We began the class with a little knowledge that we had gleaned from the what-to-expect type of books that we read. We really had no idea what we didn't know at that point... and it was a lot.

After taking the class, we left with way more confidence, knowledge, and peace of mind, and we were way better equipped to make informed decisions. Most importantly, we left Julie's class with a clear idea of the many options available during the pregnancy, labor, and delivery, what potential problems were most likely, and the best ways to avoid those problems. And the majority of these are things that your obstetrician most likely will not tell you. You either won't know at all that you have a choice about a certain aspect, treatment, or procedure, or it will be explained to you in terms that make anything but your caregiver's favorite option seem ridiculous. Most frighteningly, many of these choices (or lack of) could have long term effects on your child.

Julie has a passion for her work, and it comes through in her instruction. She's friendly, understanding, down to earth, and animated enough not to be boring (but not so much as to be annoying). She is also intelligent, well spoken, and stays up-to-the-minute current on the subjects of pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

In short, I recommend Julie's class to anybody wanting to know more about how an embryo in the womb gets to be a baby in the world... and I make this recommendation even though Bradley is typically billed as a "natural childbirth" class. Even if you're planning to be drugged to the furthest limits of human endurance, most of what Julie will teach you applies to all types of births

because they have heard so many bad stories that they are afraid of their own potential experience. I think Bradley classes give women both realistic expectations for labor as well as empowering them and their partners by allowing them to play an active role in the labor process, rather than viewing themselves as "victims of labor." I think that women who don't prepare themselves often feel helpless while in labor, which makes the experience more painful and their partners often walk away frustrated at their lack of ability to help. Understanding the process and knowing methods for easing discomfort are indispensible for any woman even considering natural childbirth as an option. It makes the whole experience much more fulfilling and eases many frustrations often felt by both the mother and her partner.

a Mother/Baby Unit and Pediatric ICU, quickly got on board because of the many complications she had seen in her patients caused by medical doctors who were too quick to unnecessarily intervene. Cheryl and I both thought we knew it all before even going to the birthing classes, but Julie opened our eyes. She taught us in her fun, interactive, and professional style how we, as a couple, could safely achieve a low-intervention birth for our children. Whether our patients desire a home or hospital birth, my wife and I highly recommend the Bradley Method of birthing taught by Julie Parache.

Julie will teach you in detail all about pregnancy and birthing, as well as exercises and nutrition even before you get pregnant! Even if you decide not to apply any of the techniques covered, you will be more informed about what is happening and what is going to happen than the vast majority of families out there. Knowledge is power!

could alleviate my fears was to learn as much as I could about the birthing process and all the medical interventions that might come into play. Armed with the information Julie’s classes gave us, my husband and I could feel more in control of my health and the babies' health. My birth story resulted in no bed rest, my water breaking naturally at 37 weeks, and two healthy babies who were born vaginally. I highly recommend Bradley classes to all my pregnant friends as the most informative and natural approach to this amazing experience. I consider us extremely fortunate to have had the experience and the wonderful Bradley teacher we did!

as healthy as possible. I went full term, the babies were big and healthy, and my recovery was very fast. Learning about all the different procedures and scenarios that could possibly happen during childbirth was so valuable to us. My husband and I felt very confident at the hospital and were able to make informed decisions in regards to medications, procedures, and immunizations. I highly recommend this class to all expecting parents!"

possible, and a cesarean. Just take the baby out, put me back together and let’s get on with life. That was my plan. I was divinely interrupted by a dear and loving friend who told me about the Bradley Method. Since my doctor told me to take a birthing class, I figured why not take this one instead of Lamaze. I thought all birthing classes were the same…I was mistaken! After the first two classes I decided not to have a cesarean or medication. Suddenly, the thought of drugs being the first thing introduced to my newborn child was scary, appalling and insulting. Through the Bradley Method I learned all the natural ways to get my body ready for childbirth--eating healthy, exercising, relaxing, and much, much more. I did all of this with my husband, Kent, as my coach! I used all I learned from the Bradley classes for the birth of our sons, Elijah and Josiah who are a year and half apart. Bradley was and will be the only method used for child birth for my family. Thank you Bradley!

I then was told about the Bradley birthing method and I reluctantly agreed to attend classes with my wife. This turned out to be the greatest experience we could have gone through in preparing ourselves for a drug-free childbirth. My wife and I took what we learned in Julie's class and had our son without drugs and have been so grateful that we were given the tools to make this possible. Julie teaches a truly incredible class; without it, I seriously doubt we would have been able to give our son Paul the ability to come into the world drug-free and natural. Thank you Julie Parache."

class with, so I didn't take a birthing class. This time my new husband took the class with me. This time around I chose to have a home birth since my hospital experience was so negative. My total labor only lasted four hours! I really believe this was because I was so confident and relaxed that the process unfolded more naturally and therefore, more quickly. It was truly a wonderful, nurturing experience. It would never have been the same without taking the Bradley class. I owe it all to Julie! She is a wonderful teacher filled with knowledge, who really takes the time with her students and she really cares. So, whether you are single, having your first baby or a subsequent child but never took Bradley, I highly recommend Julie's Bradley class.

which became more and more important as we brought new lives into the world. The awareness spreads like wildfire among friends and family and we feel their gratitude to us for educating them. The average family just doesn't know they have more than one option when giving birth. When they learn about their options, they can make informed decisions. We are eternally grateful to Julie for her passionate teaching style and open, pressure-free attitude. We birthed 3 beautiful children at the hospital, in an unmedicated environment. The doctors & nurses were not only supportive, but seemed genuinely in awe of what we were doing. My OB said, "you have to imagine what a special experience it is for a new nurse to witness an unmedicated birth, since 95% of the births are medicated here. You really are giving him/her a gift." That is exactly how we felt.

The idea of forcing out an 8 lb baby with no epidural seemed a little crazy. That said, it was my wife who had to deliver, and I succumbed to the advice to never argue with a pregnant woman...begrudgingly I agreed to attend, doing so with the intent to prove beyond a doubt that this course of action was nothing less than insane.

Much to my surprise it wasn't as "crunchy" as I expected. The message that came out quickly was one that was easy to embrace: "that above all else what is important is a healthy baby and a healthy mommy".

Truth be told, the Bradley^® Method courses and our instructor Julie Parache, provided accurate expectations and eliminated the fear of the unknown. I believe that this drastically reduced the normal first time childbirth anxiety and made the period leading up to labor one of anticipation rather than panic.

Today, I am probably the Bradley^® Method's biggest advocate. The ability to be an active participant as a "coach", instead of standing on the sideline as a helpless observer, is something that made the birth of my daughter that much more special. In the 7 months since my daughter has been born, I find myself recommending the Bradley^® Method and the value of a drug-free water birth to everyone. I likewise find myself in utter disbelief when people dismiss the premise as crazy.

There is no doubt that my bias comes from an experience that was without flaw. My daughter is beautiful, strong, healthy and incredibly alert (and was that way from the moment she entered the world). My wife was unscathed, able to breastfeed immediately and walking around less than an hour after the delivery. The ultimate testimony however, comes not from me but rather from the words exclaimed by my wife minutes after giving birth..."I’m ready to do it again"

that the class would be a review of the book. But it was the other way around – the book was more of a supplement to the class. The class forced us to physically prepare for labor through the homework and in-class exercises, as well as give us the most updated information on procedures that are not described in McCutcheon’s book. Julie has a wealth of knowledge regarding pre- and post-partum resources and a huge library of books. The class itself was a lot of fun. You are there with other couples with the same outlook and philosophy on childbirth. Some of our now-closest friends were made in the Bradley class due to shared experience (and giving birth at the same hospital within days of each other).

What we did not have, however, is any more intervention than that. By the time the nurse came in to prepare me for a C-section after 7 hours of pitocin, she was surprised to see I was completely dialated and ready to push out our baby. Educating ourselves through Bradley helped us stand by our convictions and make the safest decisions for the health of our baby. Who, by the way, was born with eyes bright and present. He has been growing up very healthy, bright, and happy. The doctor and nurses all said they learned a lot from this experience.

a natural birth, but I knew I wanted to be as educated as possible about the whole process. The classes really made me feel comfortable with what was going on inside my body during pregnancy and made me so excited for the birth of our child. Watching the birth videos was shocking at first, but it took a lot of the fear away and allowed me to see how incredible birth was because of what happened on the other end of labor. The breathing and relaxation techniques that we learned and practiced really helped me not only during labor, but also during pregnancy. Whenever I experienced the normal aches and pains that go along with carrying a baby I would practice breathing, which allowed me to relax and get through the pain. When my contractions started coming on I did the same thing. I labored at home for two days very comfortably. I used the various tools we’d learned about; a hot rice sock, warm baths, the birthing ball, walking, and breathing. When my contractions began coming stronger we decided to go to the hospital. The nurses checked me upon arrival and I was already dilated ten centimeters and the baby’s head was crowning. I water-birthed my precious Liam about thirty minutes later. The Bradley^® Method had prepared me so well that my body was really relaxed, making my birth as pleasant as possible. I also utilized the breathing techniques post partum as my body was recovering and I dealt with the frustration of breastfeeding difficulties. It helped me to relax and deal with whatever my body was facing. I am so grateful that we used the Bradley^® Method because it helped me to see the birth of my child for the beautiful experience that it can truly be!

of our first child. I had been reading all these pregnancy books, but I still felt like I could use all the help I could get. After going through Bradley, I was prepared as I could be, at that point, to give birth. I had a better understanding of the labor process, how to handle pain, and how my body would naturally work and cope during birth. The “golden nugget” that really helped me during birth was how to handle pain. I was amazed at how much of it I could actually take! What I used to think of as the dreaded unknown became a challenge that I was adequately informed about and ready to take on.

at home. I asked around at my church if anyone knew of any childbirth class I could take to prepare myself. I was referred to Julie Parache, having never met her and having no prior knowledge of Bradley. After speaking with Julie, I was given a description of what the class would be and how it focused on natural birth, and I was convinced I would sign up. I am so glad I did. The Bradley classes were thorough and informative, with 12 weeks of 2 hours classes and personal involvement from my instructor. The setting of the class was warm and informal. Each week I became equipped with tons of information at the same time becoming more and more confident in my body’s design and ability to labor naturally. I recently had my second child, a natural homebirth, and I can honestly say that what I learned in Bradley classes five years prior carried me through this birth experience as well. I am very grateful for the Bradley method of childbirth and recommend it to every pregnant woman I meet.

Bradley was a tremendous help to me during my pregnancy by teaching me how to eat in a healthy way to support the growing needs of my baby. I was mentally and physically prepared during my pregnancy so that I wouldn’t have any surprises during my labor. I knew what to expect thanks to Bradley. It was also helpful during my labor. I used the relaxation and breathing exercises throughout the labor. Even as things began to become very intense, I had the comfort of my own natural breathing and using visualization to calm me down and keep me focused. I had Bradley-trained positive people surrounding me, talking me through each contraction and offering light massage and support. Because of what I had learned in my Bradley classes, I knew what was around each corner before I even got there. I didn’t have any fear or anxiety, only confidence and faith in the process. When we would reach the next phase of the labor, I could identify what was happening and know that it was progressing normally. Had I not been educated in the Bradley method, I would’ve been ignorant, fearful and concerned. I maybe would have accepted some interventions unnecessarily. Especially during the pushing phase, I found what I had learned in Bradley extremely helpful. I knew that it was a long process and took some patience. I knew that there was no “cookie-cutter” way to birth a baby. I accepted the fact that I was not in control and I yielded to my body’s signals. I was in perfect rhythm with what my body was doing, and the result was a beautiful, peaceful natural birth….the Bradley way!

done in a hospital setting. Our midwife advised us to seek some sort of natural birthing classes and serendipitously, she had a flyer for Julie Parache’s classes, which were held very close to our home. It seemed perfect – and in fact, it was perfect.

The Bradley^® Method classes helped us immensely during the labor and delivery, and the information and guidance we received from the course, and particularly the way it was transferred from Julie to us, were integral for the safe and peaceful arrival of our daughter, Jaciara Tai. The classes provided ample information throughout all stages of the pregnancy, and what was especially helpful were the enactments of labor and the games we played to jog our memory about the different phases during labor. All this, plus the intimate environment of the classes, made us feel very prepared for our labor and delivery. But for us, what really got us through our labor and delivery calmly, was the confidence we had in each other--confidence that we gained from taking the classes. The course showed us the importance and value placed on relaxation techniques and the momentous role that a husband/coach plays. From the videos that we watched of the Brazilian women giving birth in the squatting position, we were inspired to do the same, and we did.