The Time J Got Kicked Out...

Of "Breastfeeding Basics."

I've got breastfeeding on the brain today, mostly due to an ECFE class discussion on the pros and cons of nursing. Though every single child in the class is well beyond the age of nursing.

Just one week before I had H, we attended a breastfeeding basics class at a local hospital. We had taken the childbirth class at the hospital H was to be born at but hadn't registered (or even thought to register) for a breastfeeding class. Nursing was definitely something I wanted to at least try so a class seemed appropriate.

So I found a class at a nearby hospital, put it on the calendar and we went.

Now, the childbirth class was a couples course. So I assumed that a breastfeeding class would be as well but we noticed right away that most of the other pregnant women were alone.

Those poor women! I remember saying to J. Their husbands won't come to class with them?

We arrived at the classroom and the instructor was standing at the door checking people in. I gave her my name and she immediately looked up at J, "And are you taking Daddy 101?"

"No, I'm here with my wife." J said looking strangely between me and her.

"Well, this is a breastfeeding class." She said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, we know." I jumped in and said. And we walked in and found our seats.

She followed us to our seats.

"I think that you might be a little uncomfortable." She said to J. "We'll be watching a video and there will also be some graphic images. I'm sure there is room in Daddy 101 right next door."

J again looks to me and to her and then scans the room.

"I think he'll be fine." I said to her thinking, a video and graphic images?!? Of breastfeeding?!? And Daddy 101?!? At this point J already had TWO kids. I think he had the Daddy 101 business down.

"Ok, well don't say I didn't warn you." She said as she walked back to the door to continue check-in.

"Warn you?" I said to J, "I mean, I ended up 8 1/2 months pregnant somehow, didn't I? How graphic can a breastfeeding class be?!?"

But already I could tell that J was beginning to look green, er, red.

Shortly later the class of about 30 pregnant women and J began. And the instructor made sure to point out that there was a man in our presence.

"Umm, I just wanted to let you all know that there is a man here today. Does that make any of you uncomfortable?"

At this point, J is looking at me, silently begging for me to tell him to leave.

None of the women raised their hands and so began a discussion of breastfeeding basics. Most of which was common sense to start. As the instructor started passing out some "graphic" literature on breastfeeding she again approached J and I.

"I just think that everyone would be a lot more comfortable if you went next door to Daddy 101. This really is a women's only class."

And with that J and I decided that J had put up with enough. He headed to the lobby and I stuck out the first 30 minutes of class.

But we did walk out laughing, and now we call that the time J got kicked out of "Breastfeeding Basics."