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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1980)
THE BATTALION WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 1980 me i lot. iijiti kid for I* Pre-natal class teaches all aspects of pregnancy Page 4 inMay.jj' itlmaej ittaod ver'sliceis week to do endtotlffl | flicer, anti on d Ilona! a new sl from es» already# iiriy, crilt By ROSEMARIE ROSE City Reporter Having a baby isn’t as simple as it used to be. In this age of medical super technology, what used to be one of the most natural events in a person’s life has become one of the most com plicated, especially for the parents. In fact, childbirth has become so complicated that many Bryan- College Station area doctors now re commend or require expectant cou ples to attend pre-natal classes. Pat Hassell, a “prepared child birth’’ teacher, said the purpose of the classes is to educate parents in the options available to them so that they may make informed decisions when it comes to the birth of their child. Hassell is a member of BABE, the Bryan-College Station Association of Birth Educators, a group of licensed instructors who hold prepared child birth classes. The six members of the group teach couples about pregnan cy and childbirth, what to expect and do during labor and delivery and what choices are available to them as far as how the actual childbirth is conducted. The classes are held one night a week for six weeks, and the couple should begin the classes during the mother’s seventh month of pregnan cy, Hassell said. “We teach the mothers exercises that are very important during labor,” she said, “and we hope they will continue the exercises at least through the last month.” The BABE instructors teach exer cises in psychoprophylactic relaxa tion, a laboring technique similar to the one popularized in the 1950s in the United States as the Lamaze method. "There are two differences be tween what we teach and the Lamaze method,” Hassell said. The first difference is that Dr. Fer- nand Lamaze (the obstetrician who developed the method) said there is absolutely no pain in his method of childbirth, she said. Psychoprophy lactic relaxation prepares the mother and helps her stay relaxed during childbirth, but Hassell said there is always pain during delivery. The second difference is that Lamaze instructors act as the mothers’ coaches during labor. The Pat Hassell, a “prepared childbirth” teacher, said the purpose of the classes is to edu cate parents in the options avail able to them so that they may make informed decisions when it comes to the birth of their child. method taught in BABE classes has the fathers act as coaches. Hassell said it would be impractic al for her to act as her students’ coach because she would have to meet the mother early in the pregnancy in order to get to know her and estab lish a trusting relationship. Hassell and her local colleagues, all of whom are women, teach their students breathing and relaxation techniques that will help them and their babies through labor and de livery. For different stages of labor there are specific types of breathing the mother does during contractions. The breathing techniques, used to insure that both mother and child are receiving enough oxygen, range from deep “cleansing breaths’ to shallow pants and puffs. During a regular class meeting the 12 couples in each group begin by- practicing relaxation. They spread out on the floor; the mothers lie on pillows to support their arms and legs. At her coach’s order, the mother focuses her eyes on an object or point and concentrates on relax ing. The husband tests each of her ■ctioi) of: prisoni ;l that rs Rep. Enfc ice, said' to prevt into Mem li the toi ; this are costs may hit people twice rting 3, ic state ; doorste United Press International Inflation could hit consumers, a ik, t second time when they retire, be- ooncemf cause too few people are putting risononli enough money aside to account for lationsw: rising costs. A survey by the Investment Com pany Institute, the national associa tion of mutual funds, said Monday one in four American men with a median income ofjust under $27,000 is saving less than 2 percent of his money, even though almost all be lieve inflation will rise between 5 and 20 percent in the 1980s. “If prices do go up at the rate they expect, people will find it increasing ly difficult to save enough to guard against the decline in purchasing power,” the Institute said, ue. Heff “Thus, the customary jolt of retire- ) 600 fn went will coincide with a marked damaged reduction in standards of living. ” local Even if inflation drops to 7 percent a year, the purchasing power of any income will drop by half in 10 years, the survey said. The survey advises starting early and investing regularly. limbs periodically to make sure they are loose. As the mother is able to maintain her relaxation for longer periods, the husband may instruct her to contract one or two limbs, for instance her right arm and leg. Still focusing, the mother contracts the designated limbs but must keep the rest of her body loose. While the couples practice, Has sell moves among them bending to test arms and legs and offering words of advice or encouragement. After relaxation comes breathing practice and then a lecture period. During the six lectures Hassell gives her students information on ev erything from hospital policy to what their baby will look like when he is first born. The members of BABE work closely with the hospital staff at St. Joseph’s and the area doctors who perform deliveries. St. Joseph’s is the only area hospital with an obstet ric section. Meeting and getting to know all the doctors performing deliveries in the area is one part of an extensive training program an applicant must go through to obtain a license from ASPO, the American Society of Psychoprophylactics in Obstetrics, Hassell said. People who wish to become birth educators must also pass tests over technical medical information, read and review books on the subject, study and write lesson plans and be approved by state and national boards of birth educators. Hassell said it takes about two years to com plete the program. By working with the doctors and hospital staff, and by making the pa rents’ preferences known to the doc tors, Hassell said many changes have been made in hospital policy over the last few years. Only 2 1/2 years ago fathers could not hold their babies until they were taking the child home, and the mothers were limited to short periods with their child during the day. Now, said Hassell, parents can elect for their child to “room in” with the mother for their entire stay in the hospital. The baby’s crib is left in the mother’s room and the father may be with the mother and child as much as he wishes. Another change brought about by parents’ requests is that the father may be present at the delivery. Fathers are still asked to leave if the mother must have a cesarean section (surgical delivery of the baby through the mother’s abdomen), but Hassell said the doctors hold a vote on it every month and she hopes it will change soon. Hassell, incidentally, maintains more than a professional interest in the local obstetric scene. She first became interested in birth education when she was pregnant with her first child three years ago. Now that she is expecting again in June, she and her husband plan to teach a class together toward the end of her pre gnancy. One especially important subject approached in the lectures is what type of medication the mother may or will have during her labor and delivery. Hassell outlines the two major types of medications available, analgesics and anesthetics, and lists During the six lectures Has sell gives her students informa tion on everything from hospital policy to what their baby will look like when he is first born. drug names and side effects involved in the medications. Very few women, only about 10 percent, go through the entire labor and delivery without any medication for pain, Hassell said. Most women Who do take some drug, however, take only a mild anesthetic, demerol. Hassell says the parents are pro vided with such detailed information because it is “their labor” and the ultimate decision as to how it should go belongs to the people most direct ly involved, the parents. Couples are urged to talk with their doctors and ask questions when they don’t understand or agree with his prac tices, she said. To further educate expectant pa rents, BABE offers tours of St. Joseph Hospital, where they visit the labor and delivery rooms, post par- turn (after delivery) rooms and the nursery. BABE also shows two films on the second Wednesday of every month. One film shown every month is a case history of a pregnancy and deliv ery. The other film may cover one of a wide range of topics including nut rition, parenting, pre-natal care and the minor discomforts of pregnancy. •hase of ionwl md the ict ELECT ; BROOKS j iiy ^ Jm COPER f : District Judge J 17 years in Law Enforcement [j 25 years Trial Experience # «jjjk flHR Your Vote and Support 1 ! Will Be Appreciated ! (Pol Adv paid by D Brooks Cofer Jr, Camp. Trass. I Bx 3520, Bryan, Tx) y Tired of the Campus Confusion? iff!! > apartments Enjoy Quiet Country Living In The City Year-round Shuttlebus SUMMER STORAGE $50-$75 Per Apartment Pre-leasing for Summer and Fall Friendliest Staff In Town 502 Southwest Parkway College Station 693-1325 IIHinuiiHji m nmnm The Coxps of Cadets gets its news from the Batt. INDUSTRIAL HYGIENIST Inspiration Consolidated Cop per Company, a fully integrated copper company, is presently seeking an Industrial Hygienist to implement up-to-date testing and sampling programs to in sure compliance with MSHA, OSHA, and the state mine in spector’s office regulations. Must have a thorough know ledge in the areas of noise levels, toxic chemicals, toxic gases, and harmful dusts. A degree in Industrial Hygiene a must. If you meet these qualifi cations and enjoy the small town atmosphere of Globe- Miami, AZ (just 90 miles east of Phoenix), please send your de tailed resume and salary inter est in confidence to: Inspiration Consolidated Copper Com pany, Inspiration, AZ 85537, Attn: Al Lopez, Senior Person nel Representative. (No tele phone calls, please) INSPIRATION CONSOLIDATED COPPER COMPANY Inspiration, Arizona 85537 An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F 7 We’ve Got THE TOUCH! See what’s in thursday’s Focus College Station - Houston TRUCKING SERVICE HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR TICKETS TO THE 8 'OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO -'r-' it I y- FACULTY An Invitation TEXAS A&M BOOKSTORE cordially invites the faculty members of TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY to visit The College Traveler Mobile Book Exhibit (in a Bookmobile) Thursday & Friday, April 24 and 25, 1980 Thursday - 10:00-4:00 Friday - 10:00-3:00 Parked in front ofM.S.C. Books from over 200 publishers are on display Freshman through Graduate level Most are available for complimentary examination New This Year We have added a special section of Professional, Trade, and Reference Books also If you are writing, we can help you make contact with a publisher and You’ll want to be sure you’re on the College Marketing Group mailing lists Over 500 publishers use them A College Traveler will be on duty to assist you HOWARD DEHART, MANAGER NOTICE oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo