Lamaze

www.lamaze.org

Lamaze classes approach childbirth as a natural and healthy process. Lamaze courses do not support or discourage the use of medicines or routine medical interventions. They inform parents about their options to make your own educated decisions. Usually the class lasts 6 weeks for 3 hours each night and costs about $140 to $250.

The Bradley Method

www.bradleybirth.com

The Bradley Method is also called “husband-coached” birth. These courses prepare the mother to deliver without pain medications and prepares the mom's partner (sister/mom/doula/husband) to be mom’s birth coach. This class lasts for 12 weeks and is 2 hours each night. The average cost is around $275 to $350.

Hypnobabies

www.hypnobabies.com

Hypnobabies teaches real medical hypnosis techniques, creating an automatically peaceful, relaxing and more comfortable pregnancy, a calm confident Birth Partner, and an easier, much more comfortable  natural birthing for our Hypno-Mom. Expectant mothers use our Hypnobabies Workbook, audio tracks and hypnosis scripts to re-train their subconscious minds that contractions in labor will be perceived by their body as pressure or a squeezing-type sensations, and/or pushing, pulling and normal baby movement sensations. This class lasts 6 weeks and is 3 hours each week and costs about $325.

Hypnobirthing

www.hypnobirthing.com

Hypnobirthing is also called the Mongan Method. These courses teach expecting mothers how to relax, using self-hypnosis techniques, to get to a relaxed, natural state for birthing. "The method teaches you that, in the absence of fear and tension, or special medical circumstances, severe pain does not have to be an accompaniment of labor. You will be conversant and in good spirits–totally relaxed, but fully in control. Awake throughout, you will be aware of your body’s surges and your baby’s progress; but because you will have trained yourself to reach complete relaxation, you will be able to determine the degree and the manner in which you will feel the surges."

Independent (or Customized) Classes

A childbirth educator may not use a particular “brand” of classes and instead teach a generic childbirth education class. It is important to find a class that shares your beliefs on childbirth and will cater to the birth you wish to achieve. This type of classes could be a series or a weekend brush up. Costs vary from $75 for a 3 hour class to $550 for a series that lasts 1 day  to several weeks.

Hospital Classes

Many hospitals may offer childbirth classes that are specific for their labor and delivery units. They may cover hospital policies, common procedures, and/or basic instructions for arriving in labor. Typically they will not speak for or against a certain philosophy and will focus on the clinical nature of birth and the procedures of their unit. These classes range from free to about $75 for one 3 hour class.

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