- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Natural Birth
Karschingham
member
Bradley Method.
Karschingham
member
I emailed an instructor in my area about joining an upcoming class and turns out it's 295.00! 
1. is this normal!?
2. what is so amazing that makes it so expensive??
3. is there a cheaper way to get this information?
Holy cow.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Bradley Method.
1. That's actually on the low side.
2. No idea. I had zero desire to take the classes because of the large time commitment.
3. Read books. The library often has them for free.
Natural Birth Board FAQs
Cloth Diaper Review Sheet
1 and 2: The price is totally normal..when we did the math it breaks out to under 10 bucks a class. Our instructor also provided us with the Bradley Handbook and two other books focusing on minimal intervention pregnancy/birth and drug free birth.
3: You could always read the books but having the instructor was super helpful. We really appreciated having the instructor provide feedback regarding the exercises and she made herself available after the 12 weeks of classes ended for questions.
We have no regrets about having spent the time ad money for the Bradley Method.The Bradley classes were super helpful for my husband. He was not sure what role he wanted to have during my pregnancies and the births of our children but after Bradley he was confident and comfortable. Even my OB commented on how the Bradley classes make a difference throughout pregnancy and later labor and delivery.
Best of luck!
I can't get over the cost of information it's crazy to me! I guess I will be getting some books! Thanks for the responses
That sounds to be pretty right. Depending on your location it could potentially be more. We did the Bradley Method but our instructor was working on her certification at the time and gave us a really good discount. This was really helpful but honestly I think I would have been willing to pay the full amount as the classes were extremely beneficial to dh. He would not have picked up a book and read up on the different stages or labor or interventions. He ended up being a wonderful coach.
I would suggest that you consider your personal situation. If you are looking for something primarily as a learning experience for youself, I think you could learn that same information from a book. Go buy/borrow from the library, Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way and also pick up Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.
Yes that is normal.
It is a 12 week class for about 2 hours a night. You do the math, just on what the instructor is getting paid. The information, exercises and bonding were invaluable. No way DH would have read a book on the subject.
You can get the books. I'd suggest Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way.
While I can respect not wanting to pay that much money. It is a big chunk. It is not just information. It is a class. It's kinda like paying for a college class. You could just buy the text book, but the instructor has a bit of experience under his belt that can help you understand it and apply it better. Just a different perspective. It's not like you go to the class and get a handout and go home.
Agree!
I know if we had done it as a self study at home, I definitely would not have tracked my food each week! I haven't done it at all this pregnancy. And I have been so bad about doing my kegels this time around. My instructor would be giving me the look right now if she knew!
We're taking a Hypnobabies course, it's 6 weeks long (one day per week) and it cost $375. Now, what you don't know is I'm totally cheap... I mean, thrifty
So it was hard for me to part with that money. However, I can say, we had our first class this past Saturday and I feel like this is going to be a great investment and totally worth the money. I'm really glad we decided to go this route.
FWIW, I did a lot of reading about natural childbirth last time (including Bradley) and I wasn't at all prepared when it came down to it. Some people obviously have success with doing what I did last time though so take my experience with a grain of salt. It's just... I feel like the money is totally worth it if you end up with the birth experience you want, KWIM? Obviously nothing is guaranteed, but I'm really glad that we decided to spend the money and I know it's going to give me so much more confidence going into this to feel like I've really prepared myself.
*My Blog*
10/50 Read
my read shelf:
That is about what ours will cost (classes don't start until November for me), but I wanted to add:
Be sure to check out if this can be covered under insurance or a Flex Pay account if you have one. Ours isn't covered by insurance, but we can use the flex pay health savings for it, which helps since it isn't technically "out of pocket."
LOL!
The thought of seeing our instructor this week (inspired by your post) made me start kegel-ing. Gah. So many!
OP-- ours was $275 which is quite a bit of money. Still, I think about how badly I want to achieve a natural/pain-med free birth and that puts it into perspective for me. Small amount of money to help me have all the information/resources to get to our goal, imo. And we've read a lot of books outside of the class too.
I paid $250ish about 5 years ago. Worth it for me...2 births with no pain meds (only had pitocin for 1/2 hour in the first birth after 25 hours of labor) and amazing experiences.
They are worth it. I always say, you would spend that much on your wedding, right? A birth is just as momumental IMO.
...baby #3 is here...