As prospective parents we want as many of the experiences those on the road more traveled do. So one of the first things I wanted to do was sign us up for a newborn care and infant CPR course.
We have a number of hospitals within about a five mile radius so I thought this would be an easy thing to knock out. On the one hand, I was right as there were courses on multiple dates in multiple locations. I found just the one we were looking for-a three hour care/CPR combo class on a weekend morning for a super low rate. On the other hand, the online registration didn't have a drop down option for TBD when it asked for due date nor did it accept "I'm good" for the name of my obstetrician. Not surprisingly these were required pieces of information for the registration to process. I sent an email through the link provided and later in the week, when I hadn't received a response, called. When someone returned my call she was super nice and got us registered for the class we wanted.
This reflects this leg of our journey quite well. It is not easy and requires more effort than your average Joe, but support abounds. We have been sooo fortunate to have gotten nothing by support from our family, friends and colleagues. I have read about adoptive parents encounters with insensitive or outright hostile comments from those close to them as well as strangers. We have been so blessed to not have to navigate through those hurtful conversations.
As the class drew closer and I read the registration information more closely, I discovered that this particular course was recommended for couples during weeks 35-39 of their pregnancy. Hmm, which of these things is not like the other, which one of these things is not the same? As I looked down at my babybump-less midsection I groaned. Fortunately I have never been much of a conformist:).
We were the last to arrive of the 8 couples in the class so at first we (or should I say I?) stood out like a sore thumb. Fortunately we did introductions right off the bat so we were able to clear things up quickly. One of us thought we were an expert on child care and the other thought we were an expert on CPR; however, BOTH of us learned a lot. It was a fun group with a lot of laughs. As the women shared their due dates (November, December and one lone January) I hoped that we would be right in the game with them.
All things considered our experience was a success and I would encourage any "expecting" adoptive parents to sign up for a similar course.
