Bradley Baby

Now that we're almost half way through the pregnancy it's time for us to start thinking about birthing classes. There are a few options to consider: Lamaze, The Bradley Method, HypnoBirthing, Birthing From Within and the Alexander Technique, just to name a few. The first two are probably the most well-known techniques, while the others are probably considered nontraditional. However, with all of these options there's a lot to consider: 

Do I want to give birth naturally or should I get an epidural? Should I use a Doula? Do we want to use a birthing center with a midwife or a hospital with a Dr.?

Being a Bradley Baby myself (Dr. Bradley delivered me at Swedish Medical Center), I knew from the time we started talking about conceiving that I would want to try to give birth naturally. We also knew that we wanted to have the baby at Avista Hospital in their New Life Birthing Center. We chose this facility for a few reasons: It is the closest hospital or facility, we wanted a Dr. on site in case we had a medical emergency, and my current OB/GYN has use of the hospital. Since we wanted a more traditional setting, but a natural birth I felt like The Bradley Method was a good option for us.

"The Bradley Method embraces the idea that childbirth is a natural process and that, with the right preparation, most women can avoid pain medication and routine interventions during labor and birth. The curriculum emphasizes the importance of diet and exercise during pregnancy, teaches deep breathing techniques to manage pain, and involves the husband as an integral participant in the birth process." www.babycenter.com

We've signed up to start Bradley Method classes (with instructor Debbie Sheets) July 5-Sept. 27. We'll attend the classes every Monday for 12 weeks. They will have one parenting class, one breastfeeding class and the other 10 classes focus on the Bradley Method. We will also have a workbook to do at home. We plan to take a tour the hospital and preregister when we get closer to the baby's due date.

Hopefully, using the Bradley Method I will be able to have the natural birth my mother had. However, I am also aware that things don't always go as planned and I may want to have an epidural when the time comes. I'm keeping an open mind about it all and am very excited for this experience for both Ruggs and myself!

Week 19: Mango
Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.