The first antenatal Class

I attended my first antenatal class today. An interesting experience. It was due to start at 9am but infact didn't start until 9.30am as the midwife decided to wait for the latecomers. It lasted 2 hours without a break (needless to say that I dying to go to the toilet afterwards).

There didn't seem to be much structure to the class - luckily the midwife went over breathing techniques briefly (I'd missed the previous 3 classes while I was in the UK).

I had a disagreement with the midwife when she was talking about what happens at the hospital and during the birth. Here they tie you to a bed if you have an epidural and I protested and said I didn't think this was necessary, as far as I know this doesn't happen in the UK. She wasn't very sympathetic and said that the British health service wasn't was good as here (she's probably never been to he UK). This is something I feel quite strongly about and I don't like the idea of being tied down during birth...!

She said that in a natural birth (ie without an epidural) you can be in any position you like but with an epidural you have to be tied to the bed. I wonder if this is the same in the whole of Spain? It sounds like this is convenient for the doctors and midwives but it sounds a bit old fashioned to me.