Rating: 
Summary: Please don't follow the ideas in this book
Review: After 26 hours of labor the doctor finally convinced me that we had to sucction my baby out. I had studied the bradley book and method and really believed in it. I was so sure that there was no such thing as a dry birth...but there certainly is. I also remembered not to give up because the baby may be born just minutes after the doctor has intervened, so I really "hung in there" sure that I could do it. My point is... find a
doctor that you trust and listen to him or her. I hope that I can help others to avoid the nightmare birth experience that I had with my daughter.
Rating: 
Summary: Great information that needs an update
Review: After reading another book about natural childbirth, I found this a refreshing alternative and that it had strategies I could actually use without feeling like I was from another planet while in the delivery room. I think the author would be more convincing if she updated her photos, that felt very much like the 70s, and had the medical profession peruse some of the risks she talks about to be sure they're as dangerous as she claims. Sometimes these are distracting and made me wonder if all of her information was current. Also, while my husband is fully supportive and wants to present in this process, I think that relying on him as a 'coach' places a responsibility on him to ease my pain....which isn't possible. Childbirth can really hurt, and it's not his fault, nor do I want him to feel that he has to 'fix' things. Having or hiring a supportive and knowledgeable doula or midwife allows him to be part of the experience without feeling like a failur. Nevertheless, for women really wanting a natural, drug-free childbirth, I think this method will be very hard to beat.
Rating: 
Summary: A Must Have!
Review: I have given birth naturally (no drugs or interventions) twice, and I don't think I could have done it without this book along with a supportive husband and The Bradley Method classes! Oh, not to mention my midwife and her interns. My first child was born in the birthing center, my second at home. I started out with an OB planning on a traditional hospital birth minus the drugs, but the more I learned (from this book & class) and talked to my OB I realized this was not likely to happen... at least not the way I invisioned.The book is great at teaching you relaxing techniques and reading about and rereading and rereading different birth senarios so you'll know what to expect... although yours could be completely different. It gives you confidence in making choices for your birth! I don't think this book is outdated... have you listened to anyone's birth story lately... they were in labor, they got the epidural, everything stopped, they had their water broken, they had to get petocin... then they finally had the baby OR they ended up with a C-section because "there was no way the baby was coming out!" or "The baby would have died if they hadn't been in the hospital." Give me a break... there is NO WAY that I know all of the 3% of women who cannot give birth vaginally! I loved my birth experiences. It was hard work, but this book made it possible! It is excellent even though the pictures are dated.
Rating: 
Summary: A mixed bag ...
Review: I read this book to learn about the relaxation and breathing techniques, because I agree that Lamaze breathing is rather unnatural and hard to sustain. However, let me reiterate what others have said - the book DESPERATELY needs updating. The trashing of the medical profession based on 30-year-old references is inappropriate. I really don't like the implication that my doctor and the hospital staff are actively working against my best interests and would prefer that I be drugged senseless so as not to cause them any trouble; it makes me feel that I should distrust everything my doctor recommends. Some medical interventions may be needed for the good of my baby, and I don't feel that going into birth with an inflexible "no way" attitude is to my benefit. I think that's a recipe for disappointment should something unforeseen happen. Although McCutcheon eventually concedes the c-section may sometimes be needed, she has already argued strongly that you and your child will never recover emotionally from the unnatural trauma of it, and both of your lives may be threatened by it. Not very reassuring for me as an expectant mother. Learning about the exercises and techniques is worthwhile. I'm glad to know about alternatives to Lamaze. However, not everyone may make it through the "prejudicial" tone to reach the nuggets of great info that the book contains.
Rating:
Summary: Great - made my first childbirth experience a great success
Review: Let me start off by saying that yes, the pictures are annoying. Not because they portray birth, but because the women apparently felt that they wanted to be naked during their labors! (I took a marker and colored over some of the pictures!) Aside from that, I thought the book was fabulous. I knew that I wanted a natural childbirth and I found the book to be informative, practical and enlightening. I read the book when I was 6 months pregnant and diligently did everything it said to do. That's the key - diligence and determination. My husband read the book and practiced with me so when the time came, we knew what to expect and what to do. We did it and the birth of our daughter was a wonderful experience with no drug intervention. My doctor and the nurse were extremely impressed. I recommend this book for anyone who wants to be in control of their birthing experience and understand how they can have a wonderful natural delivery.
Rating:
Summary: Condescending, inaccurate, and outdated
Review: I purchased this book expecting to learn about the Bradley method and how it differed from Lamaze. What I learned is that Dr. Bradley practiced decades ago and that the author hasn't updated the book to remove criticisms of doctors, hospitals, and practices that are no longer true. McCutcheon, for example, suggests that ultrasounds may harm the fetus, and that ALL [medications] are bad (forget your Tylenol, ladies - you should suffer with that headache unless your life depends on it). The bias is so overwhelming that I found the book difficult to read - it made me mad. Total control of the pregnancy is placed on the mother and doctors are portrayed as bad guys who only want to [medicate] you to make their own lives easier.
I'm all for natural childbirth, but this book makes it sound easy (I've had two kids naturally - it wasn't easy). The book insults the medical profession and diminishes the life-saving potential of medical intervention. The drawings look like flower children from the 70's, and the distrust of authority matches that era.
Rating:
Summary: Natural Childbirth is Possible
Review: A few friends reccommended this method when I was pregnant. I had never heard of it but decided to look into it. Myself and my husband (coach) reviewd the book a few times a week and practiced some of the methods. We were not die-hard students but felt we had a good handle on the methods so it wasn't too time-consuming for us. When the day came and I started labor I stuck it out from 3am to 7 pm at my house. The contractions became more intense and I knew I wanted to be comfortable at my house vs the hospital. We focused on breathing and relaxing through the contractions. When I went to the hospital I was already 8 centimeters so drugs were not an option. The book gave me a good idea what to expect and work through pain which seemed much more manageable than I had anticipated. So yes, I am one of the Bradley statistics in which I was drug free and proud.
Rating: 
Summary: Badly needs an update!
Review: Let me start this review by saying that the two stars are meant for the book as a whole, and not for The Bradley Method itself. I was pleased to find a book that encourages mothers to take control of their birthing experience by relaxing, rather than medicating away the pain. The exercises are helpful, even though they largely rely on illustrations to explain how the exercises are done. I wish they would have written out what to do with more detail. Even so, I definitely plan to use the Bradley Method when preparing for my next pregnancy. Other than the actual method, this book is completely outdated. The most recent publication listed in the bibliography is 1987, which is light years away when you consider the advancement of medical technology. Most of the references were published in the mid-70's. So the statistics stated cannot possibly be current and correct. Even the photographs (which, by the way, almost always show the women nude) are obviously from the 70's. I think the thing that bothered me the most was the outdated pregnancy information. It's old news that pregnant women shouldn't restrict their diets, shouldn't take drugs, and shouldn't smoke. Doesn't everyone already know this? The section where it talks about selecting your doctor actually states that you can reduce your risk of toxemia by choosing a well informed physician. As if what the doctor knows is more influential on your body than your own health and health choices! How ridiculous. The information about the actual birth and ways to relax is beneficial. I especially appreciated the section on how to avoid episiotomies. However, since the rest of the book is so completely outdated, the author and publishers should make a MAJOR revision before this book is worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Must read for anyone having a baby
Review: Having a baby, no matter your first or twelfth, it is always anxiety-provoking. Being educated and informed is the only way to alleviate any worries or questions. This book answers almost all questions related to having a non-medicated (not required, but emphasized), intimate and lovely birth experience. The book centers on what is happening within a woman's body during the birth process, how to work with those processes and how a "coach" (husband, partner, friend, etc.) can help with love, encouragement and support. With the aid of this book and the Bradely classes, I learned how to take care of myself and my babies and have two unmedicated, wonderful birth experiences; what we decided us the best way for our family. Kudos to AAHCC and McCutcheon for enlightening as many people as possible. Everyone should bear in mind that all births are different. This book also touches on possible scenarios and how to possibly handle them.
Rating:
Summary: Exactly Like Taking the Class
Review: I took Bradley classes for my first baby. This book is terrific, both my husband and I read it from cover to cover. It gives complete information on Bradley and what happens to a woman's body, and how a woman can prepare for what will happen. Though I had to have a c-section, I spent the first 18 hours of my labor unmedicated and by helping me learn what I would feel like (emotionally and physically) this book helped those 18 hours be as positive as they could be. I highly recommend this book and Bradley - forget Lamaze.
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