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Will I be able to give birth naturally if this is my first child? Is it possible to have an unmedicated birth in a hospital? Does it matter where and with whom I give birth? Will I have enough pain coping and comfort techniques to see me through? Can my partner learn enough to be a helpful labor companion?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes! Most healthy, low risk women can have an unmedicated birth if they have a normal birth, good preparation, considered care, and a trained partner. It is SO possible.
Good preparation is where the Bradley Method® comes in. Classes are full of information and a lot of time is devoted to practicing skills for labor. Mothers and partners emerge confident and prepared. The comprehensive training for partners readies them for the intense work of assisting their partner through labor.
************ FAQs:
Why Take a Childbirth Class?
*There is a lot of information to acquire and process: a childbirth instructor can guide you in making the choices appropriate to your situation.
*Caregivers don't have time to educate you during your appointments.
*Class time is not merely a time to give information. Pregnant couples find it useful to have a standing date to focus on the big change ahead.
*The couples you meet in class are on the same path as you are. Relationships begun in pregnancy often continue through parenthood.
*The more you know, the more you can relax and enjoy the experience. Knowledge (and practice) makes couples confident.
*You learn what birth really is: a social and physiologic event that brings a new member into the family, not a medical disaster waiting to happen. Something you do, not something that is done to you.
*Many couples have had no direct experience with birth or babies. They become confident and empowered when they are introduced to the territory of birth.
*It's easier to get background information when you are not in labor so you can reflect on your goals and think about what you might do in unexpected situations.
*Much time is devoted to practicing comfort techniques.
*Classes are fun!
What Makes Bradley Method® Classes Special?
*Bradley Method® classes are excellent training for your partner. That person becomes a skillful labor companion, someone who is really effective and helpful to you in labor.
*We teach with the goal of making you an informed, prepared birthing couple, not simply obedient patients.
*Bradley Method® classes are comprehensive. We cover what you need to know to give birth in a hospital, in a birth center, at home; with a doctor or midwife.
*Bradley Method® classes provide a wide range of comfort techniques and coping ideas. What you learn doesn't "fly out the window" when you go into labor. There is always some technique/approach that will work.
*Bradley Method® classes prepare you for a variety of scenarios so you can stay calm and make informed decisions.
What if I Miss a Class?
You can schedule a make-up class or ask another couple to bring you up to date. Sometimes I can give you a short catch up class after the following class.
What Size Are Your Classes?
Sometimes as small as four couples, never more than eight couples. I also teach private classes.
************ Testimonials:
"The real star of the [Bradley®] program for us was Mary Lynn. She is incredibly knowledgeable, kind, compassionate and absolutely devoted to her work and her students. In her subtle, non-invasive way, she communicated the beauty and excitement of birth and that helped us chip away at our fear about it and feel prepared." -Park Slope Parents
"My husband and I can't recommend Mary Lynn Fiske's Bradley Method[®] class enough[...]In addition to her expertise, insights and breadth of knowledge about so many aspects of pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, we also appreciated Mary Lynn's warm, generous and open demeanor. She was great about providing further reading material (she lent me a book I had expressed interest in) and information, and she also very kindly called to check on each of us after our births." -Park Slope Parents
"We took Mary Lynn's Bradley[®] Birthing class and were so glad we did. Mary Lynn is a great educator and creates a great space to think with your partner about the birthing process." -Park Slope Parents
"Mary Lynn Fiske is an amazing birth teacher. We enjoyed a series of private sessions with her and she really helped prepare us for our homebirth. One of the greatest gifts she gave us was the way she prepared my husband to be a vital part of the birth. Our midwife says she can always tell when the father's to be have worked with Mary Lynn. She just has a magical way of bringing them into the birth." -My Best Birth
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