Bradley v. Lamaze Method?

With my first pregnancy, I took a Lamaze class. I found the class to help helpful in the department in preparing me for what was going to happen during labor. The class covered breathing and massaging techniques. However, once the heavy duty contractions started everything I learned just went out the window and I could not stand being touched. Also, I had my first baby 4 weeks early so I ended up missing the last class, which was covered pushing techniques. With both of my deliveries, I ended getting an epidural and plan on having one with this upcoming baby. Good luck!



Autumn

With my first pregnancy, I took a Lamaze class. I found the class to help helpful in the department in preparing me for what was going to happen during labor. The class covered breathing and massaging techniques. However, once the heavy duty contractions started everything I learned just went out the window and I could not stand being touched. Also, I had my first baby 4 weeks early so I ended up missing the last class, which was covered pushing techniques. With both of my deliveries, I ended getting an epidural and plan on having one with this upcoming baby. Good luck!



Autumn

With my first pregnancy, I took a Lamaze class. I found the class to help helpful in the department in preparing me for what was going to happen during labor. The class covered breathing and massaging techniques. However, once the heavy duty contractions started everything I learned just went out the window and I could not stand being touched. Also, I had my first baby 4 weeks early so I ended up missing the last class, which was covered pushing techniques. With both of my deliveries, I ended getting an epidural and plan on having one with this upcoming baby. Good luck!



Autumn

I took a basic childbirth class at the hospital, sort of like the one Kris described. The breathing was very helpful, mostly to stave off panic. I also found it very useful to tour the L&D floor ahead of time so that I was oriented when I came in for the real thing. Not useful? The videos of childbirth that always show some woman delivering without ever showing pain or wanting an epidural, which made me think I should go as long as I could without medication. Bad idea. I ended up being in labor much longer than anyone in that dumb video, and putting off the epidural made me too tired. Ignore all the subtle messages about going without drugs because the epidural is the single greatest medical accomplishment ever! Some people don't feel much pain, some do, and if you do you can have an epidural. That's the main thing to remember. Enough stumping though - Hope this help you shop for a class!

Kaaren

I took a basic childbirth class at the hospital, sort of like the one Kris described. The breathing was very helpful, mostly to stave off panic. I also found it very useful to tour the L&D floor ahead of time so that I was oriented when I came in for the real thing. Not useful? The videos of childbirth that always show some woman delivering without ever showing pain or wanting an epidural, which made me think I should go as long as I could without medication. Bad idea. I ended up being in labor much longer than anyone in that dumb video, and putting off the epidural made me too tired. Ignore all the subtle messages about going without drugs because the epidural is the single greatest medical accomplishment ever! Some people don't feel much pain, some do, and if you do you can have an epidural. That's the main thing to remember. Enough stumping though - Hope this help you shop for a class!

Kaaren

I took a basic childbirth class at the hospital, sort of like the one Kris described. The breathing was very helpful, mostly to stave off panic. I also found it very useful to tour the L&D floor ahead of time so that I was oriented when I came in for the real thing. Not useful? The videos of childbirth that always show some woman delivering without ever showing pain or wanting an epidural, which made me think I should go as long as I could without medication. Bad idea. I ended up being in labor much longer than anyone in that dumb video, and putting off the epidural made me too tired. Ignore all the subtle messages about going without drugs because the epidural is the single greatest medical accomplishment ever! Some people don't feel much pain, some do, and if you do you can have an epidural. That's the main thing to remember. Enough stumping though - Hope this help you shop for a class!

Kaaren

[houseelf]

How exciting! As Kris said, it will be the best day of your life. When I was preggers, people offered a panoply of advice and extremely personal information that they thought that I need to know. My personal favorite came from my elderly who told me that a little Jack Daniels in a baby's bottle goes a long way to cure colic! Hmmmm..... Anyway, I made a mental note to withhold unsolicited advice upon meeting a pregnant couple.



But since you asked (ha ha ha), the best advice that I can give is to try to have an epidural placed in your spine before heavy labor begins. Then you can decide when (and if) you need the drugs and you don't have to worry about holding still during heavy labor. (It took me only three contractions after they broke my water before I wimped out.) However, this suggestion only works if your not in heavy labor before you get to the hospital.



Good luck,



Kelly

[houseelf]

How exciting! As Kris said, it will be the best day of your life. When I was preggers, people offered a panoply of advice and extremely personal information that they thought that I need to know. My personal favorite came from my elderly who told me that a little Jack Daniels in a baby's bottle goes a long way to cure colic! Hmmmm..... Anyway, I made a mental note to withhold unsolicited advice upon meeting a pregnant couple.



But since you asked (ha ha ha), the best advice that I can give is to try to have an epidural placed in your spine before heavy labor begins. Then you can decide when (and if) you need the drugs and you don't have to worry about holding still during heavy labor. (It took me only three contractions after they broke my water before I wimped out.) However, this suggestion only works if your not in heavy labor before you get to the hospital.



Good luck,



Kelly

[houseelf]

How exciting! As Kris said, it will be the best day of your life. When I was preggers, people offered a panoply of advice and extremely personal information that they thought that I need to know. My personal favorite came from my elderly who told me that a little Jack Daniels in a baby's bottle goes a long way to cure colic! Hmmmm..... Anyway, I made a mental note to withhold unsolicited advice upon meeting a pregnant couple.



But since you asked (ha ha ha), the best advice that I can give is to try to have an epidural placed in your spine before heavy labor begins. Then you can decide when (and if) you need the drugs and you don't have to worry about holding still during heavy labor. (It took me only three contractions after they broke my water before I wimped out.) However, this suggestion only works if your not in heavy labor before you get to the hospital.



Good luck,



Kelly

[Amiens]

I decided that the Bradley method was way too out there for me- the diet (a qt of milk a day, 4 eggs), the thought of going all natural (umm yeah no! I want the option of an epidural). I am going to sign up for the class offered by the hospital that I will deliver at. It is Lamaze, and after reading about the Lamaze class it goes along with what I think I would like. I know that the birth won't go exactly to how I want or would like it to. My main thing right now is to learn all I can, so if I need to make decisions I can make informed one come time when the baby wants to come.



Besides the class at University Hospital offers a 6 week course and a one Saturday course. We will be doing the Sat course so Matt can be there, plus it is cheaper.



Crystal

[Amiens]

I decided that the Bradley method was way too out there for me- the diet (a qt of milk a day, 4 eggs), the thought of going all natural (umm yeah no! I want the option of an epidural). I am going to sign up for the class offered by the hospital that I will deliver at. It is Lamaze, and after reading about the Lamaze class it goes along with what I think I would like. I know that the birth won't go exactly to how I want or would like it to. My main thing right now is to learn all I can, so if I need to make decisions I can make informed one come time when the baby wants to come.



Besides the class at University Hospital offers a 6 week course and a one Saturday course. We will be doing the Sat course so Matt can be there, plus it is cheaper.



Crystal

[Amiens]

I decided that the Bradley method was way too out there for me- the diet (a qt of milk a day, 4 eggs), the thought of going all natural (umm yeah no! I want the option of an epidural). I am going to sign up for the class offered by the hospital that I will deliver at. It is Lamaze, and after reading about the Lamaze class it goes along with what I think I would like. I know that the birth won't go exactly to how I want or would like it to. My main thing right now is to learn all I can, so if I need to make decisions I can make informed one come time when the baby wants to come.



Besides the class at University Hospital offers a 6 week course and a one Saturday course. We will be doing the Sat course so Matt can be there, plus it is cheaper.



Crystal

The bradley method requires you to drink a qt of milk and 4 eggs a day?...uhhh...why? That is definately interesting! It's great that they have a weekend class so that you both can go.....have you thought about coming up with a birthing plan and having it put in your chart? I know that we were encouraged to put in writing what we wanted and didn't want to have happen (not this was a binding legal document that prevented the necessary steps from being taken in the case of an emergency)...I wanted to avoid another C-section,etc...and so I let my hopes be known...and the midwives and physicians who saw me during labor were more sensitive to those thoughts. I like to walk around during labor until I feel like I can't anymore, so I usually waited for an epidural (though I always had one!!!! ).



It might not be the "in" thing to do where you are? I felt more comfortable knowing that I had made a tentative birthing "plan" and that my healthcare provider was in on it.....



Kris

The bradley method requires you to drink a qt of milk and 4 eggs a day?...uhhh...why? That is definately interesting! It's great that they have a weekend class so that you both can go.....have you thought about coming up with a birthing plan and having it put in your chart? I know that we were encouraged to put in writing what we wanted and didn't want to have happen (not this was a binding legal document that prevented the necessary steps from being taken in the case of an emergency)...I wanted to avoid another C-section,etc...and so I let my hopes be known...and the midwives and physicians who saw me during labor were more sensitive to those thoughts. I like to walk around during labor until I feel like I can't anymore, so I usually waited for an epidural (though I always had one!!!! ).



It might not be the "in" thing to do where you are? I felt more comfortable knowing that I had made a tentative birthing "plan" and that my healthcare provider was in on it.....



Kris

The bradley method requires you to drink a qt of milk and 4 eggs a day?...uhhh...why? That is definately interesting! It's great that they have a weekend class so that you both can go.....have you thought about coming up with a birthing plan and having it put in your chart? I know that we were encouraged to put in writing what we wanted and didn't want to have happen (not this was a binding legal document that prevented the necessary steps from being taken in the case of an emergency)...I wanted to avoid another C-section,etc...and so I let my hopes be known...and the midwives and physicians who saw me during labor were more sensitive to those thoughts. I like to walk around during labor until I feel like I can't anymore, so I usually waited for an epidural (though I always had one!!!! ).



It might not be the "in" thing to do where you are? I felt more comfortable knowing that I had made a tentative birthing "plan" and that my healthcare provider was in on it.....



Kris