see also: Childbirth Preparation Classes

Re: Hypnotherapy for labor pain management

I haven't taken a hypnobirthing class, but I highly recommend Nancy Bardacke's mindfulness meditation classes for childbirth and parenting. She teaches at the Osher Center at UCSF and also in the East Bay. She is a former midwife, so very knowledgable about the childbirth specifics, but the class concentrates on learning the ins and outs of mindfulness meditation, and using it to get through childbirth as well as the challenging early days of parenting. She is a warm and wonderful teacher and mindfulness meditation is a really useful skill and tool. Out of 12 couples in our class, I believe 10 gave birth naturally, so there's obviously some tendency towards natural childbirth, and the techniques were obviously useful (definitely they helped me achieve my goal of natural delivery). But it's really very open. The class is not very didactic about childbirth, nor is it anti-epidural, etc. The best part about the class is that we totally bonded with our classmates and we s! till get together monthly or more for gatherings which include meditation but also lots of social times with our kids. The support from this group was really crucial in the early days and I'm so glad I took the class for that reason alone. I realize the chemistry is different with every group, but we really feel like the class has been a blessing in many ways. You can get my email from the moderator if you want to talk some more. Shannon

Re: Birthways vs. Kaiser for childbirth prep class

Hi there- You didn't mention it, but have you considered Bradley Method? I took the course and I feel like it prepared me incredibly well for labor. If anything, I felt like I really knew what to expect with this huge ''unknown'' event that was about to take place. Bradley Method focuses on knowing what to expect and how to cope, so that the ultimate goal is to go drug-free. For some reason or another, it is not always possible to do so, and this method does not ''berate'' you for that. More than anything it prepares you for the journey so that you are able to do your best!

We met some great couples in the class and we still get together all of the time - even now that our little ones are 7-8 months old, and I see our kids growing up together.

The class takes a lot of dedication - about 8 weeks, and focuses on ''Husband Coached Childbirth'' - so both partners should be present for each class. It really is a great way to get actively involved in what is about to be one of the biggest events of your life! Drop me an email if you would like more info! Caroline

Hello, I am looking for current recommendations for Bradley Childbirth Prep Classes. The archives are quite old. Specifically I am looking for folks who love their Bradley class in the East Bay. Who is your teacher? Where do they teach? How much do they charge? Why do you enjoy your class? Thank you in advance for any guidance! ramare

Why we liked the class? At first, I must admit that my husband was skeptical, asking if he really needed to go, but once we were there, he realized that the partners role was one of the main focuses of the class. We learned all sorts of techniques for not only coping with the experience of childbirth, but for feeling empowered, knowing all the options available, being able to make educated decisions, and not feeling guilty nor cheated if we ended up with a different experience than we had planned. I highly recommend this class - ESPECIALLY with Sabine. Nydia

Sabine is such a caring, patient, respectful individual who fosters a really positive, nurturing outlook towards the birth, the baby, and each other, I'm so glad that we took our class with her!! We actually looked forward to it every week and missed it when it was over! I wish she offered a class on how to handle parenting as well as we handled childbirth! ;)

I was also really grateful to have Sabine to talk to post-partem when I was trying to adjust to new motherhood and needed a sympathetic ear and some loving support. I recall the class being around $325, but no doubt was worth every dollar and more. Our birth experience was priceless! We are also still close with the 4 other families in our class and get together frequently - it's awesome to go through such an incredible time with folks of the similar thinking and now we all have kids the same age to play with :) Good luck! Anna

Sabine's Bradley class was an enriching experience. We learned about all aspects of growing a baby and giving birth, from the physiological to the emotional and institutional. Class conversations helped couples better understand their respective expectations and concerns about the birth process. In small groups or as a class we would often discuss and work through our most pressing concerns. Sabine has much wisdom and knowledge on almost every aspect of the birth process, though she was never overbearing with her point of view and she would always point out the limits of her knowledge and expertise. She respects the different hopes and expectations that each individual has for the birth process, while at the same time challenging everyone to be aware of and consider the trade-offs inherent to our choices.

I was initially quite reluctant to ''waste my time'' sitting through a childbirth class, and I am an impatient student if my ''teacher'' does not seem to be an expert in the field or is not able to respect and understand my values. Needless to say, I learned much from my Bradley class with Sabine and have great respect for Sabine as a teacher and guide. She helped us learn to understand and trust our instincts, instilling in us the confidence to give birth without excessive reliance on medical interventions. She is also quite familiar with the scientific and medical literature on child birth, and the advantages to medical intervention under particular contexts, and she helped us develop techniques to communicate to our doctor, nurses, and midwifes our expectations for the childbirth. Sabine has many resources in her extensive library which are available to students to borrow, and she makes herself available outside of class for individuals who have concerns, including post! -birth.

Her class costs $325. Her class is run out of her home near downtown Berkeley. You can reach her at (510) 843-2091 or at sabineh@aol.com . Good luck! Allan

What I loved about Sabine is that she wasn't militant in her approach. No harsh judgment. She prepares you for a natural childbirth, but also prepares you how to ''let go'' of your idea of what constitutes a perfect birth if medical intervention becomes necessary.

My husband and I had a beautiful experience: I wound up having to be induced because I broke water and was Strep B positive...and I had not dilated much 26 hours into labor. After another 15 hours (post inducement), I was only at 3 cm., and finally consented to an epidural (this sometimes relaxes you enough to dilate). I was disappointed, but I called Sabine and cried, and she told me I was doing a great job of advocating for my baby in the areas I could (I refused an internal monitor, and I did make proactive decisions). She made me feel better. By the time the baby was born, the epidural had essentially worn off, so I was able to push efficiently. I used a nurse practitioner at Kaiser Walnut Creek. I was able to have a vaginal birth (first time mom) at 42, with no tearing...despite the fact that about 10 minutes before my baby was born, an ob/gyn barged in and said we needed to think C section...because it had been too long. I told her to hold her horses (after I found out the baby wasn't in immediate danger), and pushed three more times, and the baby was there. I was able to take control like that, because I had learned that it only takes a bit less than 5 minutes or so to get a baby out through C section, and so I had a little more time to push. I wouldn't have known that had I not had the class.

My mom, my sister and my female cousin were in the room with me, and witnessed the real TEAM that my husband and I were during the process. They said it was the most incredible and beautiful and connected/intimate thing they had ever seen. Sabine helped us to identify the strengths that we already have in our relationship to help me cope with the pain and fear. For example, my husband's voice is low and comforting. I didn't want him turning into a manic chearleader, screaming at me to ''breathe'' or ''push''. Instead, he cradled me in his arms, and spoke calm, reassuring things to me. He calmed me down. We are very physical, normally, so he massaged me and we even kissed like teenagers part of the time. He did many things to help me...but all of these helpful things were approaches we were able to discuss beforehand. He KNEW what I needed...and he KNEW how to read me. I told him how I react when I'm in major pain or stress, what to look out for. Sabine and the Bradley Method had him completely prepared, knowledgeable about the things that were happening around him.

By the way: my husband is French, and doesn't speak much English. He is introverted, and I was worried about his ability to be my advocate. But he was prepared, and he was GREAT...and I really don't think I could have done it without him.

And we became more connected through that process than either of us ever imagined. We are very grateful to Sabine and the Bradley method...and I really highly recommend it.

The final benefit? We still get together with the parents and babies in our Bradley group, 14 months later. We have such a special bond with all of the babies. We went through this all together...and I have no doubts that we'll be friends for life. We owe so much to Sabine and the Bradley Method...and so does my beautiful little girl. Good luck! If you need any more info, feel free to write to me. Robynn

I've just looked at the recommendations for Bradley coaches on the website, and was wondering if anyone might have other suggestions nearly a year later. Driving to SF is really not an option, so unfortunately the raves about Zann Erick (sp?) won't help much. If anyone has any Berkeley/Albany/El Cerrito recommendations, I'd be thrilled to hear them. Also, as very book-oriented people, I'm wondering if my husband and I could learn what we need to know from reading (I've heard "Natual Childbirth the Bradley Way" is good)? Any thoughts? Much thanks. Heather

We're interested in finding a good childbirth class. Does anyone know of and/or have any experience with Bradley method classes? What is the current thinking about Bradley, Grantley Dick-Reed and Lamaze approaches? By the way, this is our second pregnancy, but will (we hope!) be our first natural birth (our first born was locked into a breech position by the umbilical cord). We would like to try something like the Bradley approach. Lisa

5) I also very much enjoyed the community and moral support found in the YMCA pre-natal swim classes, and the Yogalayam prenatal yoga classes. Yogalayam also offers a prenatal intensive birth prep series for women and partners which I really liked. Some liked it a lot. For others it was a bit too "Berkeley"!