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Erica Andrews wears several hats as a midwife, anthropologist, storyteller, and placenta aficionado. With over 10 years of experience as a midwife and in the alternative medicine industry, she advocates female empowerment and considers giving birth sacred. Erica works as a midwife at Laughing Moons Midwifery, US, and contributes to Midwifery Today.
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The Bradley method of childbirth is the method that emphasizes mainly the techniques of relaxation as a major part of childbirth and also empowers women to have confidence in their strength. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports state that about 61% of women who opt for vaginal delivery seek the assistance of epidural or anesthesia while in labor (1). In addition, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) also recommends using an epidural for expectant mothers upon request (2). Read on to know more about the Bradley method and its benefits. [mj-toc] What Is The Bradley Method Of Childbirth? It is a natural childbirth method designed in the late 1940s, by the American obstetrician Dr. Robert Bradley. The Bradley method aims to encourage women to go into labor and deliver the child without taking any pain medications. It seeks to offer natural, painless, and pleasurable birthing experience to expecting moms. Bradley’s method is a 12-week program...
The Lamaze method consists of a set of techniques that help make delivery easier for you. The days before the delivery are marked by anxiety and stress, and most would-be mothers worry about the pain that accompanies delivery. With the help of the Lamaze method, you can overcome these fears and anxieties. In addition, it helps you manage your breathing and pain to deliver your baby more easily. Read on to know more about taking Lamaze classes and their benefits. [mj-toc]What Is The Lamaze method? The Lamaze method is a set of pre-delivery classes that aim to make birthing as natural as possible, without any external interventions. Developed by French obstetrician Ferdnand Lamaze in 1960, Lamaze childbirth classes focus on teaching controlled/ rhythmic breathing techniques for you to cope with labor. This method helps you relax and concentrate on labor. In addition to instilling confidence in women on childbirth, this method helps them cope with the pain. It helps you...
[mj-toc] When the baby cannot be pushed out normally during a vaginal delivery, the doctor may try an assisted delivery method. One such birth method is the vacuum-assisted delivery, which is the most favored option. You may have heard about the vacuum method, but do you know how the process is carried out? MomJunction tells you more about the vacuum-assisted vaginal delivery method and how it impacts the mother and the baby. What Is A Vacuum-assisted Delivery? Vacuum-assisted birth is a type of operative vaginal delivery that makes use of a vacuum or a vacuum extractor to assist in bringing the baby down from the birthing canal. The vacuum uses a soft plastic cup, called the ventouse, which is connected to a suction device with a handle. The doctor, or the midwife assisting the labor, uses the handle to bring the baby out of the birthing canal (1). Keep reading to know how the procedure is carried out during delivery....