunting.

The last video I watched was Laugh and Learn About Newborn Baby Care. This short video covered bathing, changing & swaddling. Again, watching all of those things done, while Sheri talks through each step, made me feel that each was a feasible task. When watching friends or relatives take care of their children, I find myself often in awe at how easily they handle it & then I immediately think “how am I going to get a onesie off of a teeny baby?” {After putting my nephew’s diaper on backwards, I had lost all confidence}. However, Sheri’s step by step guide and clear comfort with the babies made it seem definitely do-able!

The added bonus to all of this is that I was able to convince my husband to watch them. I think that alone speaks volumes of this series. After all, expectant moms are voracious for knowledge & dads kind of sit back, figuring either that we have it covered or that somehow this knowledge will appear in their brains. Read a book? Come on! The Laugh and Learn Series both held his attention & even prompted a few questions!

I can understand why so many people rave about Sheri’s videos. They truly are a find!

Win your own Laugh and Learn DVD set here at Babyluxe! When visiting the Laugh and Learn site, which of Sheri’s DVDs in the series would help you out the most and why? Please leave your comment by May 2nd! Good luck! ALSO, these great DVD sets were generously donated to our Mother’s Day contest as well! So if you don’t win now, you may just win later!

Congrats to our Laugh and Learn winner Jordan! Check your email Jordan! Thanks to all!