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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this article is to compare and contrast two forms of childbirth education: HypnoBirthing (the Mongan Method) and the Bradley Method (husband-coached natural childbirth). Evidence was obtained using a formal literature review, reading published books and workbooks on the two methods, and attending classes to document content delivered. Similarities and differences in content are reported along with birth outcomes from evaluations of the two methods. Tables with this content were formatted so that they can be used by educators and providers.
The Journal of Perinatal Education, 24(2), 128-136, http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/1058-1243.24.2.128
Keywords: childbirth education, HypnoBirthing, Bradley Method, physiologic birth
Throughout the last and current century, two different birth philosophies have existed in the United States. The most prominent of these is the medical management model. This framework starts with the premise "that pregnancy and birth are intrinsically difficult and potentially dangerous processes that when left to occur naturally, frequently result in poor outcomes" (Goer & Romano, 2012, p. 3). This model has taken birth from a natural process in most women's lives to a medicalized procedure similar to one of disease management, with multiple "interventions" (Hinote & Wasserman, 2012; Romano & Lothian, 2008). The second of these philosophies is the physiologic care model. This model emphasizes lowtechnology strategies and supportive care practices to facilitate childbirth as a biologic process (Goer & Romano, 2012). Although this model is not the dominant philosophy in the United States' culture of obstetrics today, it has made a resurgence in the last 60 years. Support for the physiologic care model continues to grow with certain providers (mainly midwives), birth educators, and women, and was the subject of the 2012 consensus statement supporting healthy and normal physiologic childbirth, developed by American College of Nurse-Midwives, Midwives Alliance North America, and National Association of Certified Professional Midwives.
According to Listening to Mothers III (Declercq, Sakala, Corry, Applebaum, & Herrlich, 2013), the third national U.S. Survey of 2,400 hospitalized women's childbearing experiences, 59% of women stated that "birth should not be interfered with unless medically necessary" (p. 34). However, 67% of these women received an epidural; 62%, an intravenous catheter; 51%, one or more vaginal exams; 47%, bladder catheters; 31%, augmentation with oxytocin during labor; and 20%, amniotomy. In fact, only 17%...