FAQ: Courses/ methods for a natural birth

bluerevolution9

What method or course are you doing and why?  How is it / did it work for you?

Examples- Bradley, Hypnobabies, Hypnobirthing, Lamaze, Birthing From Within ect.  

Sara*n*Ryan

We did Bradley classes. We both loved them. I think it was a great opportunity to get my DH much more involved in the pregnancy than a lot of DH's are.

We will be putting it to practice, hopefully, in the next four weeks or so. But it's honestly worth the money and time already. We learned so much about the process of labor and pregnancy. They give you a helpful diet plan, teach you lots of relaxation techniques that you can practice and try during labor, lots of prep exercises to help get your body ready for labor. It was really great.

We practice our relaxation techniques every single night. I do all my exercises and sometimes my DH even does the exercises with me. I feel prepared for what is to come instead of feeling clueless. I know what questions to ask and I feel like it has helped me to work with my doctor so that she knows my wishes. As an aside, I have an amazing doctor that is totally on board with my wishes and I think that helps a lot.

**SORRY FOR THE BUMP BURP IN YOUR POST. I'll DELETE THEM**

LindseyJW

I have studied both Bradley (12 weeks, 2hrs/week) and HypnoBirthing (5 weeks, 2.5-3hrs/week) and by far preferred HypnoBirthing.

I thought Bradley was an excellent education in childbirth and pregnancy, but most of what we learned I already knew. My husband didn't, so like the PP said, it brought him much closer to the pregnancy in a way that I think other methods don't. However, at the end of it all, I'm the one birthing the baby, and what I really needed was a set of techniques to help me do it. I didn't get that from Bradley. Bradley teaches that you should release control to your body and allow it do do whatever your body feels it needs to do. I needed more guidance than that. Bradley also teaches that the pain is purposeful, which resulted in me trying to win against it; a collosal waste of energy. I had a c/s after 40+ hours of labor with this birth.

For my second birth, I studied HypnoBirthing. I found it to be much heavier with real techniques that helped in labor. The premise of HypnoBirthing is that pain is ultimately caused by fear. Fear leads to tension in the body, which then causes the body to feel the sensations of pain. By eliminating fear of childbirth, women can have easier, more comfortable, often painless birthing experiences. The method uses four basic techniques: breathing, relaxation, ultra deepening and visualization. Each technique has several exercises and they are intended to be used in tandem. During my second labor, I once stopped using the techniques, because I wasn't certain whether it was the techniques helping me have a comfortable labor or if it was just a different labor from my first. After just one surge, I knew! The techniques really work!

HypnoBirthing moms tend to be much quieter during labor, have shorter labors and fewer undesireable labor symptoms, like vomitting, shakes and sweats. This is because HypnoBirthing moms have completed relaxed their bodies and are not producing catecholamine, a hormone which causes the body to go into fight v. flight mode.

One downside to HypnoBirthing: the course is really meant to be taught in person, and not self-taught. There are a lot of materials that you can only get from an instructor. If you are interested in a hypnosis-based childbirth class and want to learn it yourself, consider Hypnobabies. I understand this course incorporates some principles from both Bradley and HypnoBirthing, but I'm not familiar with it. Perhaps other moms will comment on this method, too.

I believe in the techniques of HypnoBirthing so much that I decided to become a pracitioner! I frequent the NB board, so feel free to ask any questions about the method that you have. Page me or send me a PM!

I have also heard great things about BirthWorks and Brio Birth.

cros8380

Dh and I used Bradley Method. I agree with everything both pp said, but want to add that in Bradley classes you are taught to use visualization methods to help relax. It's usually the husband/coach talking you through the visualization (which is why practice is helpful). After learning as much as I did about birth and the process, the fear of pain and labor was gone, and although (as PP said) I was the one birthing the baby, having DH there, guiding me through the process, encouraging me to use different labor positions and practically shoving me in the tub (I was so stubborn and didn't want to go, but it was PERFECT once I was in there!)  was what I needed to focus to get through labor. I don't know if I would look back on the experience the same if he wasn't as involved. Bradley was the right choice for me because DH and I are team in everything we do, this wasn't going to be any different. I believe in this method so much that I've decided to become an instructor too. I am in the process of becoming certified and should be done by November (in time for LO's b-day!)

I do think it's important to do the research about the various courses/methods, but I think being prepared for a natural birth, in any way, increases your chances of having one. So, good for you for doing your homework and good luck!