Check with your hospital mine gives free classes to those that are going to be delivering there. I am taking a class once every week for 4 weeks that will go over birthing and all the good stuff. I am also taking a breast-feeding class and a new-born care class. All provided to me by my hospital.
Call your hospital and ask them about it.
I took Bradley classes, it was $150 for six classes (there are supposed to be twelve but my midwife did two sections during each class). I started at 28 weeks and ended at 34 weeks.
Ideally you should have started looking for classes at around 24-28 weeks, because, unless you have nerves of steel, you might need to learn strategies for coping with the pain (which take practice).
(and from what I hear, Lamaze breathing is all wrong for childbirth).
Even after taking Bradley classes, I STILL ended up needing an epidural. I was in labor for three days and did not request it until they gave me the Pitocin IV. I had pre-eclampsia and the epidural was actually quite useful as it dropped my blood pressure by about 40/20 points (which is why epidurals are bad for people with normal bp).
I don’t regret taking the courses though, I mean I learned a lot about dealing with different situations. For one thing, even though I had the epidural I still labored and pushed him out while laying on my side. I also did not get the epidural until I was 4 cm and had to have Pitocin.
***********************************
I have also heard that hypnobirthing courses are pretty good, although I couldn’t afford to take them.
You might want to do a search and talk to some midwives. Sometimes they also teach childbirth classes or they know someone who does.
There are many excellent programs available like, Birthing From Within, The Bradley Method, Hypnobirthing, Lamaze. G
“Reading a good childbirth book (and not just a book about pregnancy) is very important,” says Dahl. “Women make better choices in birth when they have more information.” Find out what all your childbirth options are and decide what makes the most sense for you. Dahl recommends seeking out a qualified childbirth educator. Childbirth education classes are available through hospitals, birth centers or separate organizations or associations (such as Lamaze International or the International Childbirth Education Association).
“You need a tremendous amount of information to be a good medical consumer during childbirth,” she says. “Rather than just learning about a procedure, such as induction of labor or episiotomies, you can find out the pros and cons and why you may or may not want it.” Childbirth classes usually include information on things such as signs of labor and techniques for coping with pain, but it’s important to research the class to ensure it fits your own childbirth philosophy.
I took a natural childbirth class at my local hospital. It was one full day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It cost $90.
Check with your insurance company to see if you can get reimbursed for the cost of classes, mine did.
I used the Bradley method with all of mine. It really works. I read the book, Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. I actually took classes at the birth center, since there are no Bradley classes near me.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Check with your hospital mine gives free classes to those that are going to be delivering there. I am taking a class once every week for 4 weeks that will go over birthing and all the good stuff. I am also taking a breast-feeding class and a new-born care class. All provided to me by my hospital.
Call your hospital and ask them about it.
I took Bradley classes, it was $150 for six classes (there are supposed to be twelve but my midwife did two sections during each class). I started at 28 weeks and ended at 34 weeks.
Ideally you should have started looking for classes at around 24-28 weeks, because, unless you have nerves of steel, you might need to learn strategies for coping with the pain (which take practice).
(and from what I hear, Lamaze breathing is all wrong for childbirth).
Even after taking Bradley classes, I STILL ended up needing an epidural. I was in labor for three days and did not request it until they gave me the Pitocin IV. I had pre-eclampsia and the epidural was actually quite useful as it dropped my blood pressure by about 40/20 points (which is why epidurals are bad for people with normal bp).
I don’t regret taking the courses though, I mean I learned a lot about dealing with different situations. For one thing, even though I had the epidural I still labored and pushed him out while laying on my side. I also did not get the epidural until I was 4 cm and had to have Pitocin.
***********************************
I have also heard that hypnobirthing courses are pretty good, although I couldn’t afford to take them.
You might want to do a search and talk to some midwives. Sometimes they also teach childbirth classes or they know someone who does.
There are many excellent programs available like, Birthing From Within, The Bradley Method, Hypnobirthing, Lamaze. G
“Reading a good childbirth book (and not just a book about pregnancy) is very important,” says Dahl. “Women make better choices in birth when they have more information.” Find out what all your childbirth options are and decide what makes the most sense for you. Dahl recommends seeking out a qualified childbirth educator. Childbirth education classes are available through hospitals, birth centers or separate organizations or associations (such as Lamaze International or the International Childbirth Education Association).
“You need a tremendous amount of information to be a good medical consumer during childbirth,” she says. “Rather than just learning about a procedure, such as induction of labor or episiotomies, you can find out the pros and cons and why you may or may not want it.” Childbirth classes usually include information on things such as signs of labor and techniques for coping with pain, but it’s important to research the class to ensure it fits your own childbirth philosophy.
I took a natural childbirth class at my local hospital. It was one full day, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It cost $90.
Check with your insurance company to see if you can get reimbursed for the cost of classes, mine did.
I used the Bradley method with all of mine. It really works. I read the book, Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. I actually took classes at the birth center, since there are no Bradley classes near me.
Lamaze is the best. Most hospital offer a lamaze class. Some health departments do also. My hospital charged $40 for an all day class.