Do I need a Labor class?

Today, I went into my midwife for my monthly checkup, which will turn into bi-monthly checkups starting next month. I sat there and she asked me if I had any questions for her, and to my amazement I had no questions. This is not the norm for me because I always have something going through my mind. She said okay and preceded to measure me and checked the baby's heartbeat with the fetal doppler. After that, I did have one question. I told her that I noticed my pelvic floor, as they call it, had a lot of pressure when I stood for long periods of time. It's such an awkward feeling because you have the sensation the baby's about to fall out. She said it was normal and with second time pregnancies, mothers usually feel it more. That's was a big relief.

My midwife then asked me, "Are you thinking of taking a birthing class of some sort or are you planning on reading up on it?" For some reason, I had to take a minute and really think. Am I going to take a birthing class? I took multiple pauses and told her that I never really thought about it because I never took any classes with my first child.

My first pregnancy went by so fast that I never sat down and thought about any prenatal/birthing classes. I went into the hospital and just followed simple instructions, "breathe," "push," etc. After 4 or 5 pushes, my daughter was out.

When my midwife asked me this question, I literally felt that maybe I was a little behind the curve. Maybe, every expectant parent did go to labor class to learn breathing techniques or other birthing tips. Maybe, I was the only one that was out of the loop. So needless to say, I will probably read up on birthing techniques/styles etc., and decide if I really need to go to a class. Personally, I would rather go to a prenatal yoga class, once my daughter attends her full-time preschool. We will see!