Not sure I really need Bradley classes, can those experinced give me some advice?

[Alvenchrst]

Well I think if we had all the $ in the world we'd still take it ($275 where I live), but we are VERY tight on money, we already have to pay MW fees, and I want a good doula so that will cost me about $500, and we are also using hypnobabies. So all that really adds up. I guess the reason I'm not sure I want to take the classes is that DH and I have already taken the regular child birth classes with DS so we both know all the basics, what can happen, all the different interventions and their uses, blah blah. So none of that will be new to either of use. Also I know that they go over nutrision and exercise, but I already eat VERY well and I exercise for about 2 hours every day. I hour is spent fast walking w/ ds to the park or swimming and the other doing the Maternal Fitness work out by Julie Tuppler which specifically and very intensly targets all the muscles you will need to birth a baby. My husband is totally supportive of all this, and I plan on reading all the good natural birth books out there and discussing it with DH. I think the main thing I would be missing would be the class teaching DH how to be a good coach. Our relationship is one that as I'm learning and discovering all this stuff about a natural birth, we will talk about it and idscuss it on the way, so I don't think he'll miss out on the info. But Bradley would be an expert teaching him how to be a good coach, I can't do that.


Sorry, i know it's long winded, i just wanted to share all the measures I/we are taking to hav ethe best birth experience possible, I'm just not sure on the Bradley thing. For those who have taken it or who teach it, what would I/we be missing out on that no one else could teach us, or maybe something that I didn't mention above.

Thanks so much, I'd really love all your input!

Ashley

[stafl]

I didn't take Bradley for me, I took it for DH. I know good and well it doesn't matter what evidence I show him to back up my beliefs, that it takes an expert to tell him before he'll actually listen. I knew how totally worthless he was advocating for me in the hospital when my first was born via cesarean after an avalanche of interventions. He's terrified of childbirth, plain and simple. He needed those Bradley lessons in order to not hinder my natural vbac with his own personal fears. It was totally worth the $200 we spent. To me, the Bradley lessons were more important than the doula, looking at it after the birth, because DH was there with me the whole time, I needed him to be on the same page and to know exactly what my wishes were and why.

[wasabi]

Well like the PP I took Bradley for DH not for myself. However it did not help him learn to be a good coach. He would not talk me through contractions even during our practice sessions even though they'd give suggestions. He did not actually start truly coaching me until we got to the hospital and then he started picking up on what my nurse was doing and mirroring her. Now every guy is different so maybe that would work for your Dh but for us it helped get him on board for skipping interventions but did not help with the coaching. I think a good doula would probably help with that because he could see what she was doing but you have to make that call. In your shoes I'd skip them.

[Alvenchrst]

I agree they'd be more for DH then for me, but I do think he would benifit from them. It's so funny that i posted this last night, because today i was at a baby shower for a friend who just finished her Bradley certification, and she asked me if I was going to take Bradley classes and I told her I wanted to and she got really excited and wanted us as her first guine pig students. This is her third natural birth, so I completely trust her abilities as a mother and she said she'd be willing to do it for free! Wow. I think we will still end up paying her something for all the time and effort she will put in, but it totally solved my dilema. I think my DH will like taking classes from her. Her home is a very comfortable and nice place to be and her DH is like the perfect example of an involved, active, and supportive hubby. I was just praying about this a few days ago too when I was worrying about money, this is a total answer to prayer in my eyes.

Thanks for the advice!

[wasabi]

Excellent! Free works! I'm sure he will benefit from them. I do believe my Dh did benefit from them just not so much in the coaching aspect so with all you were already spending and then throw in another $275 I just thought I'd share our experience but for free what do you have to lose?

good luck!
robyn

[2+twins]

That's awesome - sounds like the perfect scenario for everyone involved. I teach Bradley and I just wanted to add that one benefit that you get over book reading, etc., is that many times the couple ONLY ever practices together in class (cuz we make them ). If it weren't for that weekly session, many people just wouldn't do it.

[wasabi]

That is true enough! We did do a practice session almost every night but your classes were the only time my DH wasn't bitching about it.