Leslie, Tyler and Tristan

By Leslie

I know this for sure, I'd rather take a Bradley classes over Lamaze because plain and simple you get more bang for your buck. Most of the time, Lamaze is an 8 hour course done on a Saturday of your choice. In Bradley you learn so much more and you don't have to give up one of your weekends to do it. Bradley teaches you how to make informed choices. There are many topics covered during Bradley courses. The health of your child for one and the natural methods you can opt for or opt out of. You'll learn that nutrition is important during your pregnancy and find out what food groups are great to boost up your protein intake as well as the vitamins you should be taking. Bradley is a more natural approach- giving birth without the "drugs". You'll come to know how these drugs can effect your baby. You'll also learn why it's important to have a birth plan and communicate ideas early on with your practitioner about what you want during your labor and what you don't want. Again, it's about making informed choices and voicing them.

Breastfeeding is discussed at length on why it's important and what the benefits are. Prenatal and postnatal care are important issues that you will learn about in a Bradley course. Each class a different topic is discussed and becomes open to class discussion- any questions you may have will more than likely be answered. In each class you may receive pamphlets of information on breastfeeding, epidurals, cutting the cord...etc. Bradley is a gentle method and meant to bring out gentle parents and happy, healthy baby's. I'm not sure that you can find this in an 8 hr. Lamaze class. I really wouldn't know- but I do know someone who teaches Lamaze and most of these topics ARE NOT discussed.

Natural birth and natural care often times seem to be overlooked. It's not just about how you give birth but it's also how you feel about it - the emotions involved...it prepares you to be fearless. Knowledge is power! The knowledge you can gain from Bradley classes is priceless. Your baby's life/well being in the womb and out of - is taken into consideration. Women need to know what their options are and take time to ask questions. Pregnancy and Birth are enormous tasks for a woman, therefore, we should be well educated on how we can minimize the pain and eliminate the un-natural. Bradley classes build confidence and teach you how to prepare for your baby with a natural and gentle focus.

I thoroughly enjoyed going to Bradley classes and loved having Dorene as a teacher. She's not only a teacher but a friend and a mentor. Her birth stories were inspiring and heartwarming. I'm pregnant with my second and my husband enjoyed the classes so much that he would like to attend the last few classes as a refresher. I highly recommend The Bradley Method when choosing a childbirth course