I mentioned in an earlier post that we were planning a natural birth and taking Bradley Classes to prepare. I got a few e-mails and questions regarding the classes so I thought it would be good to do a review now that I finished the 12 week course.
The Bradley Method of Husband Coached Natural Childbirth focuses on teaching and encouraging the mother to live a healthy and active lifestyle in order to stay low risk and reduce unnecessary pain during birth. They also focus on using the husband and relaxation techniques during labor to handle and/or reduce pain.
The classes are as follows:
1. Introduction to the Bradley Method
2. Nutrition in Pregnancy
3. Pregnancy
4. The Coach's Role
5. Intro to First Stage Labor
6. Intro to Second Stage Labor
7. Planning Your Birth
8.Variations and Complications/Postpartum Prep
9. Advanced First Stage Techniques
10. Advanced Second Stage Techniques
11. Being a Great Coach/ Are You Ready?
12. Preparing for Your New Family
To learn more and to find a teacher in your area you can go here.
I wholeheartedly recommend taking Bradley Classes if you are committed to a natural birth. I feel like the content is extensive and full of important tools, techniques and information that you just can't get from a book. I know my husband feels so much more prepared, confident and in control since taking these classes. He told me that if we hadn't he would probably wouldn't be much help during the birth because of lack of knowledge. The classes have given me confidence in this process too. They've taught me what to expect from my body and how to handle each stage of labor effectively.
They say several times during class that if you didn't know how to swim yet you knew you were going to be thrown into deep water in 9 months then you'd probably learn how to swim pretty quickly! Well the same things goes for labor, you know it's coming in 9 months so you'd better learn how to do it effectively!
You really need to be committed when taking Bradley Classes because you have "homework" every day for your whole pregnancy and beyond! They encourage you to keep track of your diet to make sure you and your baby are getting all the nutrients you both need. They also encourage you to walk, exercise and practice relaxation techniques daily with your coach. In addition to all of that they encourage specific exercises to utilize everyday in order to better prepare your body for birth.
I'm so glad that my husband and I decided to take Bradley Classes! The information we learned throughout the process was invaluable and I can't wait to put it into practice in a few weeks!
Additional Resources
Bradley Birth
Husband Coached Childbirth
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
Have you heard of or taken Bradley Classes? I'd love to know!
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Women Living Well Wednesdays
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Didn't have Bradley classes, however, I read a natural childbirth book by Grantly Dick-Read that was excellent. His in labor training tips worked very well for 3 natural deliveries over 30 years ago. I supplemented the Lamaze classes which were mandatory if i wanted to have my husband in the delivery room, the dark ages lol! Many blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE it! I'm so pleased that you both feel like you have benefited from the class, and I'm so pleased to see you sharing your testimony! I have so enjoyed getting to know you these past three months, and I can't wait to hear your birth story when the time comes!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I really love your blog!! I am now following, and I'm looking forward to reading back over some of your other posts!
Love, love, love the Bradley classes! I went through them 16 years ago with my first son and then we took the refresher a couple of years later with our second son. It was the perfect type of support you need during your last trimester. Excellent instruction for nutrition, exercise, and emotional wellness also, for both mom and dad. You are a team, so it's great if you can learn as a team. We were blessed with two beautiful natural deliveries with NO MEDICATION!! I wasn't trying to be a martyr, but rather make sure that we gave our kids the healthiest start possible in life. Our teacher did a wonderful job of providing knowledge of the different types of pain relief that are available and how they would affect the baby. It was up to us to make the choice that was right for the baby. Blessings to you both and best wishes for a comfortable delivery!
ReplyDeleteNo classes were available when I had my LO, but I read the book. I made it a good way without medication and when the really difficult contractions began I gave in to the epidural. Funny enough, I asked for it when I was about 4, and then they gave it to me but it didn't work! It took so long for them to get to me that I was minutes away from pushing. So I felt every thing. Hehe. My good friend and her husband used the Bradley method too but her husband was a bit more in control. My husband wasn't very good at coaching, bless his heart. I'm thinking about getting a doula next time around. :)
ReplyDeleteSusan - Thanks so much! Mike and I so enjoyed your teaching!
ReplyDeleteSarah - Good for you for reading the book! (I haven't read the whole thing yet). I think it's so important for all women to be prepared even if they aren't planning on a natural birth because things don't always go as planned!
Missy,
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for you and will keep you in my prayers during these last few weeks of preparation! Another book I recommend (if you haven't read it already) is Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. It's full of encouraging natural birth stories!
Thanks for sharing! I've always wanted to do Bradley classes but couldn't justify the cost. I'm happy with how my births (2) have gone though. I second Ina May's books! They are awesome, full of great birth stories!
ReplyDeleteLeigha - Thank so much! :) I have read Ina May's book and I enjoyed it. I'm still working on a few Christian natural childbirth books. I also really enjoyed Natural Hospital Birth which was written by a doula. It's a great resource if your planning on going that route (like we are.)
ReplyDeleteVerna - Yes, the classes are pricey, but totally worth it! :)
We used Bradley with our first child and had a wonderful natural delivery. The second was breech, so I had to have a C-section. But number three is due in May, and we plan to use the Bradley method again then too. I've found many of my girlfriends prefer NOT to know what's going on during labor and just want pain medicines, believing that they can't be harmful to the baby. But I don't understand that mentality. Best of luck with your classes and pregnancy, labor, and delivery. It's the hardest thing you'll ever do in your life! BUT the feeling you get afterwards that you have accomplished something so few women have done in this day and age and, more importantly, that is best for your baby, is so worth it!
ReplyDeleteWe signed up for the Bradley course over two year ago but did not get to attend the whole thing. Half way through, I was mandated to go on hospital bed rest. The good news is, I have a happy, healthy and quite active 2 year old.
ReplyDeleteI had two natural childbirths, and while I didn't attend Bradley classes (I was in the rural UK for the 1st pregnancy), I heard great thing from friends about the method. Perhaps these tips are covered in Bradley classes, but here's my two cents about delivering naturally: I recommend laboring at home for as long as you can and using a birthing ball to assist with hip rocking and to lay on while being given back pressure and massage by your partner/doula.
ReplyDeleteI did read the Ina May book mentioned as well as her "Spiritual Midwifery" book, and I was encouraged by all of the wonderful stories of natural birth. I am now training to be a doula, and it is great to hear more about the Bradley method and to hear about moms intending to give birth naturally! I think however women choose to give birth should be supported, but I also think research shows that babies born without pain medication are more able to breastfeed right away, which is helpful to encourage mother-baby bonding.
Good luck and thanks for sharing!