Book/ class recommendations??

Byrdie15

Hi ladies, FTM here. Going to try an unmedicated hospital birth. I am reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and I love it!

I was googling Bradleymethod and it sounds great but I don't think I want to sign is up for 24 hours of training plus homework. Sounds really intense plus it's $400.

Anyone have books that were particularly helpful? I'm looking for relaxation techniques, positions, tips for hubby coach, etc, that we can read together.

We are going to a birth class (just a regular one thru our hospital) but also open to other "methods"

Thanks in advance!!

vvvvvfee

i had a natural/unmedicated hospital birth with my DS. i took a hypnobirthing class with my DH and i thought it was extremely helpful. i liked the materials you get (a book and 2 CDs). i listened to one of the relaxation/self-hypnosis recordings every night. part of what i thought was nice about the class was that it boosted my confidence a lot and made me less fearful-- i'm not sure that you will get that confidence from the books alone. (you can also buy the hypnobirthing text by itself, and is very helpful, but i do still recommend the class. plus our instructor gave us numerous other handouts.)

a couple of other resources:

the complete illustrated birthing companion- an unbiased overview of the options for different types of births, and explains pros/cons of various interventions.

the birth partner- info for you + your DH

childbirth without fear- outdated (although it was way ahead of its time) and a little repetitive, but the core idea is helpful (fear slows down the labor process). i wouldn't buy it, but if you can get it out from the library it's interesting to skim through.

a lot of people like the thinking woman's guide to a better birth and birthing from within, but they were published close to 15 years ago, so the info is not totally up to date.

i'm probably not supposed to recommend something on babycenter but they have some interesting videos about the stages of labor, as well as videos of different kinds of births in different settings. i watched these early on when i was totally clueless and they were a good overview.

also, ask questions on the bump! there are lots of people who have BTDT and are happy to offer opinions or just reassurance.

p.s. more recommendations in the FAQ post that's pinned to the top of the board.

sschwege

I loved, loved, loved Hypnobirthing!  Had a great experience both times.

Byrdie15

Thanks to you both!!! I just found a modern Lamaze class in my area taught by a very well respected doula. Will look into hypnobirthing as well!! Thanks again for book recos. Was going to read childbirth without fear because Ina May mentions it a few times in her book.

redrockmama

Our midwife very strongly recommends the Pink Kit. She said that the couples she has worked with who have done it barely even need her there, as opposed to couples who have done some other birth education class/course. We bought it and have started reading and doing the "exercises". It's really informative and I'm really enjoying it, but it's certainly not for everyone. It's pretty inexpensive, I think we bought it for about $65. 

mb314

I really liked our Bradley classes.  The length ensured it was thorough, and both DH and I were really informed at the end.  Also, as a bonus, we got to be great friends with the other couples.  But I understand if you can't make the time or financial commitment.

I do recommend the Bradley books - Husband-Coached Birth or Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way.

I have heard that most hospital classes are a waste of time if you want to go natural. They assume that you will just be getting an epidural and doing whatever the doctor/nurses say without questioning them.  I would instead just take a hospital tour and would skip the hospital class

H&H2014

I enjoyed reading Mindful Birthing. If you're in San Francisco they offer a series there. I opted to "self study" but wish we'd been able to take the class.

jmknox

I took Bradley classes. Very informative, not so much homework. And my class (12 weeks ) was only $250. Books -Any thing by Ina Mae Gaskin, natural childbirth the Bradley way, I just finished Spontaneous Joyful Natural Birth (a collection of natural birth stories), Pushed by Jennifer Block. Watch the Business of being born for free on you tube and then Netflix has more of the business of being born There is this website - Birthing without Fear - https://birthwithoutfearblog.com Hope all that helps

LilTiger15

I highly recommend Hypnobabies.  I did this for my pregnancy with my son.  It was amazing.  I had very little pain (some women experience no pain).   I'm a small woman (115 lbs pre-pregnancy) and 5'5" tall.  My son was born after 20 hours of labor (8 hours literally stuck at 10 cm).  He was 9 lbs 5 oz.  He was posterior, so that is why it took so long to come out.  I had no drugs; was able to have the natural birth I was praying for.  The Bradley Method doesn't teach a way to avoid pain.  That is the difference Hypnobabies offers--hypno anesthesia.  I can't wait to practice again for my second pregnancy.  I just got my BFP today.  Go to www.hypnobabies.com  to see if there is a local class near you.  You can also do the self study program.