Childbirth Classes
One of the most exciting parts of a pregnancy for first-time parents is choosing a pre-natal class to take while waiting fot the arrival of their new baby. But with so many class choices out there, how can expecting parents choose the right class for them? Some of the classes available include a Lamaze the Bradley Method, and Hypnobirthing Classes. Parents are normally instructed to begin taking childbirth classes during the third trimester.
Lamaze
One of the oldest and most popular childbirth classes available is the Lamaze class. Just about every pregnant woman is offered information on this class and is given a class schedule so that she can pick a time if she desires to learn about Lamaze and pain management.
The experts that support the Lamaze technique believe that birth is a natural, normal occurrence in a woman’s life and that she should be able to approach it with courage and without questions. These classes focus on relaxation techniques as well as empowering the woman through focusing on the end result of labor and the birth of her baby. Lamaze childbirth classes teach a woman how to breathe properly through contractions and teach her partner how to support and help her mother-to-be remain focused. The purpose of Lamaze is strictly to educate the mother so that she is able to make the best choice for her situation when it comes time to have her baby.
The Bradley Method
Quickly becoming as popular as Lamaze, the Bradley Method focuses on medication-free, natural labor and deliveries where the husband has an active role in helping the woman through labor by focusing on the end result.
The Bradley Method also covers topics such as proper nutrition, exercise, and relaxation techniques during pregnancy and leading up to labor in order to help a woman be more successful at birthing her baby without pain medication. The Bradley Method coaches parents on the importance of immediately breastfeeding your baby after birth, rooming in, and constant contact between the parents and their new baby. The Bradley Method is generally the childbirth class that couples choose who want to have a non-medicated labor and delivery, or want to deliver somewhere other than a hospital.
Hypnobirthing
The third most popular childbirth class covers hypnobirthing. Hypnobirthing refers to self-hypnosis by the woman and is used primarily for a medicated-free vaginal birth. Many women who have done hypnobirthing report that they felt no pain during labor and delivery.
Hypnobirthing consists of a woman and her partner learning a series of relaxation techniques that help the laboring mother decrease the pain and emotional stress that comes with labor and childbirth. It involves the woman learning how to put herself in a deep state of relaxation so that her body can naturally work through childbirth on its own, instead of the woman forcing delivery before her body is ready, perhaps because of pain, or instead of the woman resorting to pain medication.
There are several other childbirth classes offered to soon-to-be parents, many of which are splinters of the three talked about here. If your doctor or midwife have not offered you information on the childbirth classes available to you, be sure to ask them at your next appointment so that you can sign up for the one you want as soon as possible. While some hospitals offer the class as a full-day, Saturday class, others do them as a series over several weeks.
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