There are a lot of choices when it comes to childbirth education - you can take a hospital class, a Bradley Method class, Hypnobirthing or Hypnobabies, and more.

​So, why do I choose to teach Lamaze, and why might a parent choose to take a class with a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator?

Lamaze is so much more than the breathing techniques we are known for. Lamaze promotes six healthy birth practices, and encourages a safe approach to pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting practices. Knowing that pregnancy and childbirth are demanding on a woman’s body and mind, Lamaze serves as a resource for information about what to expect and what choices are available during the childbearing years. This helps to simplify and clarify the childbirth process and alleviate fears. Most importantly, it helps women feel more informed and prepared for achieving a safe and healthy pregnancy, birth and start to parenting. 

Lamaze practices are based on the best scientific and medical evidence available, and are designed to promote safe and healthy pregnancy, and birth, and start to parenting.

Lamaze is based on principles that are just as relevant today as they always have been. More women have taken Lamaze education classes than any other type of childbirth education class.

​Lamaze encourages positive birth experiences, and low intervention has been shown to reduce the risk of adverse outcomes from childbirth. 

The best start for a mother and baby is a safe and healthy pregnancy and birth. Lamaze can help women achieve this — and help them feel confident about giving birth — by serving as a resource for information about what to expect and what choices are available during the childbirth process.

​Lamaze is an essential resource for helping understand how decisions about care during pregnancy and childbirth can positively affect mothers and their babies.

Lamaze helps expectant mothers feel more prepared for birth in order to achieve a safe and healthy experience with satisfying outcomes. 

Everyone knows that childbirth can be demanding on a woman’s body and mind, but Lamaze can help simplify the process by promoting a natural approach that alleviates a woman’s fears and helps her manage pain — all with the goal of a safe and healthy birth.

Lamaze can help you understand all of your options, so you can make informed decisions and learn how to achieve greater comfort and control during labor and birth.

Lamaze takes the mystery out of childbirth. It helps you better inform your patients or yourself about how the body works and what can be done to benefit expectant mothers and babies during the childbirth process.

​Lamaze can help reduce overuse of unnecessary interventions, reducing costs and associated medical complications, while improving overall outcomes for mothers and babies.

Women, families, health care providers and Lamaze educators each have an important role in the process of pregnancy, childbirth and early parenting.

Lamaze helps all health care providers and expectant mothers work together for informed decisions that you feel good about and help ensure a safe and healthy and childbearing experience. Lamaze can help you and your baby have the best start.
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Lamaze serves as a critical information resource, to ensure all desired outcomes are achieved. 
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Every pregnant woman wants a healthy baby, but routine maternity care practices may actually make it harder to have a safe and healthy birth. There are a number of interventions that seem like they make childbirth easier, but could have unintended consequences and potentially make birth more difficult and less safe. Expectant mothers may have to push for the care and overall birth experience they want. Routine care may not be designed for a mom’s and baby’s unique needs. Pregnant women may also feel pressure from family or friends to speed up or schedule the baby’s birth, or agree to other interventions.
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You may think that in today’s digital age, taking a class isn’t necessary. But a good Lamaze class helps you sort through conflicting or inaccurate information, and choose care that’s right for you and your baby.

Take this free, online, self-paced class "Labor Confidence with Lamaze" - an introduction to the Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices and Labor Coping Techniques.

You'll also learn about all of the great free resources available to you online from Lamaze, and earn a discount code to take another online class.

Here are 5 Myths and Realities About Lamaze:

Myth #1: Lamaze is all about breathing.

Reality: The goal of Lamaze classes is to increase women’s confidence in their ability to give birth. Lamaze classes help women discover their innate ability to give birth. Women learn simple coping strategies for labor, including focused breathing. But breathing techniques are just one of many things that help women in labor. Movement and positioning, labor support, massage, relaxation, warm baths/showers, and the use of heat and cold are some others.


Myth #2: Lamaze promises painless childbirth.

Reality: Many women are afraid of the pain that is a normal part of childbirth. The pain of labor and birth, like other pain, protects us. Responding to the pain of contractions – by changing positions and moving, by massaging, by moaning – actually strengthens the contractions, helps the baby settle into the pelvis and move through the birth canal, and reduces pain perception. Some women find that experiencing and coping with the pain of labor and birth is similar to the hard work demanded by dancers and athletes. Lamaze classes help women understand the value of pain and learn how to respond to pain in ways that both facilitate labor and increase comfort.


Myth #3: Lamaze childbirth means you can’t have an epidural.

Reality: Lamaze classes provide information about natural pain relief options as well as epidural analgesia. Eliminating pain completely makes it difficult to respond to contractions in ways that facilitate labor and birth. Women who have epidural analgesia are required to have IV fluids and continuous electronic fetal monitoring. They may be encouraged to stay in bed, and may need medications to increase the strength of her contractions. The ability to use many of the comfort techniques learned in Lamaze classes, such as changing positions, walking, and warm baths/showers may be limited. Lamaze education will assist women in making personal decisions that are right for them.

Myth #4: Lamaze doesn’t work.

Reality: Lamaze that “works” has nothing to do with feeling pain, taking or avoiding medication, or developing complications that necessitate medical interventions. Lamaze teaches women that nature has designed birth simply and close to perfectly, and that women already know how to give birth. Lamaze is working if women trust the natural process of birth, have confidence in their ability to give birth, have the freedom to work with their bodies as labor progresses, and are supported by health care providers, family and friends who wait patiently for nature to do its incredible work. Lamaze “works” if birth is allowed to work. 

Myth #5: Lamaze is not for everyone. 

Reality: Women have always prepared for the birth of their babies. Until recent times, women learned about birth from their own mothers and sisters. Birth took place at home with family rituals and traditions to help them feel confident in their ability to give birth. Women were surrounded by family and wise women who provided comfort and encouragement through labor and in the days and weeks after birth. Today, Lamaze childbirth classes provide the knowledge, skills, and support that help women give birth with confidence and joy as they have done for centuries. Lamaze preparation is for everyone!