PGALer question: Bradley Birth Method?

MsAmandaPants

Hi to all my favorite mamas,

Did any of you use the Bradley Birth Method during your pregnancies/deliveries?  It looks like the standard classes are 12 weeks, so I guess I need to get it together and decide soon if I am going this route.  Does anyone have any opinions or experiences to share?  Are the classes worth it or does a book suffice? Are there better approaches? Other things to consider?  I welcome any and all advice/opinions/experiences.

xo

ETA: Adding . . . I like the idea of natural childbirth, but I am also not 100% committed to it and an epidural is definitely an option on the table. . . Even if not committed 100% to natural (although leaning that way) would I still get something out of these classes?

MsAmandaPants

Thanks ladies!

@eme520, you went the doula route, right?  I am definitely interested in learning more.  What approach did you end up taking?  I've looked into some of the other options (hypnobabies, etc.) and they don't feel right for me.  One thing I like about Bradley is the focus on the partner and team aspect, I think that would be great for my fiance to feel empowered about the process and know what is going on, help advocate, etc.  That said, yeah, not 100% sold on the no-epidural thing and not really interested on laboring at home for hours before going in to the hospital. . . .  I'm going to call the instructor and talk it through with her a bit later today.  Any other insights you have and any personal experiences to share would be welcome.  xoxoxo

valigrl21

With both my girls, I wanted to go without an epidural. Or at the very least, wait as long as possible. I studied hypnobirthing at home for each. The first time around, I had my mom and DH in the room. The second time, I had a doula and DH. But both times, it ended up being MH that was by my side the whole time. (My doula and mom were both great, I just prefered having MH near by).

The thing that I found to be the most helpful though was the bath tub. Water births aren't allowed at the hospital I delivered at. But I did labor in the tub - it was wonderful. It helped me relax and take the pain from holy-heck-i-need-an-epidural to i-can-do-this pain levels. And I am not sure if it's because of the tub or not, but I had quick labors.

Since I didn't use the bradley method, I can't comment on that. But if there are any other questions about labor/going med-free, let me know.

PS - also, sadly, alot of other moms will tell you you can't do it. I am not sure why moms like to do this but they like to tell you horror stories and tell you how you will be begging for an epidural. I won't lie - it hurts, but I have done it twice (and so have many other women), so it can't be that bad, right? 

katharine25

I did the Bradley class, though it was only an 8 week course. It was mostly helpful for DH and I loved all the talking. I'm honestly still confused as to what the Bradley "method" actually is though! (Well, it's husband coached). I enjoyed reading the hypnobirthing book a lot more.
I did land up with pain management, and I was induced (for medical reasons at 40w). I went 10 hours of water broken hard core labor applying the principles of natural childbirth - ie deep breathing and concentration, getting back massages, and staying mobile. I got stadol when I was told I was at 5cm, but he was out within an hour from getting it so more likely I was actually in transition and getting the cervical check just fucked with my head. No regrets though, I really loved my delivery.

Fwiw, of the 4 couples in my class, 2 did go completely natural and the other girl got an epi (which didn't surprise me, she was never really fully into it mentally - which is what it's really all about)

Guess what I really mean to say is any natural childbirth class will deal with similar issues and prepare you in some way, and when the day comes it all comes down to you and what you need to do at that moment.