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Dr. Robert A. Bradley created a method of natural childbirth called Bradley Childbirth. Sometimes called husband coached childbirth, the Bradley method became popular as more and more people read his book on the subject, entitled Husband Coached Childbirth. Essentially, proponents of the Bradley method believe that most women can give birth naturally and without drugs or surgery as long as certain elements are in play. For example, as long as the mother has adequately prepared and educated herself it should be no problem.
Another main rule of Bradley Childbirth is that the husband should be there as a loving and supportive coach. The Bradley method also emphasizes that the expecting mother should take measures to make sure that the pregnancy is as low risk as possible, thus avoiding the kinds of complications that could potentially lead to medical intervention. The main goal of Bradley Childbirth is keeping the mothers and babies healthy. According to the method, a drug free childbirth is one of the ways to ensure the health of all involved. In fact, more than 86 percent of Bradley mothers who have given birth vaginally have done so without the aid of drugs.
Dr. Bradley created his Bradley Childbirth method during a time when general anesthesia and twilight sleep were common in hospital deliveries. Having been raised on a farm and witnessed many animal births, Dr. Bradley's method teaches women how to do the things that animal mothers do instinctively during the birthing process. He used pregnant nurses during the trial period, and discovered that when the fathers of the babies were present the mothers had a greater chance of success in terms of natural childbirth. Although Dr. Bradley died in 1998, his Bradley Childbirth method lives on today. Now, Bradley method instructors have to go through a certification process by the American Academy of Husband Coached Childbirth (AACC).