Twelve weeks had passed. Last night, Marcel and I finally "graduated" from the Bradley Class. Now, it's just a matter of time until our final exam -- Manny's birth. :-)
What is a Bradley Class and why did we take it?
First, what is a Bradley Class?
This class trains couples about the Bradley Method of unmedicated natural childbirth with the husband or significant other as the labor and childbirth coach. It tends to be a smaller class, is 12 weeks long (once-a-week class), and involves lots of homework (yep, you heard it). You can find Bradley instructors in your area on their website. Ours lives 3 minutes away from where we live.
How much does the class cost?
Please check with the Bradley instructors near you as the cost varies depending on the instructors.
Can I use my FSA to pay for it?
Childbirth class can be eligible for FSA. However, be sure to check with your FSA administrator and Bradley instructor first.
What does the class teach?
Some of the things we learned were as follows (please note that the list is NOT in any way extensive):
- How to stay low-risk through prenatal nutrition and exercises. The exercises are also geared towards preparation for labor, birth, and postpartum. The more low-risk we are, the higher chance we can have a natural non-medicated childbirth
- How to cope and understand what our body goes through in different stages of labor through team work (with the coach) and relaxation techniques
- How the husband can help, support and coach the mother throughout the whole process. Do understand that most husbands wants to take away the pain from the mothers and give birth to baby on behalf of the mother if they could. But they can't. So the alternative way for the husbands to participate actively in the life-time experience is through coaching
- How to ask the right questions, make an informed decision, write and communicate your birth plan to the birth team. For Marcel and I, writing our birth plan is a great exercise to know what we can hope to experience under a normal, non-complication or non-emergency situation. Of course, if complication occurs, we have to be flexible for the health of the mother and baby
- How to get connected with the breast-feeding support group. The Bradley method doesn't necessarily teach breast-feeding. But it supports and encourages breast-feeding
- How to care for your newborn and yourself (especially in the postpartum period)
If I don't or can't attend the class, what resources can I use to still get myself familiarized with the Bradley method?
To some, it may be a stretch of commitment to join a class. Additionally, schedule conflict or absence of Bradley instructors near you can prohibit you from attending the class and getting the support system you need. However, you can read Husband-Coached Childbirth: The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth
book as an alternative. Please note that the study guides you receive from attending the class have more information and resources that the book may not have.I plan to have another person besides my coach to attend my birth. Is it OK?
Assuming that your birth place allows an extra person to attend the birth, some Bradley teachers allow you to bring an "assistant coach" to the class if you already have one in mind before the class starts. In the case that this is not possible, this Assistant Coach's Manual book is a good source to read to make sure you are all on-board on the Bradley method and everyone understands the role.
If you are considering a natural birth without medication and researching the Bradley method in particular, I hope you find this information helpful to get started.
Click here to read more about why we choose the Bradley method.
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