In lieu of Baby Busenburg's anticipated arrival at the end of December, my husband and I decided we needed to take some birthing classes. We are first time parents and obviously have never done this whole baby, birthing thing before. We wanted to find some birthing classes that were in depth and really outlined what we needed know and how the whole labor process works.

St. Vincent Hospital offers birthing/baby classes, but unfortunately, that wasn't quite what we were looking for in terms of in depth knowledge. I have heard great things about the classes, but we really wanted to know all the details. This lead us to the Bradley Method. I had a co-worker that went through this class series back > 20 years ago and she found it extremely beneficial. I was able to locate an instructor on the northside of Indianapolis. This class series is normally 12 weeks long and it teaches you in depth information about pregnancy, the birthing process and even after delivery. The main goal of the Bradley Method is to deliver a baby naturally, without the aide of medications. This is a little different class compared with Lamaze classes (which focuses on just breathing techniques), because the Bradley Method emphasizes physical fitness and healthy diet to help support a healthy pregnancy and natural birth. This was in line with our goals with this pregnancy and hopes for delivery. The other main emphasis of the Bradley Method, is the husband assisted coaching. Both the Mom and Dad are involved in the classes and have roles. The Mom is obviously going to labor and birth the baby, but that whole time the Dad serves as the coach and provide encouragement for the mother. This was another key thing, we wanted from our birthing classes, support/encouragement for the Dad and not have the classes be only about the Mom.

I just wanted to discuss this birthing method, because I think it is great and has been such a positive experience for us and lots of women out there are unaware of this birthing technique. I went ahead and compiled some information from The Bradley Method website summing up the process and how this technique is helpful to woman preparing for birth.

This birthing method, teaches woman and their partners how to stay a low risk pregnancy. Obviously, there are things outside of our control, but there are a variety of techniques that can help set your pregnancy for success and to keep you as a low risk pregnant woman.
Relaxation is a key component in this birthing method. Staying relaxed helps your labor to progress naturally and helps you, as the laboring mother, feel more confident in knowing what to expect and anticipate.
This method also utilizes a birthing coach as well. This is a very important role and is normally filled by the husband or partner. This coach is there is to help support the mother and help protect her during this labor process. We liked this aspect of the classes, because we wanted both of us to be involved and it be a team effort. This birthing method encourages that idea of teamwork.

I wanted to just share our birthing classes with you, because I think more people need to be aware of the different ways to give birth. It does not have to be a painful experience or something that you don't feel/remember. If you are a low risk pregnancy and want to have your baby naturally there are great resources out there to help you accomplish that goal. I believe that this is the best way to have a baby for the mom and for the baby. I really appreciated finding a birthing method that encouraged woman to be strong and encouraged their husbands to have a key role in the birthing process. If you have any other specific questions about the classes, feel free to let me know. We are wrapping up our class series next month and are so thankful for the time we took to attend the classes, do the homework and hope that come December, all the prep will pay off when Baby Busenburg arrives.