BRADLEY CLASS – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Holly Press of Beautiful Birth, answers your questions pertaining to the Bradley Method® Natural Childbirth Course. Self-paced, Online Classes are always available, worldwide! All Group Sessions are taught in Lomita and are suitable for couples able to travel from the Greater Los Angeles and Surrounding areas, including the Beach Cities of the South Bay, Long Beach, Torrance etc. Don’t see your question answered here? Please do not hesitate to reach out via text, email or phone!

When is the best time to take your comprehensive Bradley Prep for childbirth class?

You are welcome to take the course as early or late as you desire, in your pregnancy. Most choose to take it in the third trimester and aim to have the class completed by the 36th week, but a wide variance is not uncommon.

Why choose a private Childbirth Course for a fee, when my Hospital or Birth Location provides one free of charge?

Typically, your birth location, or typical Hospital class will cover the bare minimum about what you need to know in order to birth in their facility, as well as some of the basics about coping techniques, in 1 or 2 visits. My live or online classes actually work on a far broader scale, giving you a very comprehensive overview of not just the labor itself, but how to help prepare your mind / body / emotions throughout your entire pregnancy / birth / postpartum season etc and gives you enough time to soak it all in, over numerous weeks together, taking one small thing in at a time and implementing it. Classes are taught in such a way as to help reduce overall fear and help you have the highest level of satisfaction, with the least amount of regret, as the feelings surrounding your birthing experience DO matter.

Is your class only for those who are planning to want a natural birth or giving birth outside of the hospital?

Not at all! In fact, all of my own 5 personal experiences with birth were IN a hospital setting! It is one of the things that gets me most excited, is being relatable. Seeing as how still only about 1% choose birth outside of the hospital, I would feel completely disconnected, if I were only discussing the “normal” and “natural” throughout the course of our time together. These classes are loaded with info that transcends your birthing desires or planned birthing location. This informations is applicable to everyone! In my humble opinion, these kinds of comprehensive prep for childbirth courses should be required for all people. Not my class, per se, but classes like these that provide a full spectrum of understanding and information, more than just what to expect once you get to the hospital. Classes that encourage you to be a “thinking people”, to search out your own heart and mind, to connect with resources and information that resonates with you as a human being, similar to how you choose to live your own individual life currently and not just being shoved into an “average/norm” box. You are unique and special and you should feel good about the choices you have available to you and how you move forward as you see fit, in the absence of any obvious warning signs. This class is for you! It is for anyone looking to not just follow the status quo blindly and wake up with massive regret. For those who desire to have an opinion and be heard, as an active member of your care team:)

My schedule does not allow me to make it to the appropriate Live Couples Bradley Class session in relation to my due date. Are there any other options?

Yes!! Your schedule should not stand in the way of you feeling great about your pregnancy and learning as much as you possibly can, in preparation for walking out the remainder of pregnancy and all that comes to pass along the journey into parenthood! The number one, easiest way to have access to Holly and all of this incredible information, if a live class is not suitable, is to register for the Online, self-paced Video Course. It is just like you are sitting in on a real live class! You hear all of the other students questions, along the way and are reassured that you are not alone in this journey! If you are unable to take the Online, self-paced Video Course, you may also inquire about a Private Course tailored to your specific needs / time frame / learning desires, if local to Southern California / Los Angeles area.

I hope for a more natural experience or to get as far as I can before desiring pain meds. Will this class address my deep fear and concern over any pain I might experience?

Absolutely! We teach you so many tools and techniques and deeper levels of understanding, that we hope, if you get to the point of having exhausted all of your tools, meds are still an option. We all know there are no guarantees. I hope for you to learn that you cannot “achieve” your way to the optimal birth. That just isn’t the case. However, you can prepare for the worst and then expect the best, all while training your brain to respond well and understand what is happening, each step along the way. Acceptance and letting go are two key elements in having the most positive experience with the least amount of regret. We discuss “pain” and perception of pain and many various scenarios that will help you navigate well. Many who are well prepared, if they do choose meds at some point, they have them for a significantly less time than those who just go in blind, and there are many benefits to having lesser measures of medication for mom and baby.

What is the philosophy of your childbirth classes?

I am certified through the Bradley Method®, and also pull from my own 5 pregnancies and births as well as from my extensive experience in the field. There is no black and white, cut and dry, one right way to labor and birth. I stand by the philosophy that birth is a normal process and hope to inspire confidence in the couples that I instruct. It is my goal to teach the full variety of options that birthing partners have when preparing for birth, and then in supporting those desires unconditionally. An excellent way to approach your birth is with confidence and relaxation. You achieve this by knowing what possible things to expect, developing a pain-coping mindset to move through your labor, and by feeling prepared to work through whatever your journey may bring along the way.

I do not have a significant other / partner or any other family or friends that can support me through this journey, but I really really like what I see here and would hate to miss out on the opportunity to learn this vital information! What are my options?

Although it is typical to have a support network in place, for various reasons and personal choice, some are flying solo.  That is A-OK in my book!! My classes are a non threatening, all inclusive atmosphere that I have worked really hard to create!! There is no judgement based on the type of birth you envision or whether or not you have someone to accompany you. In fact, as it happens, quite often, one partner may travel for work and miss a significant number of classes, and the other, of either sex, still stands in without them!! This makes my heart SO happy!! (especially when the men come by themselves!) It means that the connections they have made with other class mates, as well as not wanting to miss a beat of the rich learning that happens each week, is motivation enough to come on their own, even if they previously thought they might feel super awkward in a “couples” class. Single moms have come with their moms / aunties / sisters / close friends / doulas (when available) or alone and been warmly embraced and so thankful for the learning and new friendships. If you have a partner, significant other or loved one that plans to support you along your pregnancy, through your labor and immediately postpartum, they are strongly encouraged to attend. But different strokes for different folks, for sure, so please do not let that keep you from getting all you need to feel prepared in this monumental and life altering stage of life:)

Is your space comfortable? I hear that a lot of childbirth classes make you sit on the floor.

Yes! Classes are held in a living-room like Studio. There are couches, chairs, a ball and cushions. You are welcome to eat and move as necessary during class. You are welcomed and encouraged to assume various positions and locations, but none are required, such as sitting on the floor exclusively.

How many couples are in your classes?

The maximum is 10 couples. On average there are 6-9 couples. This is a good size as couples can learn from the group while still receiving individualized attention.

I am reading some books and watching lots on youtube about birth and feel pretty good about it all, I just really am on the fence about what else I might possibly learn from a class like yours, that I can’t already find on the web.

That is incredible to hear that you are already wrapping your head around this new season and all that it has to offer! Way to go!! You will continue to be encouraged to do so. However, I find, that when people have the opportunity to have a direct conversation with someone who has birthed 5x herself, as well as walked hundreds of couples through the pregnancy / labor / birth / postpartum process, from the classroom to labor room to living room atmospheres, I am able to help demystify some of the things you have read or seen on youtube, and paint a different picture of reality for you. Often you are only getting a small snippet, the highlights, of someones story, without knowing or understanding the back story and all that was involved. Sometimes it is as straightforward as it seems, but often, there are underlying contributing factors at play, on a myriad of levels, of which I have extensive knowledge, insight and personal, hands on experience. Things are rarely as they seem. I make an effort to be transparent and fully real about all of the possibilities regarding who you are coming into this whole thing, your choices up to this point and moving forward, how to help you navigate well, etc. Additionally, I know what it is like to share life with my complete opposite, my spouse. And having opposing opinions does not mean you cannot learn to find common ground and move forward well together as you learn and grow as a couple. I aim to be an incredible resource and sounding board to you and have a very broad knowledge about the majority of any topics that may concern you. I am also in local birthing establishments and behind closed doors with couples on a regular basis and am extremely familiar with things pertaining to this season in life:) I am an open book and able to provide a great wealth of knowledge and personal experiences that cannot be attained, specifically, through a book.

I am a third time mom, but have always wanted to take a class like yours…are there things I still have yet to learn at this point?

Yes! I have had couples come through because the first baby was breech and they had a c-section, the second one was medicated, but a successful VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and they are really hoping to make different choices this time around. At the end of it all, they remark about all they never knew that they never knew, even having been pregnant and birthed 2x before! Many have gone on to give birth completely naturally after having received support / encouragement / knowledge throughout the duration of our time together! All are welcome, whether your first or 15th! The other students really enjoy having experienced parents in their midst!