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12th out of 163 books
—
86 voters
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
Since the Bradley method was first introduced in 1970, a growing number of expectant parents have opted for natural childbirth, knowing that it's safer than medicated or surgical delivery. But where can parents-to-be go for information on how to have a successful Bradley birth? This book provides all the answers, offering sound advice on how to prepare physically for labor...more
Paperback, Revised, 272 pages
Published
July 1st 1996
by Plume
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Interesting, though a bit outdated and preachy. The first 10 or so chapters really sort of turned me off to the book - I kept reading "I'm not saying, I'm just saying..." again and again, in a not-so-flattering way. If I were to read it again, I'd skip all the way to the point at which it starts getting into the real physical side of things - anatomy of the uterus, etc. and skip right past the bit that talks down to the mother-to-be. I found myself hoping the Bradley classes were better than the...more
Effectively a Bradley Method (R) textbook, this volume illustrates (quite literally) the birth process from start to finish, including the specific emotional and psychological details that are so often ignored in modern obstetrical practice but that so greatly color the laboring woman's experience of natural childbirth. For the uninitiated, the Bradley Method (R) is one of the forerunners of methods for natural childbirth. Unlike Lamaze and other more popular methods, use of the Bradley Method (...more
This book gets three stars because its description of the birthing process is one of the best I've found. I feel like I really understand what will happen during the labor process as a result of reading this book.
It loses two stars because it is 1) horribly outdated and 2) extraordinarily preachy and condescending in a lot of areas.
When the book says "According to the latest study in 1980..." you know you're probably better off doing a bit more research on the subject. There is even a story abo...more
It loses two stars because it is 1) horribly outdated and 2) extraordinarily preachy and condescending in a lot of areas.
When the book says "According to the latest study in 1980..." you know you're probably better off doing a bit more research on the subject. There is even a story abo...more
I really wanted to like this book, but was turned off by the preachy tone. Even if I think I agree with a lot of what the author says, the way it was said was too confrontational for me to learn from it.
This book firmly espouses that there is One True Way to give birth. Thou shalt push in the One Endorsed position. Thou shalt relax with the One True technique. Any alternatives are brushed aside. If the techniques in the book do not work for you, well, according to them it must be Your Fault, and...more
This book firmly espouses that there is One True Way to give birth. Thou shalt push in the One Endorsed position. Thou shalt relax with the One True technique. Any alternatives are brushed aside. If the techniques in the book do not work for you, well, according to them it must be Your Fault, and...more
3.5 stars
This book had its ups and downs. The beginning of the books is quite annoying - preachy and dated. First, it goes on and on about how any drugs during pregnancy are a disaster waiting to happy, whether your doctor prescribes them or not. The author specifically rails against Bendectin, which Canadian women take happily to this day with no known negative effects. I felt the author trivialized morning sickness, and as someone who suffered pretty badly from it, this really annoyed me. Clea...more
This book had its ups and downs. The beginning of the books is quite annoying - preachy and dated. First, it goes on and on about how any drugs during pregnancy are a disaster waiting to happy, whether your doctor prescribes them or not. The author specifically rails against Bendectin, which Canadian women take happily to this day with no known negative effects. I felt the author trivialized morning sickness, and as someone who suffered pretty badly from it, this really annoyed me. Clea...more
For the past 8 months or so I have spent a lot of time thinking about the topic of natural childbirth verses medicated childbirth. I have talked with many women about their personal experiences as well as read countless delivery stories online. I have asked my sister {a labor and delivery nurse} questions about what happens in the delivery room and I have spoken to my OB about her personal practices. Daniel and I have discussed the topic as well.
Actually until a few weeks ago, it had not crosse...more
Actually until a few weeks ago, it had not crosse...more
I wanted to read something new to "brush up" on birth before my second baby. I read brief descriptions about this method from other pregnancy and birth books and had a few friends look into this philosophy so I decided to explore it. I liked the chapters on the mechanics of birth and found the suggestions for coping with contractions and pushing interesting. I also liked the ideas for practicing and preparing for birth. I am not a strong advocate of either natural or medicated birth, I think it...more
This book, combined with the class, really helped me accomplish a unmedicated labor with my 1st child. The descriptions of the stages of labor, both physical and emotional, are very helpful. However, I never experience "self-doubt" at the end of labor and if I did it was only for one hour. I never followed the high protein diet in the book because I heard some pregnant women gained a lot of weight from it. It discourages vaginal exams toward the end. Again this didn't work for me because I had a...more
Have you ever read something that really challenged your entire viewpoint on a particular thing? Well, if your a fairly typical American, this book will probably do so. If you're open-minded, this book will really enlighten you.
I first started thinking about midwives when my older brother told me how expensive it was to have babies in the hospital even with insurance. I was shocked at how much the hospital charged for an overnight stay. Being a frugal man, I wondered how dangerous it would real...more
I first started thinking about midwives when my older brother told me how expensive it was to have babies in the hospital even with insurance. I was shocked at how much the hospital charged for an overnight stay. Being a frugal man, I wondered how dangerous it would real...more
As other reviewers have noted, the photos in this book are dated, but the information is very helpful. I had no intention of having an unmedicated birth, but I read this book "just in case" - and I was glad I did, since my daughter arrived VERY quickly, with no time for pain medications.
If you're interested in using the Bradley method, this book is more helpful than Husband-Coached Childbirth, Dr. Bradley's book describing his method.
If you're interested in using the Bradley method, this book is more helpful than Husband-Coached Childbirth, Dr. Bradley's book describing his method.
I read this because I am considering attempting a med free birth with my third child (my first 2 were unapologetic epidurals, but this time I just have a desire to see if I can do it). I have medical training and do not feel that physicians and hospitals are evil by nature, so I skipped a lot of both the beginning and end of the book because I didn't want to read about the horrors of modern medicine. A lot of the medical information that I did read is ridiculously outdated. The last revision was...more
Jun 14, 2007
Sara
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Pregnant Moms
Shelves:
parentingpregnancy
Perfect book to investigate having an unmedicated birth the "Bradley Way." I think it's actually better than Dr. Bradley's book itself. Although it could use an updated edition with some better pictures and more current info. All that said, very good explanation of Bradley's philosophy on birth and how to work with your own body, with the support of your husband, to have the birth experience you want and welcome your baby into the world gently.
I liked this book for the most part because it offers a lot of practical exercises and information for mothers and birth partners that should increase the comfort level and reduce some of the uncertainty around the process of child birth. I appreciate that it advocates "natural" (meaning, drug free) birth without making a person feel like a total jerk for preferring a hospital to home birth. It does take a position on all the major controversies of child birth (though sometimes I have to step ba...more
Mar 07, 2008
Becky
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Women considering a natural child birth
Recommended to Becky by:
Mina Coleman
Everything you ever wanted to know about natural birth, without medical and drug interventions ... it's all here! I had heard the comment that you could do nothing but read this book in preparation and be able to go through a natural child birth with all the assisting techniques. I think I ended up highlighting most of this book for my husband to read; I really enjoyed this one.
I really enjoyed this book, except I didn't have any idea about how many pictures of naked women there are in it. I was expecting some pictures of birth, but was a bit surprised/confused to find that they needed to show the relaxing position and the exercises with naked people. But anyway, that's the only downside to this book really. I just found it awkward to read and I would definitely not read this in a public place. :)
I found the explanations about Kegel exercises very informative and I li...more
I found the explanations about Kegel exercises very informative and I li...more
Great book! The pictures are out-dated, but most of the other information is up-to-date. It helped tremendously that I first read the Ricki Lake book to give me an idea of typical procedures used in hospital births today.
All in all, I can't wait to try out these relaxation methods. I'm sure it's different for each woman, but at least knowing what's normal and what to expect has already impacted my attitude towards the whole process. I went from being completely terrified of giving birth (more ac...more
All in all, I can't wait to try out these relaxation methods. I'm sure it's different for each woman, but at least knowing what's normal and what to expect has already impacted my attitude towards the whole process. I went from being completely terrified of giving birth (more ac...more
I really liked this book, but it was my first childbirth book so maybe my opinion will change after reading the others. It was incredibly insightful. Susan goes into the mechanics of labor in such vivid detail that it made labor seem not so mysterious and scary. I loved that it explains how to relax and use each contraction effectively instead of tensing up and fighting the pain. The book also gives you goes into detail about your different options for childbirth and gives startling statistics....more
I didn't read this book cover to cover, but I did read section II and most of section III. Although I'm not the anti-medication, , all-natural, homebirthing type, I found a lot of information in this book to be helpful. I am preparing for a VBAC that should happen within the next week or two, and I was looking for strategies to help my body relax during labor. I felt like the diagrams and descriptions of what is happening to a woman's body during labor were very helpful. The relaxation exercises...more
By far the best labor/childbirth book I read in preparation for my own birth experience. My son is 3 months old and I tried to use some of the relaxation techniques the book tries to teach you. The book was helpful but I believe a woman's best option would be to take a class. I did not practice the techniques on my own (my fault, not the book's) or with my husband and found it difficult to relax and focus after 9 hours of dealing with contractions at home and on my own. My husband was with me bu...more
Jun 14, 2010
Frank Jude
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
expectant couples.
Recommended to Frank Jude by:
Our midwife, Amy Zenizo.
Shelves:
parenting
Okay, with the second child coming after 35 years, I'm thinking it's a good idea to take a refresher course! In fact, tonight my wife and I are actually beginning the course in Natural Birthing the Bradley Way. SO, I thought I'd read the book first to get a sense of what to expect.
It's a bit exciting to contemplate this journey my wife and I (and the baby) are on, and this system sounds like it may be truly helpful. At times, however, I felt a bit of the evangelical impulse coming out in the lan...more
It's a bit exciting to contemplate this journey my wife and I (and the baby) are on, and this system sounds like it may be truly helpful. At times, however, I felt a bit of the evangelical impulse coming out in the lan...more
I should start with a note that I am not opposed to using interventions such as pitocin or epidurals nor am I looking for a completely natural birth. I read this book while expecting my fifth child and had the previous four with epidurals. 3 of the 4 worked out great, the last did not so I started doing research on pain coping techniques should the same ever happen again.
It became apparent very quickly with this book that it was not for me. It only focused on one way to deal with pain, one way t...more
It became apparent very quickly with this book that it was not for me. It only focused on one way to deal with pain, one way t...more
I love Bradley, I had two Bradley births, and this book is ok, it's just extremely outdated. I'm sure some would argue that birth hasn't changed, why should the text... but it has. Warning about preps is silly, and it's embarrassing when a woman (ugh, me) insists she will not have one and the nurse looks at you confused and says... "uh, we don't do that." While I respect Bradley, his method of sleep imitation did not work at all for us. I think it's better for women to prepare themselves with a...more
Even if you never in a million years would consider an unmedicated birth, READ THIS. It's so much more informative than the useless What to Expect series and any other pregnancy-related books I've seen out there. The worst thing that has happened in medicine in the past century is hospitals convincing women that we no longer know how to give birth or that we simply cannot do it as well without the now "routine" hospital interventions. What most doctors and hospitals fail to tell you is that thes...more
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This book helps you visualize a peaceful, positive birth in a hospital setting (most natural birth books are about home birth). It helps reduce anxiety by outlining in detail the ways labor may begin, the emotional signposts of labor. It helps you understand how to work with your body to avoid unnecessary pain during birth. Despite being very old school, it is still one of the best resources availabe. No book has everything though. This book really needs to be paired with a good book on relaxati...more
I don't agree with 100% of what is said in the book; I think there are valid exceptions for medications, and the book is somewhat dated, but it has been a valuable resource to give me information and confidence in natural childbirth. At times the author takes on a "my way or the highway" tone, but to me she's just passionately sharing her views. Together with other books that cover a broader range of options (particularly water birth and birth center births), this book has helped me to be much m...more
I was impressed by the amount of information I gathered from this book. I didn't read any books when my wife was pregnant with our first child, and I thought I'd rely less on intuition the second time around. My wife is already commenting on my improved coaching skills! I think that it was beneficial for me to read a book written from the perspective of a mother. Beyond the coaching and relaxation techniques taught in "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way" were the informative chapters on hospital...more
This was another library book about the Bradley method, and this one I ultimately decided to buy! It's more instructional than the "Husband Coached Childbirth" book, in that it gives you the exercises to do with your partner and is less theory, more practice. Also it has great descriptions and drawings of the birth process -- simplifies things enormously, so it doesn't seem so confusing or scary. After first reading this book, I felt very confident that I could have my baby naturally! I'm not du...more
A bit shrill in tone, but a good primer on the biology of pregnancy and the emotional stages of labor. Also had great tips, especially for the birthing partner. The photos, for whatever reason, seemed less gratuitous than Active Birth, which I also recently read and reviewed. I'm not a big fan of the book layout itself -- the landscape orientation was a bit cumbersome -- but I definitely felt this was a worthwhile read. I just wish the author hadn't used such confrontational language; I'm alread...more
(Non-Fiction-Natural Childbirth) At first, the graphic birth photos and illustrations freaked me out. (Why do all the women need to be pictured and illustrated naked while all the men are pictured with track shorts on?) Also, the book has a copyright of 1984, so it's pretty dated. However, the more I read, the more I was intrigued and inspired to give birth. This book gives a great description of the stages of labor, the emotional signposts of labor, and above all, stresses relaxation through th...more
This book is a modern version of Dr. Bradley's original. It's more of a user's manual; it has a lot less on the theory and formulation of the method and it includes pictures, illustrations, practice exercises, real couples' experiences/outcomes, as well as a lot of info on the physiology of pregnancy, labor, birth, and other medical considerations (episiotomy, etc.)
I highly, highly recommend both books, but especially this one. We used this method all three times, loved it, and will continue to...more
I highly, highly recommend both books, but especially this one. We used this method all three times, loved it, and will continue to...more
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“But after years of teaching, we have decided that a lot of mothers just aren't reading textbooks.”
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1 person liked it
“...I'll never forget going out to dinner with my parents to an elegant restaurant. My very proper Bostonian mother leaned over and said to me, 'Just what are you going to do if the baby gets hungry while we're here, dear?' The baby and I were already hooked up, very discreetly and my mother couldn't tell. I just chuckled and said, 'I don't know Mom.”
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1 person liked it
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