Quick Comparison Guide

excerpt from The Christian Woman's Guide to Childbirth by Debra Evans

Lamaze Method

Aspects in Conflict with a Biblical View

• The concept that only words and thoughts create labor pain
• The belief that labor pain is nothing more than the product of the fear of childbirth and consequently is psychological in origin
• The view that this fear of childbirth originates in "ancient" religious teachings and that there is no truth in religious teachings concerning labor in childbirth

Aspects Compatible with a Biblical Viewpoint

• The desire to help women adapt to the process of childbearing
• The value of noninvasive pain relief measures to decrease suffering during labor
• The importance of understanding the physical events of childbirth

The Dick-Read Method

Aspects in Conflict with a Biblical View

• The belief that the experience of labor pains is incongruent with a loving Creator's design for childbirth
• The concept that fear creates bodily tension, which produces rather than intensifies labor pain
• The idea that labor pain can be the product of only abnormal physical, functional, and/or emotional processes or technical intervention in labor
• The view that pain in childbirth is an avoidable evil that warps a woman's birthing experience

Aspects Compatible with a Biblical View

• The belief that God is motivated by love
• The theory that fear and tension can interfere with the process of labor
• The importance of physical fitness through prenatal exercise
• The value of learning how to relax during childbirth

The Bradley Method

Aspects in Conflict with a Biblical View

• The belief that human pain experience can be exactly equated with the pain experiences of animals
• The view that labor pain is an unnatural phenomenon
• The denial of the many differences between humans and animals

Aspects Compatible with a Biblical View

• The concept that husbands and wives benefit from going through labor together
• The idea that husbands are capable of providing help and direction for their wives during pregnancy and childbirth
• The emphasis placed upon allowing the body to function as it should in labor
• The promotion of relaxation as a means to allow the body to adapt to the birth process

copyright 2000 by Emme Amble
Used by permission

Disclaimer