Harmony Classes - What to take?

periwinkleblue · January 2012

I'm not sure what to take. Either "Birthing from Within" or "Birthing Naturally (Bradley Method)".

I'll most likely use medications because my pain tolerance is very very low, but I heard the Bradley Method is good in helping cope with pain, even if I get an epi later.

What should I take? "Birthing From Within" or "Birthing Naturally (Bradley Method)"?

Please share your experience. Thanks so much!!!

MsPurple24 · January 2012

periwinkleblue:
I'll most likely use medications because my pain tolerance is very very low, but I heard the Bradley Method is good in helping cope with pain, even if I get an epi later.

I felt the same way, and I took Birthing From Within. I felt the instructor did a good job of helping me learn to cope with the pain before the epidural as well as figuring out when to ask for the epidural. There was no pressure to go natural, but it was talked about as an option if you were to find your labor progressing quickly and you felt up to it.

I didn't take the Bradley class but I know a lot of people have enjoyed that one, so hopefully someone can chime in on that one. Good luck!

futrkingsley · January 2012

I also took Birthing From Within at Harmony and really liked it and felt like it was useful. I didn't feel like Bradley was right for me or my husband and I'm glad I chose BFW and have recommended it to several friends who also really liked it. The instructor for the class I took was not fantastic but the book was great and I've heard other instructors at Harmony who teach that class are great.

periwinkleblue · January 2012

MsPurple24:
periwinkleblue:
I'll most likely use medications because my pain tolerance is very very low, but I heard the Bradley Method is good in helping cope with pain, even if I get an epi later.
I felt the same way, and I took Birthing From Within. I felt the instructor did a good job of helping me learn to cope with the pain before the epidural as well as figuring out when to ask for the epidural. There was no pressure to go natural, but it was talked about as an option if you were to find your labor progressing quickly and you felt up to it.
I didn't take the Bradley class but I know a lot of people have enjoyed that one, so hopefully someone can chime in on that one. Good luck!

Thank you! Who's your instructor?

periwinkleblue · January 2012

futrkingsley:
I also took Birthing From Within at Harmony and really liked it and felt like it was useful. I didn't feel like Bradley was right for me or my husband and I'm glad I chose BFW and have recommended it to several friends who also really liked it. The instructor for the class I took was not fantastic but the book was great and I've heard other instructors at Harmony who teach that class are great.

Can you share the name of your instructor? Thanks much!

MsPurple24 · January 2012

periwinkleblue:
MsPurple24:
periwinkleblue:
I'll most likely use medications because my pain tolerance is very very low, but I heard the Bradley Method is good in helping cope with pain, even if I get an epi later.
I felt the same way, and I took Birthing From Within. I felt the instructor did a good job of helping me learn to cope with the pain before the epidural as well as figuring out when to ask for the epidural. There was no pressure to go natural, but it was talked about as an option if you were to find your labor progressing quickly and you felt up to it.
I didn't take the Bradley class but I know a lot of people have enjoyed that one, so hopefully someone can chime in on that one. Good luck!

Thank you! Who's your instructor?

I had Kristin Evans, who is the Harmony owner. I'm not sure if she teaches regularly or if she just couldn't find an instructor for that session, but she was awesome. Personally I didn't like the book- I felt the author had an agenda to scare moms away from hospital births, but that was my own issue. I stopped reading the book and still got a lot out of the course.

Celyn · January 2012

Not to simplify it too much, but BFW is about learning to give yourself permission to listen to your body and do whatever your body needs you to do in order to birth your baby. If your body says "getting on all fours and moaning like a banshee is what I need to do right now", you do that. It's a system of exercises (mental and physical) that teaches you to trust your body. It's about no one knowing how best to birth your baby except you. Pain management is about letting go and surrendering, because when the body is without fear or tension, it hurts less. (as a side note, a large amount of the pain in childbirth is a signal to do the opposite of what you'd do when injured -- it wants you to move or change position rather than be still -- BFW is all about movement).

In high contrast, Bradley is about working as a team with a birth partner. It's about optimal nutrition, with the idea that a healthy, fit body gets through birth easier, and working through pain with distraction, breathing, and coaching. IMO, its main downside is that, if your partner doesn't really want to go all in, its hard to make it work.

legaleagles · January 2012

I todo Bradley at harmony but wish I'd done bfw. I ended up with an epi 20 hours after my water broke, and probably 32 hours after labor started (though I didn't know it at the time). I still have trouble accepting that I didn't have a "natural" birth and feel like a failure at times, I think had I taken bfw I wouldn't feel this way as much because I would have been "allowed" to do what I needed. I'm of course over simplifying things, but I wish I took bfw.

legaleagles · January 2012

I todo Bradley at harmony but wish I'd done bfw. I ended up with an epi 20 hours after my water broke, and probably 32 hours after labor started (though I didn't know it at the time). I still have trouble accepting that I didn't have a "natural" birth and feel like a failure at times, I think had I taken bfw I wouldn't feel this way as much because I would have been "allowed" to do what I needed. I'm of course over simplifying things, but I wish I took bfw.

futrkingsley · January 2012

legaleagles:
I todo Bradley at harmony but wish I'd done bfw. I ended up with an epi 20 hours after my water broke, and probably 32 hours after labor started (though I didn't know it at the time). I still have trouble accepting that I didn't have a "natural" birth and feel like a failure at times, I think had I taken bfw I wouldn't feel this way as much because I would have been "allowed" to do what I needed. I'm of course over simplifying things, but I wish I took bfw.

I'm sorry you had tht exerience. I had heard this take on Bradley from someone who took the classes and felt like she had failed when a cesarean was necessary and knew it wouldn't work for me.

I loved the BFW prep. The parts about preparing your birth attendants was super helpful for me.

I don't remember my instructors name but I know it wasn't Kristen. It was someone new to teaching at the time (almost 4 years ago!).

ZoeMay06 · January 2012

I took Bradley classes at Harmony and had a good experience. I was pretty comfortable with the idea of going med-free and felt that I knew a fair deal before becoming pregnant (I once thought I'd become a midwife so I'd done a lot of reading on the subject, been to a few births, etc). However, the class was really DH's first exposure to childbirth at all, so I thought Bradley was perfect due to its emphasis on educating the birth partner as well as the mom since I'd be relying on him as my coach. I also suspected that he wouldn't take the time to read up on it on his own (I was right), so taking the class was essential. The instructor recommended that we read the book "Natural Birth the Bradley Way" by Susan McCutcheon instead of the one written by Dr. Bradley and though I wasn't the biggest fan of the author's writing style (seemed a bit condescending at times), I found the material quite useful. The breathing and relaxation techniques we practiced ended up being really helpful during labor. Kimberly Gibbs-Egan was our instructor and I thought she did a good enough job. I'm not sure if she's still teaching there.

Let me know if you have any other questions. Also, I bet if you call or go into Harmony and talk to Kristin, she'd be happy to talk you through the different options and pick the one that would work best for you.

ETA: While checking the Harmony site to see if Kimberly is still there (she is), I found that Harmony recently made some changes to their Bradley course to update the material and make it more relevant to Bay Area families and are now calling it Birthing Naturally. Just so you don't get confused when you try to look it up.

ETA-Again: Oops, you knew that already. Should have read your OP better!

MsPurple24 · January 2012

Also, Harmony has a class that's all about choosing the right birthing class! Sounds kind of silly when you say it, but it makes perfect sense for someone (like yourself) who isn't sure which class is right for their situation.

It's not a full class, they just call it a "talk." I just checked the site and they had a couple of them during their open house this weekend, but they haven't updated the site for the next one.

periwinkleblue · January 2012

Thanks, Ladies! Super helpful

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