Bradley method vs. Lamaze

What is the difference? My doc said that we should start thinking about childbirth classes and at my next appointment I could sign up for some. What is everyone on here planning on?

Re: Bradley method vs. Lamaze

I'm looking into hypnobirthing classes now.

Re: Bradley method vs. Lamaze

I won't be doing any of them- I plan to have an epidural (hopefully) and my friends who have had painkillers have not done lamaze/bradley. But I will take a childcare class- it's a series at the hospital.

Re: Bradley method vs. Lamaze

We signed up for the class that the hospital offers which I think touches on both.

Re: Bradley method vs. Lamaze

I didn't take Lamaze, I took Bradley. Comparing notes from friends who took Lamaze, here is what I gathered is the difference:

Lamaze - take the focus off of the pain, focus on an object, breathing is in counts "1, 2, 3 and 4" or something to that affect. Don't think about contractions

Bradley - focuses on what's happening to your body, including the pain. You take a big breath in and slowly let it out. They teach relaxation techniques - if you've taken yoga, you'll probably know most. Also how to avoid an episiotomy. That this is YOUR labor -and if you're not comfortable with something, question it. No one can tell you what is going to make you feel better except you. Something might help one minute and not the next.

Depending on the teacher, Bradley can be militant anti-pain medication. Both teach you the different options towards pain medication (although I never made it to those classes since I had my son so early), but Bradely really does push for going natural.

I found Bradley helpful for me. In general, I'm a really good patient, don't really want to inconvience the nurses, etc. They wouldn't let me have water, my husband got me some anyway because I really needed it. During contractions, it helped if he used counterpressure on my back (aka digging your fist as hard as you can into my lower back and don't stop until I tell you). Doing that kept knocking the monitors off. They had to keep coming into to reattach them. I think if I hadn't taken that class, I probably would have said something along the lines of "you can't do that, they're getting annoyed". And in the end, no I didn't need pain medication. If I really did need it, other than my fear of having a needle in my back, I would've had it.

Re: Bradley method vs. Lamaze