The Bradley Method® Goals

The number one goal of the Bradley Method® is a healthy mom and a healthy baby! After that, my main goal for you as a teacher is an informed birth!

Your affiliated Bradley® instructor wants you and your baby to have the best, safest, and most rewarding birth experience possible. For that reason we endorse and teach the following ideals in classes:

• Natural Childbirth.
• Active participation of the husband* as coach.
• Excellent nutrition, the foundation of a healthy pregnancy.
• Avoidance of drugs during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding unless absolutely necessary.
• Training:"Early-birth" classes followed by weekly classes starting in the 5th month, continuing until birth.
• Relaxation and NATURAL breathing.
• "Tuning-in" to your own body.
• Immediate and continuous contact with your new baby.
• Breastfeeding, beginning at birth.
• Consumerism and positive communications.
• Parents taking responsibility for the safety of the birth place, procedures, attendants, and emergency back-up.
• Parents prepared for unexpected situations such as emergency childbirth and cesarean section.

*Your coach does not have to be your husband, but can be anyone whom you trust and is dedicated to helping you have a safe and joyful birth.

Educated parents have the responsibility to make these choices themselves. They also need to seek personnel who have natural childbirth experience and who will support their choices. This may take considerable effort and sometimes requires seeking special personnel or traveling great distances to achieve the safest possible birth.

- American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®