2nd Prenatal Class

By Guest Blogger: BJ Nicholson
Word has spread throughout the villages about the prenatal classes being held here at Lifeline. As we were preparing last minute things for our second class, we were told that seven ladies had walked from Barbancourt (about a 30 minute walk down the river bank and across the river) wanting to attend the classes. Unfortunately, we had reached our maximum and were unable to accommodate them in the class. I felt for the ladies that had put forth all this effort yet were unable to benefit from their long trek, so we decided we will do a condensed class in one day (next Tuesday) just for the ladies in Barbancourt. Immediately, 12 ladies signed up and the roster was started. There are so many people in need here, and I know we can’t reach them all; I just hated to turn anyone away!
All expectant mothers returned for this week’s class, and we were even joined by a few women who Dr. Yves had instructed to come. They seemed just as eager to learn as they had last week! The class was opened with an object lesson by our friends Esther and Vina from Kentucky. They had a cube that represented the story of Jesus and described how He came to die and rise again for our sins. They emphasized how much He loves each of them and their unborn child and that everyone can live eternally with Him if they obey His word. Amber then began the class lecture with a review of nutrition from last week. Afterwards, I spoke a little about labor and what to expect, including my own experience. I then explained how labor might feel and how to use breathing techniques to help them relax through contractions. Kari was responsible for the main teaching portion of the class where she presented some pictures from the internet showing what a fetus looks like in the womb. From this, she explained what was normal to expect and warning signs to be aware of during pregnancy, delivery and after birth. Most of the ladies had never seen a picture like this. One of the mom’s, who already has 6 children, told everyone there Kari knows what she’s talking about. She thought Kari already had kids because of the knowledge she has but was surprised to know she didn’t. After the class, some of the ladies wanted to take pictures with Kari and told her thank you for the good information.