The Bradley Method and Lamaze are two of the most popular methods of natural childbirth. Both emphasize limited medical intervention and focus on childbirth being a natural process. To a casual observer they would seem to be nearly the same method; however, there are subtle, and important, differences.
History
For most of human history, natural childbirth was the only way to give birth and was nothing unusual. This changed in the early 1900s when childbirth began to be seen as a medical concern. By the 1940s it was common practice for babies to be born in hospitals with the use of foreceps, with their mothers either unconscious or tied to the delivery table, flat on their backs. Fathers were relegated to the waiting room, pacing, worrying and passing out cigars.
When women began to demand more control of their lives and their bodies, this medical intervention trend began to change. Dr. Robert Bradley and Dr. Fernand Lamaze each developed similar methods of natural childbirth in the 1940s, both of which helped to change the landscape of maternity wards.
Bradley Method
The Bradley Method of childbirth begins several months before birth with education and lifestyle modifications. Prevention of complications, and thus the need for medical intervention, is a primary part of this method.
By the time a Bradley Method student is in labor, she will have learned to allow her body to relax and to trust it to progress in labor appropriately. The baby's father, or partner of the mother's choice, is an integral part of the labor process and will have learned to assist the mother with relaxing and trusting her body.
Lamaze
Lamaze is similar to the Bradley Method because it also focuses on allowing the body to do what it does naturally and limiting medical intervention. The well-known hallmark of Lamaze, the breathing, is no longer the heart of Lamaze. The Lamaze approach strives to give women the freedom to choose where and how they will give birth, whether they will birth in a hospital, birthing center or home.
The Difference
Lamaze and the Bradley Method both have the goal of natural childbirth, free from medical intervention unless truly necessary, and both focus on the involvement of fathers or other partners in the birth. The main difference between the two is the method used to cope with pain. While the Bradley Method teaches mothers to focus on the pain and to recognize the purpose and process of the pain, the Lamaze method teaches them to distract themselves from the pain.
Choosing the Right One
There is no one method that is correct. Expectant parents should choose which one best fits their personalities and expectations. Also take into consideration the preferred method of the hospital or birthing center and the doctor or midwife that will assist in the delivery.
