Repeating the Bradley class (second time moms)

wannabigfam

Anyone take Bradley classes more than once?  We took them for our first and really enjoyed the classes.  Our instructor offered free repeat classes for subsequent births, but unfortunately she moved out of state.  Therefore we would have to pay in full for another instructor.  

 

I'm very nervous to NOT take the classes, but $250 is a lot of money to us.  Plus we would have to spend about $30 / week on childcare for our 2 year old, which would be an extra $360.  So about $610 for the 12 classes.  That's a lot of money!  The instructor offered to allow us to take just the classes we were interested in (the relaxation classes, so probably like 4-6 classes) and pro-rate the class; however, I'm hesitant to do that because I feel like I won't know the people in the class and "bond" as much with them.  Part of the thing I liked about the 12 week sessions was getting to know the other mommies and also just having that private time w/ my husband for 2 hours.  It really helped him feel part of the process & birth and I am nervous he will freak this time without a refresher.  I would read the books & manual again, but my husband is NOT the type to do any reading on his own.

Would it be so silly to just take the classes again?   Worth $650???

kami1977

I'm in a similar situation as you are.   We have no family nearby and adding the cost of a sitter in with the cost of the classes would be $650.  My DH also travels a lot, so the classes weren't really conducive to his schedule.   So instead of taking the classes we hired a doula since it was the same cost for us.   That said, I kind of wish we had done the classes again.   I miss the closeness that going to class once a week and focusing on the pregnancy gave us last time.  I feel like my husband is much more disconnected from this pregnancy than last time.  I think either choice is valid and you just have to decide what you want.

julyjennifer

We didn't take the classes the second time around.  I didn't feel like spending the money again when we already "knew" the material, plus the babysitter factor.  Our original bradley instructor had retired so we weren't able to take her up on the free refresher's offer, which I probably would have otherwise.

We did go to a few free other classes offered in our area (MN - twin cities - put on by the childbirth collective), which helped. I reread the Bradley workbook and read some other books, including Ina May's, that I hadn't read the first time.  It was definitely a different experience not having a class, I felt like I wasn't as "prepared" as with our first, but I knew that the second time around being "prepared" was inevitably going to look different.  That was ok.   We still had a great birth, this time at home.

silkyhorse

We did not re-take the class.  We didn't have a great experience the first time, though.  Our instructor was long-winded and seemed to just stretch out whatever material we had to fill up the time scheduled for the class.  It took a lot of effort to make it through those 12 weeks.

If there was a 2 or 3 hour refresher course, I would love to take one.  I am not aware of one, though.  I did pull out my Bradley book, but I haven't looked through it yet