Bradley Method Prepares Couples For Natural Birthing

Fragrant pine trees envelope Amy Madtson’s home near Mount Spokane State Park. Visitors cross a brook that winds through the forest in order to enter her house.

These peaceful natural surroundings are also the location of Madtson’s childbirth classes.

She’s an instructor for The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth, a technique that emphasizes relaxation, communication, abdominal breathing, exercise and nutrition in order to prepare couples for childbirth.

The Bradley Method discourages pregnant women from using medication during pregnancy and childbirth unless it’s absolutely necessary. It also prepares husbands or partners to be active birthing coaches. “It just makes sense,” Madtson says.

She became a believer of The Bradley Method after using it during her first pregnancy in 1991. “It helped my husband and I have a positive experience, because we were educated enough to make decisions,” she says.

Too often doctors, nurses and uninformed family members make choices that expectant mothers might not agree with if they understood the medical procedures, Madtson says.

The Bradley Method is a registered trademark of the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth (AAHCC) located in Sherman Oaks, Calif. The classes, coursework and instructor training are also administered there.

Madtson spent six months studying at home and in hospitals in order to become a certified AAHCC instructor. She’s required to continue her training through the California office.

“I am proud of the way my classes … give couples the knowledge and confidence to achieve natural childbirth,” she says.

And, “of the women in this community who have used The Bradley Method, 89 percent have had drug-free births.”

Additional information about AAHCC and The Bradley Method can be accessed on the Internet at www.bradleybirth.com.

Besides Amy Madtson’s class in the Mount Spokane area, there are also AAHCC instructors in North Spokane and in the Spokane Valley.

For more information, call 238-4970.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MEMO: Created in support of the Spokane County Health Improvement Partnership (HIP), Discoveries highlights people working to improve community health and well-being. If you have a discovery that deserves recognition, call HIP at 838-6038 or Elana Ashanti Jefferson at 459-5419.