Lamaze Birthing Class
A Lamaze birthing class is one of the steps that a pregnant woman and her partner may undertake in preparation for the birth of the baby.
What is Lamaze?
Lamaze is a method of childbirth that was developed by a French obstetrician named Ferdinand Lamaze and has been used in the U.S. for at least 50 years. This method promotes childbirth as a natural and healthy process and offers techniques for women to cope with labor.
Although the Lamaze method encourages women to give birth without medical interventions, it also allows women to make informed decisions if medical interventions or analgesic medications are needed during delivery.
Other Types of Childbirth Classes
There are other types of childbirth classes available, but the two most common are Lamaze and Bradley. Lamaze is the most commonly taught technique in the United States; Bradley also emphasizes natural childbirth but also encourages the participation of the husband as birth coach. Bradley is a popular choice for women who give birth at home. Lamaze teaches distraction from the pain of labor while Bradley encourages controlling pain.
When making a decision about what type of childbirth class you would like to take, you should understand what your birth philosophy is and what your desires are for your childbirth experience.
Taking a Lamaze Birthing Class
Lamaze classes focus on relaxation techniques while training the laboring woman to manage her responses to pain. Other areas of education during these classes include:
- Videos of normal labor and birth
- Focused breathing techniques for the birth
- Being active participants during the birth
- Other types of relaxation techniques such as massage, walking, and water therapy
- Education about potential complications
- Pharmacologic pain management options
- Importance and techniques of breastfeeding
The Lamaze techniques that are taught for pain management include deep breathing and other distraction methods. The support person also learns massage techniques to ease pain. The relaxation skills that are used can also be used in other situations beyond birth as well.
Improving communication skills is also a large part of the education plan in Lamaze; this will allow the woman and her partner to communicate more effectively with each other during labor and with the members of the birthing team. During the classes, the participants also discuss desired childbirth experiences and how they can work to make their desires a reality.
Details about the Classes
Lamaze birthing classes usually have 12 hours of instruction; the sessions are small and individualized with no more than 12 couples in each class. The structure of the lectures allows time for the couples to practice the skills that are discussed during each session.
Each class is taught by a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator; this educator has undergone hours of childbirth education and also believes in the Lamaze Philosophy of Birth.
The costs of childbirth classes vary depending on the part of the country that you live in.
When Should You Sign Up?
Most women start Lamaze birthing classes at around 28 weeks. This gives the woman and her partner or other support person time to complete the series of classes before the start of labor.
How to Find a Lamaze Childbirth Class
There are a couple of ways to find a Lamaze class near you. Your obstetrician or midwife probably has a list of childbirth classes in your area and may also have some recommendations about specific locations. You can also visit Lamaze International to find classes as well; there is a class locator function on the website.
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