I’ve got a bit behind on the absolutely fascinating news concerning our incipient child. People with no interest in the entirely normal process of pregnancy can ignore this article.
So, we went to the clinic on Monday, and there’s almost no news. Which is good, because it means that Yudetamago is developing normally. She’s now head down, as she should be, and right on the centre of the growth curve for her age, which is also good. She’s too big to fit in the ultrasound window now, and she was hiding her face again, so we don’t have a 3D picture. It’s early to be camera shy, but maybe we won’t be putting her on the stage.
Last time we went to the clinic, she was in breech presentation. One of Yuriko’s Japanese books suggests that an effective way to deal with this is to talk to the baby and tell her that her head needs to be at the bottom. So I did that. And now her head is at the bottom. Clearly, this works. (In English, as well as Japanese.)
We’ve also had our local-government-provided parenting classes, which provided rather more useful information. It has been mainly the basic stuff: brushing teeth, basic nutrition, home environment, the process of birth. There were partners at all the sessions (even in Japan, they don’t call them “husbands” any more, although they did call them “fathers” at the last one), maybe three, for thirty mothers. The average age of the mothers was about 30, and most had lived in Miyamae-ku for less than three years; that is, apparently, normal.
For the last session, the fathers were encouraged to attend, because there were special things set up for them.
One was the pregnancy experience; they had jackets with breasts and stomach attached, filled with stuff that made them weigh eight kilograms. The idea is that the man tries it on, and finds out how hard it is for the woman to move around. When I put it on it provoked comments like “Yes, well, this is designed for Japanese people, we really need a bigger one for you”, especially after I did a sit up in it. Yes, the exercises are working. I have no doubt I will be very grateful for that post-birth, when I actually will get to carry the baby.
Talking of which, the other experience was giving the baby a bath. They had a proper simulation doll, the right weight, floppy in the right places, and anatomically accurate, for us to practise on. I think I did OK; I didn’t drown the doll or anything. Of course, the real baby might decide to move by herself, something that wasn’t a real possibility.
I think about half the mothers got their partners to come along, and there was a bit at the end where the mothers consulted together, and so did the fathers. I asked if anyone was taking paternity leave, and it seems not. I probably will; being self-employed I can take it whenever I want, as long as I don’t mind not being paid. And I’ll give myself my job back afterwards… However, this still seems to be something that hasn’t really caught on in Japan.
Overall, the lessons were useful, and we’ve made contact with half a dozen other families in the local area, which should be good. For now, I just have to keep supporting Yuriko.
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