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Pregnancy brings its share of research. Every trimester – heck, every symptom – brings its own set of unfamiliar questions. But questions about the birthing process are the ones that leave parents-to-be the most queasy. That’s because for many pregnant couples, birth is still the great unknown. So unless you want to leave every aspect of birth a surprise, signing up for a local childbirth class may be worth its weight.

In a typical 5 or 6 week class, you’ll likely learn about:

  • The signs of labor
  • The normal process of labor and birth (and its many variations)
  • Pain techniques
  • Your partner’s role
  • Birthing alternatives

And, yes, you will watch a fair share of videos that make you feel like you’re back in a too-little-too-late version of 8th-grade sex ed. Spoiler alert: you will hate these videos.