home study childbirth prep course for hosp birth?

[aja-belly]

hey, does anyone have a recommendation for a childbirth prep course you can do at home - specifically geared towards hospital birth? i've taken several childbirth courses and my husband has taken a full series with me, but this is our first hospital birth and it's been 4 years since we took anything. is there a bradley home study kit? i'm not very interested in hypnobabies. i've read alot about it and it is kinda the opposite of what i wanted/needed while in labor before.

thanks for any recommendations!

[Veritaserum]

Hmm.... Hypnobabies was what I was going to recommend. I don't know of any non-hypnosis home study courses. There's bound to be one. Hopefully someone on here knows.

[sarahlynne]

scince you have had so much learning previously, I am wondering what exactly you are looking to learn that is really different this time. If you are wanting to know what it will be like at the hosp, what I found most helpful was to take THAT hospital's birth class - sorry not a home study reccommendation, but that is how you would find out specifically about where you will actually give birth. There are many books out there that tell all about possible interventions and such, or are you really looking for something set up as "classes" that you would do yourself? Books I reccommend: Birthing from Within (there are classes around this method, but you can always just read the book), Henci Goer - Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth (outlines procedures/interventions - pros and cons), Anything by Penny Simkin or Sheila Kitzinger (General Pregnancy/Birth books with various coping methods and info on common practices in hosp.) HTH

[aja-belly]

the classes we took were through the birth center and focused on out of hospital births. the ones i took before that were like 8 years ago and i have not retained much of it. logistically we're just not gonna be able to go do any classes. i thought it might be easier for us to work through together if we had some kind of course or workbook type thing.

[spu]

DH and I loved the bradley birth class and books... I had 2 hospital births after taking the class and studying along those lines. My decisions were all my own, totally informed, and in our own hands, even though we were in a hospital. the only thing I would have done differently with one of the births is nix one of the nurses that I couldn't stand.

[aja-belly]

thanks! i think we're gonna do some more reading into bradley.

[woodchick]

Yeah. We didn't take the Bradley course, but found the books very helpful.

[Sudonk]

Yeah, I guess the Bradley books are about your only choice, since Hypnobabies is the only full natural childbirth program available as a home study option.

I'm curious, though, what do you mean that Hypnobabies is "the opposite of what I wanted/needed while in labor". Since it simply teaches about the birth process and provides a number of tools for being comfortable and in control and can be used in any way that the person wants, I just don't know that the "opposite" would be to "whatever works for you." Could you describe a bit about what DID work for you and what you're looking to learn? That might help us think of books or approaches that would be helpful for you.

[meganmarie]

I think it would be very possible to create your own Bradley refresher just following the book. To me, the "facts" in the classes I could get just from reading on my own, it was the time to physically practice together with DH - and the video watching - that gave us value added from classes. But we also had Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way (McCutcheon), and read through it at home whenever we had time, and set aside 10-15 minutes a couple nights a week to practice together the little relaxation exercises and poses in the book. I would get into the side-lying position and DH would talk through a visualization (favorite place, ocean waves or whatever) and then walk me through relaxing every body part. It really helped me "learn" to consciously be more relaxed and I definitely went to that when I was in labor. The other book I think has great pictures of labor positions you could practice together is Shelia Kitzinger's pregnancy book. And videos I bet you could rent though Netflix - I know they have Business of Being Born and maybe they have others? Anyway good luck I hope you figure something out that works!

[spu]

This is also one of my favorite books, along with the bradley books:

Active Birth : The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally

http://www.amazon.com/Active-Birth-A...7922137&sr=8-1

I was a vba2c hopeful (and successful this time!) and re-reading bradley and the active birth book - actually, studying them like crazy - was sooo helpful, even though I had been through it twice before (with completely different circumstances, hospitals, etc...)

btw - with your hospital birth, do they have a midwife? or for your prenatal care? she would be able to guide you (and your mind) toward a natural birth.

[heidirk]

Bradley is totally doable at home.

nak

[spu]

-- see if you can purchase the bradley method student workbook - that will feel more like a 'home study' guide as it's broken out into 12 week sessions. You could also look into doing a private class with a bradley teacher - we did a private bradley class for 2 saturdays, 6 weeks apart, totaling about 16 hours.

[leila1213]

I was going to say Hypnobabies as well but Birthing From Within is a great book that I would hesitate to say is *almost* the "opposite" of the hypno-style.

[be11ydancer]

Hey Aja - James and I read the Bradley books during my 2nd pregnancy. They were 'Husband Coached Childbirth' and I think 'Childbirth the Bradley Way'. I got no use out of it during that birth, ironically, but did use a bit during my 3rd birth. My old OB had recommended those books for a natural hospital birth and it led me to read more about breastfeeding and such. I personally thought the daily squatting exercises were kinda hokey. Like any other birthing "technique", you might learn some interesting things from it. If you don't already have the books, I can loan them to you..... slowly building my lending library. Also second the pp on Birthing from Within and can loan this to you as well. Just finished re-reading it.

Talk to ya soon!