The Bradley Method®
Education for Natural Childbirth
“We are having a baby.” Lots of things come to mind with that phrase. Sleepless nights, cuddling, tiny clothes, dirty diapers, smiles, giggles; but the most obvious may be overlooked at first. How will you actually have a baby? What are your options? If you envision your labor as being peaceful, calm and in your control then you may decide to take a The Bradley Method® class. Whether you decide to labor in the hospital, in a birth center or at home, the The Bradley Method® can educate you on up to date, important information about a variety of pregnancy topics. The The Bradley Method® was created by Dr. Robert A. Bradley in the 1940’s and has been kept alive ever since by Marjie and Jay Hathaway and the teachers they have trained all over the United States.
Dr. Bradley was born in 1917. He grew up on a farm in Kansas and he regularly witnessed animals giving birth. In the late 1940’s he entered the field of obstetrics and recognized the differences between farm animals giving birth and human mothers giving birth. During his time women experienced what Dr. Bradley called the “knock ‘em out, drag ‘em out” delivery. This happened when women received so much pain medication for labor that they entered into a “twilight sleep” resulting in the need to forcibly remove the babies. His concern for the pregnant woman led Dr. Bradley to experimentation on some of his own expectant nursing staff. He taught them what he had observed animals to know instinctively. The women were thrilled when they achieved a natural childbirth. Dr. Bradley was also responsible for bringing fathers back into the delivery room and giving them the tools to recognize what their partners needed during labor.
In a series of twelve two hour classes The The Bradley Method® teaches pregnancy exercises to help strengthen the body and prepare it for the work of labor. The expectant couple will learn good nutrition facts and will be asked to follow a pregnancy diet based on the knowledge of Dr. Tom Brewer in an effort to keep the mother low risk and avoid complications. Classes teach the three stages of labor and postpartum care for mom and baby. They cover making a birth plan that includes discussion about how to keep open communication with the chosen birth team. They encourage active participation by the coach (husband, friend, relative, doula) and they give him/her the tools to do so. The The Bradley Method® specializes in making sure the coach is as involved as the mother in making the birth experience what the couple hopes it will be. Couples will also learn about complications that may occur during the birthing process and intervention options as well as how to avoid as many pregnancy complications as possible. The series is designed to educate and empower the expectant couple to take the birth of their child into their own hands.
Instead of breathing techniques, you know the ones, hee hee hooooo, and similar ones that come to mind and are taught in other child birth classes and made famous by movies and television shows, the The Bradley Method® encourages mothers to breathe normally with their abdomens. Time is set aside during class to practice and explain the abdominal breathing. Classes are enriched with a workbook, videos, labor rehearsals and, most importantly to the method, relaxation practices. By the end of the series Bradley couples will have several relaxation techniques mastered so they have something to turn to when things get tough. Physical, mental and emotional relaxations are taught. The method teaches that relaxation is the key to a successful natural childbirth and it boasts an 86% success rate.
All classes are taught by certified Bradley® teachers who, after completing their training are not only qualified to teach childbirth classes but are also ready to be professional doulas. Bradley® teachers must fulfill certain requirements each year in order to remain certified. Class sizes are kept small, no larger than eight couples per class, in order to meet everyone’s needs. One of the results is that couples bond and often form lasting friendships. Once enrolled in a class, Bradley® students have access to a variety of information including a diet log to keep up with nutrition via the Bradley® website student center.