Comments on: The 101 on the Bradley vs. Lamaze Childbirth Techniques

By: Vanessa

Vanessa — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:30:47 +0000

Nice article about the Bradley technique. I am a second timer, expecting my second child in 4 months time. My first child was born a week too early and I was utterly unprepared, what in hindsight helped me a lot.
Although I attended an antenatal class, this class was more geared towards learning about the actual birthing process and whatever comes with it. No breathing techniques were mentioned, much to my surprise. At that stage I made up my mind I would not take the epidural, simply for one reason: I am scared of big needles. I always maintained the fact that I would rather go for a painkiller intravenously rather than into my spine. My credo from the day I fell pregnant was: rather take me out and deliver the baby, I can’t handle pain. Well, life had a different plan in store for me!
However, labour came early and it came on fast. But not furious at first. By the time I was sent to hospital I was already 4 cm dilated and labour was progressing, luckily without much pain to begin with. Actually, I had no pain at all. Only once my OB ruptured the amniotic sac things were happening… and boy, they did furiously!
I asked for the injection about 40 minutes after the rupturing and by the time the nurse came along with the needle, I was already pushing and had to go with pure nature.
By pure chance and most certainly without intention I was left to my own instincts and natural reactions to get my baby into this world. Pretty much as described in Ellen’s recount of Dr. Bradleys observations on animals. And I fully agree! Follow your instincts, trust your body and don’t try and separate yourself from them by any excessive training. The Bradley breathing technique came to me instinctively, without even knowing about it.
I only read about different breathing techniques now, during my second pregnancy. Not because I want to learn any of this, simply out of curiosity.
If at all possible, I would like to give birth to my second child the same way, guided by my instincts and by nature.
Let me add that I am none of these earthchildren of any sorts. I am the first one to throw myself at any medication for serious issues, but I keep my clear head about it at any time.
Ok, people might say, I was simply lucky the first time round, and yes, I surely was. My active, painfull labour lasted about 1hour and 15 minutes. My son was born in a flash and shortly afterwards I was already up and running again as I had no medication in my system but endorphins rushing through my veins instead.
Although I definitely felt the pain (and not too little of it) I enjoyed every moment and can truly say now: I can do it again! I have the fondest memories of that very special moment.
My torn perineum created much longer lasting memories of pain than the labour pain ever could have….
This is not to say I don’t recommend to take any birthing classes. I simply don’t see the benefit in trying to apply some learned aspects at a moment of time when all your focus should be on following your own instincts, giving birth to new life and helping a natural process along. Especially that any one person is different and might respond differently to pain.
Accept the process and embrace it. The right breathing technique for any one person will come naturally.

By: susan mccutcheon

susan mccutcheon — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:14:04 +0000

Nice job responding to this article, Liza. Thanks for taking the time and going to the trouble to do it.

By: Kay

Kay — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:52:00 +0000

This article is written very poorly and unprofessionally. I’m surprised to see that’s been on this website for this many years, with out being ratified or corrected that is. The research of both of these messages incredibly shallow, and I am the future mother would love to see some real information, that is both accurate and in depth. This is an important issue, so I do hope that any women deciding between the bradley method and lamaze method are widening their search to more reliable sources. And I’m sure if they’re serious, they certainly will be, because this is lacking.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:16:06 +0000

Thank you Ellen for your review of the article. It is nice to see someone focus on fixing the inaccuracies of the article instead of bashing the other side. I am looking into Lamaze and the Bradley Method and I want to hear what both are about, not how bad one is compared to the other. Thank you again Ellen.

By: Liza

Liza — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:50:48 +0000

After reading your article, it appears as though you must not have taken a Bradley class but just did your own limited and misinformed research. I’ve been teaching the Bradley Method for 15 years. We don’t teach to “control” pain. We teach mothers to tune into their bodies to learn how to relax and understand what is going on in their bodies so they can act rather than react. By understanding the emotional signs, and physiological changes their bodies are going through, and the journey their baby is taking during labor, it removes the fear for both mother and father.
We don’t teach breathing “exercises”. We teach deep abdominal breathing which triggers the relaxation response, the production of endorphins and a more relaxed and more pain free labor and delivery.
Lamaze breathing imitates panic, which, imitates fear, which creates tension, which creates more pain. We teach 12 different relaxation techniques, positions to use during labor to create more comfort and better progress in labor.
Above all, we emphasize knowing and asking informed consent questions so that parents can make the most informed and educated decisions for their family and can both play an active role, rather than a passive role, in the birth of their children.
You really ought to take a class or interview some parents who have taken it. Obviously you don’t know what you are writing about!
These days it is rare to find a true Lamaze class. What is taught in most hospitals-called “Lamaze”- these days is how to be a good patient, don’t be a martyr, there are few risks to medications in labor. Well, read the research. Just because most people think something is true, that doesn’t make it true.
Bring your babies into the world in as gentle a way as you can. Your child’s birth has the potential to be the most powerful, inspiring, and gentle experience of your life or it can be a nightmare. Get educated and make your own choices WITH your caregivers.The one thing you can count on in labor and birth is the unexpected. Have an open mind, set your goals, then be flexible, and think about the well-being of your baby and the mother above all else.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:08:58 +0000

Interesting article, thank you. My experience of the Bradley Method is a bit different, however. I gave birth to both of my children with Dr. Bradley as my physician, using his method. (As it happens, my husband and his three siblings were also born using the Bradley method, with Dr Bradley in attendance.)

My experience is that the Bradley Method does not place the focus on learning to control pain. Rather, properly taught and used, it teaches the mother to transcend the pain. There is a big difference here – controlling pain rarely works. Transcending pain has been used throughout the ages, in many cultures, for many types of pain, with excellent results.

Dr Bradley got the idea for his method by watching farm animals give birth during his childhood. When he later became an ob he was struck by the difference between the pure, natural way most animals instinctively knew to give birth and by the trauma which women, separated from their instincts or training, went through during birth.