Natural birth: Bradley method vs. Hypnobirthing vs. Birthing from within??
ByI am looking for people who have tried any of these methods for natural birth.
Which method did you use?
What you liked? & Why?
What you didn’t like? & Why?
Were you sucessful? As in having no pain meds!
No my it will be my second!!!
My first was a 21 hour labor! 8 hours of which I was unmedicated. I was induced at 1 cm and 0% effaced. At 8 hours I was only at 4cm. I labored until 4 am at which point I pushed for 2 hours!!! Only to end up a c-section!!!!
I am not doing that again!
Michaluna:
Thank you for your answer. I commend you on doing your homework about “intervention”! I hope you have the wonderful birth experience you want!
I should have said an induced labor!!! I was on “hard core” pitocin from the moment I arrived at the hospital!!!
BooBaby454:
I don’t trust the doctors! And I am not planning to give birth in a hospital!!! The epidural the last time was part of what CAUSED my c-section!!!
I would apprieciate it if people would just answer the question and not give me advice I didn’t ask for!!! Please!!!
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7 Comments
April 7th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
I take it this is your first child.
Boy would I like to be a fly on the wall when you’re screaming for medication!!!!!
Yes, I said SCREAMING!!! This stuff REALLY hurts!!
April 7th, 2010 at 10:37 pm
My husband and I just finished a Bradley class and am about to give birth within the next two weeks. I sure hope to do it drug and intervention-free. I really liked it and feel really prepared, since it was like 10 weeks of classes with 3 hours each class. I really learned a lot and our instructor answered ALL of our questions since it was such a small class.
One caveat: I don’t agree with the Bradley diet, which is ultra-high protein (80 to 100 grams of protein a day) and includes 2 eggs per day plus lots of butter, etc.. I have been told by professionals that the bradley diet is “a recipe for a 10-pound baby” so I didn’t consume nearly that much protein and tried to limit weight gain so it was not above 35 or 40 pounds max.
My sister had two Bradley births and did just great!!! She didn’t use the pain meds. The pain meds can do a lot of harm.
I recommend Henci Goer’s book, the Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth. She explains why inductions (which have increased four-fold in the past few decades in this country) tend to lead to c-sections. Avoiding an induction is the first step to avoiding a c-section.
In retrospect I wish I would have taken a hypnobirthing class in addition to bradley. The key to natural childbirth, from what I understand, is being able to relax during the contractions, which minimizes the pain and allows your cervix to dialte so the baby can be born. If you tense up, dialation comes to a halt. Hypnobirthing is great to help you learn to relax, from what I understand, but since my due date is in 6 days its too late for me.
I have the Birthing from Within book and its a little too artsy for me, as in, quick! make a birthing quilt or birth art, etc.
good luck!!!
April 7th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Wow, bluegrass, what’s with the negativity! Geez, people do natural birth all the time. I wouldn’t wish the pain I experienced with a botched epidural on anyone. That pain lasted much longer than labor. So, meds aren’t for everyone, thank you.
Ok, back to your question. I have not used any of these, YET. I start my hypnobirthing classes in May. The lady put me in touch with some of her past clients. They were very positive. The hypnosis that they teach you also helps with other pregnancy related pains. She did say that a lot depends on your willingness and how well you can be hypnotized. A good hypnotherapist will let you know if you’re not a good candidate. Best of luck.
April 7th, 2010 at 11:35 pm
why not try an epidural instead and see how it goes. No one really knows until they are going through it. You may end up with another C-sec, but hopefully not. Good Luck and ConGrats!! Sometimes it’s just a wait and see what the Doc feels best, if you trust their opinion, and I’m sure you do.I would make it quicker than the last though ,that was not a good experience I’m sure.Better Luck this time for sure!! Experience is the Best Teacher!!
April 7th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
I love all three of these philosophies and l think that home is a wonderful place to give birth!
My personal experience is with Bradley method.
It was extremely informative about
-nutrition
-the changing pregnant body & how to support the body
-mother, fetal & newborn testing
-circumventing interventions
-labor comfort measures
-creating birth plans
-navigating hosptials, talking with health practitioners
-breastfeeding
You also see lots of REAL footage of natural childbirth which is so different than what’s seen on TLC channel or the movies and prepares you for what’s ahead (in a good way!).
It also really involves the partner in the process! As Ina Mae Gaskin writes, “the energy it took to get the baby in there (belly) is the same energy needed to get the baby out!”. So my husband left the class not being afraid of childbirth, trusting my ability to give birth and having a clear understanding what to expect during childbirth and how he could support me (encouragement, calm demeanor, lots of phyiscal comfort measures) to get that baby out. This made for a truly spiritual and gentle brith experience for all.
I also recommend doing pre-natal yoga to support your pregnant body and learning yoga comfort measures you can recall when needed during labor.
Birthing From Within (i’ve read the book) and Hypnobirthing (attended a seminar) & Hynobabies are educational too. It can help tune a mom into her body and help explore any fears about childbirth, becoming a mother, etc or past trauma (sexual, physical abuse, traumatic birth experiences) and can help her work past this.
Ok, I can’t help but give advice:
.
-Once you find out which philosophy speaks to you and take that series of classes along with pre-natal yoga.
-Then read the other 2 philosophy’s books plus Ina Mae Gaskin’s Guide to Natural Childbirth.
-Surround yourself with a real life or online community of people who believe in natural childbirth.
-Hire a doula
April 8th, 2010 at 12:28 am
Congrats on the plans for a home birth &c.
Nothing terribly useful here, just — I’m not impressed by any of the ‘methods’ out there. There just isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. I found “Birthing From Within” so stupid/so designed for the stupid as to be insulted.
All the books, methods, etc, make assumptions as to what you’ll be feeling, thinking, etc. There’s no way those will be true for everybody, so…well, the methods end up failing a bit thanks to those assumptions, I think.
(By the by, the funniest assumptions are to be found in the “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” daily e-mail, which I signed up for just to snort at. So far, it’s told me that I’m “feeling like a heifer,” frightened, and experiencing symptoms X, Y and Z (definitely). It’s a riot; I really recommend it for a cheap laugh.)
Add “Childbirth Without Fear” to your reading list, if you haven’t already. (Check the date it was first published…)
Good luck!
April 8th, 2010 at 12:29 am
Two books you must get.. The thinking womans guide to a better birth, and the bradley book… Lamaze is a joke for natural birth..Bradley was awesome, and I did not take any classes, just read the books…Worked three times!!! One hospital birth and two home births..