A Lamaze Childbirth

By Lisa Sanchez

Lamaze is the number one childbirth method being taught in America to help pregnant women prepare for natural childbirth.


Almost every hospital in our nation will have some Lamaze class that you can enroll in to help get your ready for childbirth. There is usually a new class starting every month, and sometimes more often than that in larger cities. Plan ahead and get signed up to begin a class somewhere near the beginning to middle of your third trimester.

The Lamaze philosophy of birth, supported by an ever-growing body of research, provides direction for having a natural childbirth. The Lamaze mission is to promote normal, natural, good and fulfilling childbearing experiences for women and their families through classroom education, preparation and interaction with other couples to share together. Today’s Lamaze is set to get your ready in many ways for when it is time to go to the hospital.

Using these methods, you will learn various, simple coping strategies, of which breathing is only one. The Lamaze philosophy will try and prepare you for a birth that is free from routine medical interventions. However, unlike some other methods, it also helps you know that if you need some type of pain relief, how you can be ready for that as well.

I remember with my 3rd child, I was going to make sure that I did things 100% natural. The problem was, the pain was getting so great that it was actually preventing me from progressing in labor. My husband was assuring me that it was okay to get an epidural. I finally did, and after finally relaxing and resting, within a couple hours I was fully dialated and had a very quick delivery. Sometimes it's necessary, and my Lamaze instructor had prepared us for such a time.

The typical Lamaze child birth class consists of about 12 hours of instruction and includes no more than 6-10 couples. You'll bring your pillows and work in class as you begin to practice breathing techniques, how your husband can massage you during labor (very nice), and what you need to do before that time arrives with pre-hospital checkin. The classes meet for about 6 weeks, and it is not uncommon for one or two couples not to make it the entire 6 weeks because they had their baby already.

Work all this out with your OB doctor too. Let him or her know what you're doing so they will know you have a coach, and that you are going to be using Lamaze as well. Your doctor will work with you to try and comply with your desire for a natural childbirth. If you can, go online and learn about Lamaze. Watch online videos, or at least get some Childbirth DVD's to watch. In my opinion, you can never be too prepared.

Lisa Sanchez is a mother of three and the online editor for MyChildbirthGuide.com.