Childbirth Classes...lots of options!!

Spurred on by a pregnant friend who just finished a 1 day birth class, I found the sudden urge to begin investigating which childbirth class would be a good fit for Joe and I. My friend is having her boy in a hospital and wants to try to have her little guy naturally. She gave me some great insight into the standard classes provided at the local hospital.

I discovered that half of the class was geared towards informing mothers of the different medicinal ways to manage pain and when you can have them administered. My friend also informed me that she wished the class would have spent more time on birthing positions. I knew from her experience that this class was not a good fit for us. We plan on having Jesse in a birth center where epidurals and medicine for pain management is not even an option. Why would I attend a class where half of the lessons do not even apply to us??

In the end we decided on going with the Bradley Method. I had originally looked into the Bradley Diet at the beginning of the pregnancy and thought that the diet was too difficult (like I could ever eat that much!!). But after looking at the class content we were sold!! Not to mention that Joe just happened to be reading a book Husband-Coached Childbirth, by Robert A. Bradley (the guy who came up with the Bradley Method).

So this is a 12 week course that meets once a week for 2 hours. Each class focuses on a different topic. The purpose of the class is to help parents be their own advocates and know their rights. It also stresses the importance of a proper diet and exercise to prepare for birth. I love how there are several classes that are geared specifically for the husbands on how to be a good coach!!

We've already attended 2 classes and have learned a lot!! We should finish up at the end of February!