Week 28, Day 5 (Back to school)

Last night we attended our first antenatal class. The invite said "7.30 start", but in actuality it was 7pm. Luckily we turned up very early and were thus only five minutes late.

Very weird to walk into a room full of people, and at first glance think "Oh my gods, they're all CHILDREN!"

Not that I have a problem with being in a class of young people, it's just that we were hoping not to be the oldest couple there. Once we found a seat and everyone's eyes shifted away from us and back on the speaker, a few sidled glances reassured us that the ages ranged from late teens to mid 30's. Yep - still the only geriatrics, but at least there's not as bad a generation gap as we first thought.

Class was good - learnt quite a bit, heard a lot of stuff we already knew, and met a couple of people. None of the group we were sitting in seemed potiental friends (nice enough, but made it clear we weren't their type), but there were three couples in the group of about 20 bodies who look like possibles.

Yep.. they were the ones in their 30's. We got their jokes when they spoke, they got ours, and we quipped along quite well. Next week we'll sit nearer them and see if we can strike up an accord.

The class ran late so we didn't get to see the ubiquitous gory birth video (next time, first up so no dinner before we go). However we did get the other 'must see' demonstration of the doll and the plastic pelvis.

Even though I knew what was coming, my initial thought on seeing the "baby" was "in our family, we'd apologise for it being a tiddler". (It was approximately the size of a five-pounder)

Heh heh.. then I had to choke down that thought in panic as even the 'tiddler' made a very tight squeeze through the pelvis to be born. It nearly didn't make it.. and that's without flesh, veins, fat, skin etc on EITHER party! (Mind you, the plastic pelvis was fused at all points, unlike a real pelvis. That thought alone kept me from running screaming for the nearest caesarian).

Still, I sent up a silent apology to my mother for my own 9lb 13oz self. (owie owie owie)

Got a grizzle though - isn't it just typical of our health system in this country that in July, the powers that be who decide funding have said that no further money remains in the budget for any breastfeeding classes, and have yanked the facility until next year.

Come on - how much could it cost? One presumes the demonstration equipment is already in stock, so we're just talking space somewhere, a speaker, and maybe some tea and coffee afterwards. Hell, we ladies would even bring our own tea and coffee if you wanted.

Now weigh up the health benefits to mother and baby that breastfeeding has been shown to provide. Can you still tell me that we can't afford to have these classes? How can we afford NOT to?

NZ's attitude of the 'ambulance waiting at the bottom of the cliff' rather than some assistance to prevent people falling off the cliff needs a rethink.

Speaking of accidents.. we're presently grappling with a couple of thousand dollars worth of ACC levies that we've been billed now for last year. (owie again) Beats me how ACC work - any other "insurer" expects you to pay first, and if you didn't use their services at all, don't bill you.

So it's a bit like "Southern Cross" sending us a bill saying "we know you didn't make any claims through us last year, nor have you asked to become a customer of ours, so here's a bill for a couple of grand, regardless".

How long do you think they'd last if they tried it?

But as Accident Compensation Corporation is a Quango (think Govt Dept with its own set of secret & ever changing rules), they can do what they like.

What a damn shame that I can't ring them up and say "Guess what - I'm pregnant and it was an accident. Now as a result I'm severely impaired and my earning ability has been drastically hit, plus I've got ongoing costs relating to this 'accident' for the rest of my life. Can I have some compensation, please?"

Yeah. My chances would be as good as Southern Cross's, methinks ;-)