Bradley Method Classes

So Chris and I went to our first Bradley Method Class. For all of you that don't know what or who that is follow the link to the website.

Before I got pregnant I would always say that I wanted to be as drugged up as possible when giving birth so that I didn't feel a thing. I would think women were crazy for wanting to have a baby med-free and that they were trying to prove something to the world. I also thought that that type of birth was reserved for granola/hippie/I live on a compound type individuals. I guess my thinking just stemmed from hearing horror stories about birth growing up and watching those baby TV shows on TLC. I think it also stemmed from just living in the modern society that we live in. With all of the advances in medicine why wouldn't anyone want to take advantage of all of that?

If you know me then you know that any big thing in life I do (i.e. buying a house, planning a wedding, having a baby) I fully engross myself in research, chat boards, and any book I can get my hands on about the subject. It's obsessive but I can't help it. So, naturally when I found out that I was pregnant I did the same thing. And what I found were that so many women today were educating themselves about all of the options available to them in terms of birth and choosing what they felt worked best for them. Since I was little it was just assumed that women just went along with whatever their doctors told them and that they didn't really have a choice in the matter. And what surprised me the most during all of this was that with everything that was available to me my heart kept telling me that a natural, med-free birth was the way I wanted to go.

Of course the decision to go natural was not an overnight thing. I discussed it with Chris, watched documentaries on natural birth, and continued to research and read any natural birth story I could. Through this process Chris even voiced that he was leaning towards the natural med-free birth option, but made sure to let me know that whatever I chose to do he would be on board with. So after a lot of thought I found a local Bradley Method teacher and signed us up for the 10 week class.

The first class was all about relaxation techniques, pain management, exercises we should be doing to get ready for labor, discussing what fears we had, and also watching a short video on women in Brazil who use a squatting technique to deliver their babies. The video was definitaly graphic but the women in the video weren't screaming their heads off, or cussing, or even really showing any discomfort at all. It was sort of beautiful to watch the Women's body just sort of take over and do it's thing to get the baby out. Now if you ask Chris he will tell you about the video in a completely different way. Needless to say it was a little overwhelming for him but I was so proud he was able to get through it. The class was great and I feel like it will prepare both Chris and I for whats to come. I love the fact that the method is also focused on how to help your partner to become your "coach". I love that our birth experience will include both of us working together to get through it to bring our little man into this world.

While I have made the decision on what sort of birth I want I do understand that things may change. I am still delivering in a hospital and I am still trusting my OB to do her job. This decision was never about thinking one way was best for everyone because it's not. Every women should decide on their own how they want their birth experience to be. My decision was the one for me and in no way do I judge Women who use drugs or other methods to get their babies out. Who knows, I might go into labor and end up using pain meds to get me through it, or end up having a c-section.

Don't get me wrong I'm still scared and anxious about birth. I have doubts about what I am able to handle ALL of the time. I'm scared that I won't have the courage or strength to overcome the pain. But what I have to remember is that no one knows exactly what to expect with the first baby so being afraid is completely normal.

All I know is that I want my birth experience to have as little intervention as possible and be as med- free as possible. If you are thinking about going med-free I highly recommend you see Pregnant in America and The Business of Being Born. I know they are highly one sided opinions but I think they have some valuable information.