Bradley Method
I am the type of person who likes to make her own decisions. I arm myself with information so that I can make educated choices. I have done this in just about every aspect of my life; however, for three of my five pregnancies, I relied completely on my doctor and nurses to have my best interest at heart.
I know several women expecting a baby right now. I have counseled several and many more in the past to try natural childbirth. Women for millenia have had no other choice. It can be done, and I believe it is better for both the mother and baby.
If you are pregnant or planning to be a mom in the future, then now is the time to educate yourself. You and your husband have to be your advocate in the hospital. No one else will. If you choose to have a home birth, then you have even more incentive to know what to expect during a delivery.
I feel so silly when I look back to my first three deliveries. I ended up having two of them naturally. With the other I was talked into an epidural. I feel silly because I completely was at my doctor’s mercy. Actually, I was at my nurse’s mercy. I put all of my faith in them.
I was not prepared. I did not know the phases of labor. I did not know that an internal monitor in most cases was an unnecessary procedure. I simply checked in to the hospital and did what I was told.
There was a huge difference in my last two deliveries. I was empowered by my knowledge. I had studied the Bradley Method. I was ready and able to deliver again naturally, but in control. I had a birth plan. Before, I did not even know you could. As a result of reading and preparing for the delivery, I had two great experiences. If I was to ever have another child, I would definitely use the Bradley Method again.
The hospital tends to treat every patient the same. They have a certain protocol to follow. But as most educators know, one size fits all is not always the best policy. Armed with my knowledge, I refused an internal monitor. The nurse was shocked. We had an argument, but my husband was there to back me up. I assured her that I would keep moving the external monitor around to keep up with the baby’s movements. She finally relented.
Now understand, there has to be a balance. The end result everyone desires is a healthy baby and a healthy mommy. There are times when emergency measures need to be taken. There are valid times a Caesarean section needs to be performed. Even the most educated and prepared parents with the best doctor can run into complications.
Fathers play a big role in the Bradley Method. Dr. Bradley wrote, Husband Coached Childbirth, for this reason. Now understand that husbands generally were not allowed in the delivery room a relatively short time ago. Dr. Bradley helped break that trend.
The most important thing that a husband can know are the three stages of labor. Knowing which stage you are in is important. It helps you know when to actually go to the doctor or call the midwife. Just when you think you cannot do it any longer, your husband can encourage you that you are almost done.
The best book I have found on the Bradley Method is Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon. It is full of great advice, diagrams, photographs, and information. If you are not ready to discuss the “birds and bees” with your children, then don’t leave the book lying around. There are some graphic photographs of babies being born.
I could just kick myself for not preparing myself for my first three pregancies. I spend a lot of time encouraging others to educate themselves on this website and in person. Education is empowering. Don’t forget to arm yourself with knowledge for the day of your child’s birth. It is arguably one of the most important days of your life.
I recently had a baby girl and chose to give birth naturally. Yes it hurt, of course it hurt, I was giving birth to a 7 lb. baby. But it was not that bad, from the time we pulled into the hospital parking lot til the time I was holding my little girl was a grand total of 6 hours. Also, I was induced so we had to wait for them to take care of all of that. I pushed for, maybe, 20 minutes. Then I had my beautiful 7 lb. 1 oz., 18 inch baby girl in my arms. My doctor, never again, said, and I quote “Next time you are having an epidural. We’re not in the stone ages!” I said from the very beginning that I didn’t want any drugs and I didn’t have any drugs. I, personally, was very proud of myself and, of course, had to be sure that everyone who said I would be begging for an epidural knew that I did it without one. She is my first child, I hope to have a couple more, and I hope the whole thing goes as smoothly as it did with her.
Cassidy,
You should be proud of yourself. Congratulations on your baby girl! I am also glad to hear that you successfully delivered naturally. Sometimes I feel that it is harder to convince everyone to leave you alone and not interfere in a natural birth than actually delivering the baby. It sounds like you need to stick with this doctor. Thank you for sharing your story, and I wish you many more natural births.
Blessings,
Lara