A look at available birthing methods

The Washington Post on Tuesday examined five birthing methods available to pregnant women.

"The methods vary greatly, ... but all are based on the assumption that labor pain is often made worse by fear," according to the Post. Summaries of the methods appear below.

• The Bradley Method encourages women to give birth naturally, in the presence of their partners, without the use of epidural anesthesia; intravenous drugs; surgery; or tools such as forceps, fetal monitors or vacuums. The technique, which is learned during a twelve-week course, teaches pregnant women to "work with their bodies to build stamina, manage pain and make labor more efficient," the Post reports. The Bradley Method also prepares the woman emotionally by building upon her self-confidence, according to the Post.
• The Alexander Technique focuses on the effects that different postures can have on bodily functions and teaches pregnant women to alleviate pain through bettering their postures. Supporters say that the method alleviates the pain during labor and delivery.
• HypnoBirthing emphasizes self-hypnosis, known as the "the Fear-Tension-Pain syndrome" during labor and delivery. The method involves 12 hours of courses with an instructor, combined with home self-hypnosis exercises that teach women how to eliminate the pain of labor using hypnosis, according to supporters of the technique.
• Lamaze is a method that teaches women how to control their breathing. In addition, lamaze emphasizes activities during labor, such as changing positions and walking, and it gives the women's partners tools to allow them to be included in the birthing process. While Lamaze encourages childbirth without an epidural, teachers also give instructions on how to use the technique in conjunction with an epidural, according to certified Lamaze instructor Sarah Sragg.
• Hospital classes provide women and their partners information on breast-feeding, infant care, and labor and delivery (Moran, Washington Post, 8/22).