Childbirth Classes

By Debbie Gagnon

One of the best things I ever did for all three of my pregnancies was to attend childbirth classes to prepare me for labor and delivery.

There are various types of child birth classes offered around your city and around the country. My guess is that 95% of the classes you see offered will be either a Lamaze class or a Bradley class. They are both good, and I have attended them both. After three kids, my favorite was the Bradley Method.

The Bradley Method of child birth was developed by Obstetrician Robert Bradley in the late 1965. When you take a Bradley Method childbirth class you won't need most of the "extra" classes that are commonly offered. Classes are kept small so that your instructor can get to know you and present a course that meets your needs. The Bradley method is a comprehensive program that includes instruction on child birth, birth, and postpartum issues.

One of the other primary goals of the Bradley Child birth Method program is to educate partners to be sympathetic and effective labor coaches. For those interested in attempting a completely natural childbirth, the Bradley Method has earned the reputation of being the #1 method for successful natural childbirths. They are based on instruction about how the human body works during labor. You will learn techniques, breathing, and ways to manager and control the pain. If this is truly your desire, then I would begin searching for these types of classes in your area.

I did successfully go through Lamaze classes as well. I cannot knock the Lamaze class I attended, and to be fair, whether you are being instructed to use Lamaze or Bradley, much of it depends upon your instructor. My Lamaze nurse/instructor was quite boring. Many times it was push a button and watch the lesson on DVD. If I wanted that, I could have bought a set of childbirth DVD's and done it on my own, at home, in my pajamas.

With that said, I would make sure that you also shop around for the right instructor. 90% of the classes you sign up for will be fun, with great times of bonding with other couples, and you will learn so, so much. Stay healthy. Stay fit. Learn all you can. Enjoy the nine month journey!

Debbie Gagnon has traveled throughout the U.S., Europe, and Africa. With her experience in educating others, she is one of the contributing authors of MyChildbirthGuide.com.