Baby on the Mind

I’ve been looking into different birthing methods.  I want to have a natural birth.  I know that there are medical options for pain management, but I would like to avoid them if I can since my baby is already exposed to medication.  I really don’t want a C-section, and I know that it could be a slippery slope to a C-section if I use an epidural.  There are times when epidurals don’t work, so I don’t want that to be Plan A- I won’t have anywhere else to go!  I know a little bit about each of the main methods.  I think I’m going to end up using a little bit of each.  I did invest in the self-study of HypnoBabies, and a family friend will teach us a modified child-birth class which is a combination of both Lamaze and Bradley Method.  I’m hoping I’ll have enough tools to use when it’s time to actually give birth!

Lamaze

From what I have gathered, Lamaze teaches relaxed slow, relaxed breathing.  When  contractions starts, take a deep and cleansing breath.  Throughout the contraction, breath slowing in and out.  When the contraction ends, take another deep and cleansing breath.  If you need more support, you can vary your breath with two or three “hee’s” and a puff.  For example:  breath in, hee, hee, puff.  They also talk about finding a focal point to focus on, finding helpful positions, and other natural relaxation techniques.

Bradley Method

I don’t know as much about the Bradley Method.  It seems to have more of a focus on teaching strategies to the birthing coach.  The course is about 12 weeks long, and it covers all aspects of pregnancy such as nutrition, exercise, and the different stages of labor.  This seems like a great option if you don’t know anything about pregnancy, the stages of birth, or what to expect in the hospital.

HypnoBabies

This method uses a form of hypnosis to help manage pain during labor.  It provides a self-study course if you can’t find an instructor in the area.  I ordered the different CD’s for the self-study program, and I am looking forward to getting it in the mail!  What I liked about this is that you are able to move around with your eyes open.

Hypnobirthing

This method focuses on deep relaxation, visualizing, and self-hypnosis.  You aren’t out of it, just deeply relaxing.  It talks about how the pain is from fighting against the contractions and not relaxing and working with each contraction.  From what I understand, it focuses more on laying down and having your eyes closed.