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My husband and I took the Bradley birthing class. It was 12 weeks long (a couple hours every Sunday evening), and it was a HUGE help to us! I felt that it did equip me with the education I needed to have my pain-med-free birth. Through the class I also learned how important having support is during your childbirth experience; they teach the husbands a lot about that, but we ended up getting a doula. Anyway, I highly, highly recommend the Bradley class!

I'll get back to you next week, we have our birth class ALL weekend! It's based on the "Birthing from Within" book (which I haven't read...)

@LatteLove:

What class did you take? (general (natural), Bradley, Hypnobirthing, etc)

We just took the 2 day hospital childbirth class and tour. The Bradley classes didn't mesh with my life very well and were expensive considering we were already paying for a doula. I wanted the hospital classes so I could scope out the hospital's policy and facilities.

How many hours was it??

2 days, I think 8 hours total?

Did you feel equipped/prepared?

Yes, but mostly from my own reading & conversations with our doulas. The nurses who led our classes were nice, though, I liked the funny childbirth videos from the 80s

What would you have done differently?

Nothing! I got the birth I wanted, in grateful to everyone there. My husband feels the same way.

What class did you take? Natural Birthing Class with Amma Parenting Center in Twin Cities

(We did consider Bradley method at first but the longer commitment and the price and the fact that my OB wasn't a huge fan of it swayed us to explore other natural birthing classes. I'm really happy with the one we ended up choosing.)

How many hours was it?? six-week course, two hours a week

Did you feel equipped/prepared? We are learning SO MUCH. I really look forward to it week after week. I've written a birth "wish list" instead of a plan and we have learned a lot of great breathing and massage techniques.

What would you have done differently? Not sure, ask me again in five weeks after I give birth!

We took Bradley, 2.5hrs once a week for 8 weeks. Loved our instructor and enjoyed the class. Definitely helped us feel prepared. I highly recommend them!

@jojepie: you know, I don't know what else would have helped me, but I think Dh would have really benefited from a better class, then me by extension.

@LatteLove: we took a Childbirth Class which was described as learning breathing exercises and pain management. If was different than the Lamaze class, and since I had decided on getting an epidural I took the childbirth class.

I don't know if it was the instructor or what, but the whole class focused on labor positions and breathing for a completely natural birth. We skimmed over pain management options and barely touched on c-sections, which I learned I'd be having by the third class.

I'm glad we took it, but it wasn't what I expected at all!

Just took the class this weekend! As promised, a review:

What class did you take? (general (natural), Bradley, Hypnobirthing, etc)
Birthing from Within, weekend intensive

How many hours was it?? around 20

Did you feel equipped/prepared? Haven't birthed yet, but I feel OK going into it. More confident because I have a doula and I trust my OB.

What would you have done differently? Researched what the class was about before signing up.

To be honest, I didn't like the class. It was heavier on the emotional end than the practical knowledge, which I wasn't prepared for or up for. We did 3 art projects, which I saw as mostly a waste of time, especially since the last 3 hours of class we were struggling to get all the practical knowledge questions answered that had been missed.

Also, they showed a few videos that I didn't like for various reasons. One was showing several women giving birth from a squatting position. Sure, show one or two with more commentary as to why it is helpful, but no need to show several back to back with no commentary.

Then the second was a cartoon depiction of how an epidural works, but on drawings of cartoon elks. It felt childish, and had some outdated info. The class overwhelmingly told the instructor that we didn't like it.

The people in our class were great though, a good mix of people. There was also a midwife and an anesthesiologist that happened to be taking it, so they both had very helpful knowledge to share.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this class. It was too emotional for me, and until the last few hours I was concerned that we would be missing some information that the instructor said we could easily find in books. Boo. Every class is different though!

What class did you take? We took a natural childbirth class (no specific Bradley method, etc).

How many hours was it?? 2.5 hours a week for five weeks.

Did you feel equipped/prepared? I did. I thought it was really helpful. She went over the pros/cons of different interventions and also gave us information on what to expect if we needed a c-section, episiotomy, etc. She also went over breastfeeding and that was also really helpful.

What would you have done differently? I would have birthed at a birth center, but my DH isn't comfortable with that so we went the traditional hospital route. I was still able to have a med-free birth, despite a few hiccups, and I'm planning to go back there for baby #2, due in the fall.

I took Bradley. I think it helped me feel more prepared- my thinking is... why not? Why not take everything you can? I think the more knowledge the better! Was very happy with my birth experience.

Eta: my personal advice to anyone who wants a medfree birth would be to hire some badass doulas. Like a team of them. DH does not have the personality to help in labor... so I found out! Bradley was very much about husband involvement...

@grizz: Glad I'm not the only one! I actually spoke out that getting practical info from a book or the internet wasn't as useful and we needed it in class more than art projects.

What class did you take?
General at the hospital. It was taught by a doula.

How many hours was it??
5 weeks, 2 hours each time

Did you feel equipped/prepared?
Maybe? My 1st labor was very different from what I was expecting and I ended up with an epi, which I was fine with. But I feel that no amount of prep can prepare you for the real thing. With my 2nd LO, the L&D all happened so fast that I couldn't have an epi, but I manage to cull what I remembered from the birth class to at least get me through the contractions.

What would you have done differently?
I'm glad I took it and was informed.