Bradley vs. Hypnobabies

I concluded my last post by saying that it's important to choose a childbirth class that feels right to you, which may or may not be what feels right to me. I figured it might be helpful to talk a little more about the specifics of Bradley and Hypnobabies, to help other women figure out which one does feel right to them.

Bradley classes
A "classic" Bradley method course series is 12 classes. Many instructors compress it somewhat. Mine covered the material in 10 classes.

The classes include:

• Three classes on staying comfortable and healthy throughout your pregnancy (exercise, nutrition, etc.)
• Two classes focused on the coach's role (typically the husband)
• Four classes on the mechanics of first and second stage labor, as well as tips for pain management and coaching during each stage
• One class on planning (birth plans, packing the hospital bag, etc.)
• One class on unexpected situations (c-sections, etc.)
• One class on basic newborn care (breastfeeding, baby soothing, etc.)

A typical class for us lasted between 1-2 hours. We usually reviewed the material in the workbook we were given, with plenty of time to ask questions. We often watched videos related to the material we were covering. We also did relaxation practice, which typically involved me lying down, breathing deeply, while my husband rubbed/massaged me and helped identify any areas of tension. Later in the class series, we did some full-on labor rehearsals, where I tried different positions, our instructor pretended to be a nurse "interrupting" and my husband had to gently handle her so she wouldn't bother me, etc.

Homework between classes included keeping a food log, some pregnancy exercises (pelvic tilts, tailor sitting, squats, kegels), and relaxation practice.

Hypnobabies home study
The Hypnobabies home study class consists of a workbook, a quick reference/birth partner guide, and a folder full of CDs.

The workbook is divided into an introduction, five classes, and a maintenance program. Each class is designed to take one week, although I started early in my pregnancy (about 24 weeks with both Noob and Q) and often chose to take two weeks before moving on to the next class. The classes cover:

1. Positive childbirth (hypnosis and how it can help you overcome the fear/tension/pain cycle during childbirth)
2. Staying healthy and low risk (exercise, nutrition, etc.)
3. Birthing choices (risks and benefits of common interventions such as Pitocin, IVs, etc., birth plans)
4. First stage labor
5. Second stage labor and breastfeeding

So, basically the same topics as Bradley. The approach is a little different, e.g. the Hypnobabies materials remind you over and over again that birth is easy, and they replace the usual birthing-related words with more positive ones (birthing time instead of labor, pressure waves instead of contractions, etc.)

Each week, you read the appropriate section of the workbook. The section also gives you your homework for the week. It's the same as Bradley homework -- food log, pregnancy exercises, and relaxation practice.

The relaxation practice is another key difference from Bradley. The practice is guided by self-hypnosis "scripts" on the CDs. The workbook section tells you which tracks you should listen to each week -- there are two per week, which you listen to on alternate nights. It also includes the hypnotic suggestions that are on each track. This is nice for people like me who always fall asleep while listening to the tracks :) By reading the workbook, I'm able to find out just what I'm listening to while I'm sleeping!

If you want to get a sense of what the scripts are like, there's a sample track on the Hypnobabies website that you can download and listen to for free.

For the first week or two, the scripts walk you through deep breathing to relax and enter hypnosis. Later on, you learn to enter hypnosis by using your "lightswitch." You also practice self-hypnosis using your lightswitch 5 times a day, outside of your script listening. It only takes a few minutes.

On top of this, you also listen to the "Pregnancy Affirmations" track daily. This is not a self-hypnosis track, so you can listen to it while driving, working, etc. It's about 30 minutes of positive statements about childbirth, such as:

• Pregnancy is natural, normal, healthy, and safe for me and my baby.
• My changing body is radiantly beautiful.
• I will give birth in comfort and in peace.

Once you're done with the five classes, you enter the maintenance program until you give birth. No more weekly reading, but you keep up with the exercises, nutrition, and relaxation practice. For the scripts, there's a weekly rotation of tracks to listen to, plus the daily pregnancy affirmations.

If that sounds like a lot... it's really not. The workbook reading takes maybe 30-45 minutes per week. The exercises are maybe 20-30 minutes per day if you're religious about doing them, which I'm not :) As for the scripts, I always queue up the script of the day plus the pregnancy affirmations track at bedtime. I usually fall asleep within a few minutes, but that's fine: My conscious mind knows what's on the tracks from reading the workbook, and my subconscious mind is still listening even when I'm asleep.

Hopefully that gives you a better idea of what you're in for if you choose either Bradley or Hypnobabies. They are both great courses, so choose what fits your personality and mindset the best! You can't go wrong with either one :)