Husband-Coached Childbirth : The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth

by Robert A. Bradley

Book Overview

Now completely revised and updated for today's parents-to-be... The book that started a revolution in the birthing experience and helped millions of women and their partners to a safe and natural... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553375563
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.2" x 0.8" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Just Another Great Review!

After reading all the other extensive reviews about this great book, there isn’t much more to say other than I have had 3 of my children following the Bradley Method. I even explained it to my two daughters and they both successfully had their babies using the Bradley Method. I have given this book to several young mothers to be.

If Your Ideas About Childbirth Were Formed by Claire Huxtable...

...who said that it's like taking your lower lip, stretching it over your head, and stapling it to the back of your neck, then you're thinking, like most women, "Why on EARTH would I want a natural childbirth?" Well, I've done it both ways now. After years of hearing horror stories from friends & Hollywood, but stubbornly deciding that since women had been doing it for eons, I could, too, I tried birth naturally with my first child, scared to death about it ... and failed miserably. I didn't know any alternative laboring positions, or to relax, or anything - I just braced for each contraction for 36 hours until I hurt so much I asked my husband to kill me. The inevitable epidural left me hurting for a week. Well, wasn't that fun? Then I took a Bradley class. Instead of teaching fancy breathing techniques and how to be a convenient patient for the OB, they taught relaxation - "You CAN do this; and fear only creates tension, which increases pain" - and what a difference. Without me fighting the contractions (which tensed up the very muscle the contractions were trying to relax), the pain went from unbearable to manageable. Sure, it hurts to have a lineman stand on your foot, but who's going to take an epidural for it? Bradley taught me that if you're thoroughly relaxed and labor feels excruciating, something needs to change - position, environment, something. If it's still agonizing, something is dreadfully wrong - but if I were under an epidural, I wouldn't know that. Bradley taught that if you've been doing everything great for hours and suddenly you feel you can't take it anymore - that you're in transition and will soon be pushing and have a baby! (How true that has been!) The relaxation techniques I learned helped with the early labor (remember, you can't get an epidural before 4cm or after 10cm), the excruciating afterpains of a subsequent birth, and the discomfort of sitting on a sore bum, not to mention all of life's inevitable pains ever since. Natural childbirth left me with so much more energy afterward that my 60-something in-laws are converts, too! They can't believe that the totally drained, beaten woman they saw after Birth #1 (who was afraid to use the bathroom and couldn't sit for a week) is the same who walked from the delivery room and immediately dressed and left at 24 hours for Births #2 and #3 (and suffered very little postpartum pain after the uterine-shrinking contractions ended). Lastly, Bradley taught me better breathing (my trumpet-playing is vastly improved!), sitting, posture, and lifting techniques for the rest of my life. And gave me a few good laughs while he was at it. Love him!

Push in the right direction

My husband and I are now big believers in natural childbirth the Bradley way. My son is 8 months old, delivered completely naturally, and I am 4 weeks pregnant with our next child, who we also plan to deliver without drugs. This book gave us confidence in our decision to deliver without drugs when all our friends were telling us, "You must be crazy!" Resting assured that for thousands of years, millions of women had gone before me and done the same thing, Dr. Bradley puts natural childbirth into perspective. Seriously, it does not take a super-woman to give birth without an epidural. If I can do it, any other woman can as well. This book discusses WHY and SOME of the hows to giving birth naturally. YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE THE BRADLEY CLASSES ALONG WITH READING THIS BOOK. I did not know we would need to take a 13-week course on birth before I read it. "Husband-Coached Childbirth" is NOT a complete directive on how to give birth without drugs, it simply motivates you to do it. The class is designed to instruct you; the book is designed to motivate you. It really does have helpful information in it. We encourage all our friends to read it and consider natural childbirth. It really did give us a "push" in the right direction. :)

I'll have another one

This and all the books written by Dr. Bradley has made labor FUN for me. I love being in labor. It is a wonderful refreshing way of envisioning labor. I had one child in the hospital (horrible experience). I NEVER would want to have a happy in the hospital! The other two at home with the siblings watching and good friends and family watching nearby (midwives and assistants too). Those were the most wonderful moments of my life. I can't imagine giving birth any other way. My son who was age 3yrs at the time of the youngest birth still remembers it this day. My kids have a wonderful relationship and understands where they came from and how they are related. I often feel terrible when I hear of other people's awful "hospital, overintervention, stressful and painful labor situations" because I have experienced both and know how wonderful it is to have a beautiful labor. What helped me most about Dr. Bradley and books are the visualizations of the flower opening during labor (representing your cervix) and riding the waves out (representing the contractions). There are no silly breathing techniques for each stage of labor (who on earth can really remember those while you are in the middle of labor-much less listen to person screaming at you to breath this way or that). This book and all of Bradley books are must haves for all expecting parents! Even if you chose to go the hospital route or the medicated route Bradley can still help you through the process.

This is Daddy's guide to Mommy's Pregnancy

I don't believe this book is sexist! I do, however, believe it is written to the husband and is intended to interest him and involve him in the process of pregnancy, BIRTH, and parenthood. I started reading it, and then shared it just a little bit with my dear husband, and he ended up finishing it before I was able to! If we weren't able to read it aloud together, we actually argued over who got to take it to work! I appreciated the way Dr. Bradley understands childbirth and the frankness with which he describes the "normal, and natural" procedures of the mother's body **so that her husband can understand.** The emphasis is on proper mind and body training to prepare for an athletic event that everyone should look forward to "joyfully"! I also like the practicality of the nutrition and excercise recommendations. If you are looking for a thoroughly healthful, husband-inclusive guide to "do it yourself" pregnancy, you will enjoy this book! If your situation is something different from mine, you may want to look for other options, but there is still a lot of helpful info you can take from Husband Coached Childbirth, and the Bradley Method. Good Luck Everyone!!