What is the Bradley Method?

Question

What excactly is the Bradley Method? Also, if anyone has used it, could you give tips and expierience? What are some other good methods?

Thanks everybody. This is really helping. I do not want to use pain medication, but I also do not want to be in an incredible amount of pain!

Answer 1

I agree with the two previous answers. I have used the Bradley method four times. It really works. I think it is the best method. You are encouraged to eat during labor and an episiotomy is seldom done. The c-sec rate is only 5% and 90% of those who use the Bradley method do not need pain medication. No other method changes the outcome statistically like the Bradley method. It uses total relaxation to prevent uterine cramps, so the only pain you feel during labor is the cervix stretching.

Answer 2

Why not try books about it...try learning by the reading instead of having to take the class in another language. Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon, Erick Ingraham (Illustrator), Robin Yoko Burningham (Illustrator) Husband-Coached Childbirth : The Bradley Method® of Natural Childbirth by Robert A. Bradley, Ashley Montagu (Foreword) Maybe these will help

Answer 3

The Bradley Method® teaches natural childbirth and views birth as a natural process. It is our belief that most women with proper education, preparation, and the help of a loving and supportive coach can be taught to give birth naturally. The Bradley Method® is a system of natural labor techniques in which a woman and her coach play an active part. It is a simple method of increasing self-awareness, teaching a woman how to deal with the stress of labor by tuning in to her own body. The Bradley Method® encourages mothers to trust their bodies using natural breathing, relaxation, nutrition, exercise, and education.

Answer 4

What is the Bradley method of childbirth?
This method, developed by American obstetrician Robert Bradley in the late 1940s, embraces the idea that childbirth is a natural process and that, with the right preparation, most women can avoid pain medication and routine interventions during labor and birth. Proponents claim that nearly 90 percent of women who deliver vaginally using the Bradley method to do so without drugs.

The program lasts 12 weeks, and is more intensive than other childbirth education classes. The Bradley philosophy says that it takes months to prepare for childbirth and parenting — mentally, physically, and emotionally — and prides itself on addressing all aspects of natural childbirth, as well as many pregnancy and postpartum issues. The course also emphasizes educating partners to be effective coaches.

To get a sense of whether Bradley is the right method for you, use our Childbirth Class Chooser. What will my partner and I learn in a Bradley course?
To make sure the classes are thorough and personal, classes are limited to eight couples, and are often even smaller. The course will address:
• Nutrition and how it affects a growing fetus

• The importance of exercise (when appropriate) during pregnancy

• Common pregnancy symptoms and complaints, and how to cope with them

• Techniques for relaxation during labor and birth, with an emphasis on breathing methods to help you "tune-in" and manage your pain, rather than trying to distract you from it

• Methods to help your partner be an active participant and a skilled coach on labor day

• The stages of labor, and how to cope with the changes your body will experience during each one

• Medical interventions, and how to avoid unnecessary ones

• How to reduce your risk of having a c-section, and what to do if it becomes medically necessary

• Making a birth plan and how to communicate effectively with your medical team

• Breastfeeding
How can I find out more or find a class near me?
Call the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth — the organization that Bradley founded to disseminate information about his method — at [phone] or visit the group's Web site to get a list of instructors certified in the Bradley Method who practice in your are