I am so excited for our Bradley Day Family Festival...happening this weekend!!  

I have been MIA from the SPB blog in order to coordinate this celebration of Dr. Bradley's life and work.  Our intention is to host an event that informs families about healthy pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding and parenting choices that are in-line with Dr. Bradley’s philosophy of “It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature”.

While Dr. Bradley was an advocate for natural birth, he was also an advocate for healthy pregnancies and a healthy lifestyle.  It is our hope that no matter how your birth story unfolded on your child’s Birth-Day, that you will feel that this is an event where you can come learn and expand your knowledge about the options available to you if you are interested in fostering a healthy and low-risk lifestyle for you and your growing family.

Some of the highlights:

The part I am most excited for is the keynote address by Rhondda Evans Hartman, RN and author of Natural Childbirth Exercises.  She is coming to share her unique perspective into the life and work of Dr. Bradley.  

She met Dr. Bradley as one of his patients in Denver, Colorado.  After impressing him with her strength and demeanor after the natural birth of her first child, he invited her to become the Exercise and Relaxation coach for his practice.  With her unique perspective as his colleague for 25 years, Rhondda will share her insight about the life and times of Dr. Bradley, author of, Husband-Coached Childbirth and founder of The Bradley Method® of Natural Childbirth, and co-founder of the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth.

In addition to sharing anecdotes and insights into the force of nature who was Dr. Bradley, she is also going to be offering Breakout Sessions at her booth to teach families the childbirth exercise program she developed to prepare other mothers to birth the way she calmly and expertly birthed five children of her own.

I wish I could convey in words what an incredible opportunity it is to learn from this living legend and pioneer of natural childbirth in a hospital setting.  Rhondda is still in amazing shape - I am embarrassed to stand next to her.  Not only is she physically fit, she is just lovely in person.  It is my hope that our Bradley Day guests will be as charmed with her as I am, and that they will leave with a deeper appreciation of how much Dr. Bradley and his early instructors affected the natural childbirth movement within the hospital setting.

If you can join us for the Bradley Day Family Festival, please find me!  I love to meet our readers (esp. those who are still hanging in there with us - thank you!!) in real life.  It is always a pleasure to make new connections.

Have a great weekend...we will back to regular blogging shortly!! 

Blessings,

Krystyna :)

I am so excited for tomorrow!  It’s our inaugural Bradley™ Day Family Picnic…I can already picture the canopies set up…and wish we had little flags for them to make it feel like a real carnival!  We are gathering to celebrate Dr. Robert Bradley.  His book, Husband-Coached Childbirth, changed the way fathers were treated in the birth space within the hospital setting (read more).  

There are 15+ Bradley™ instructors in the Phoenix area, and several of us have joined together to host this FREE family event to serve as a big class reunion, and share other green living options with our students.  I am so honored that so many professionals have decided to join us and impart their expertise with our students from across the Phoenix area.  

Here is a list of the mini-workshops that are being offered:  

 NORTH Picnic Area 

 12:15 Welcome 

 12:20 Family Storytime

      Marissa Honey-Jones ~ Barefoot Books Phoenix  

 12:40 The Air Filter You Never Think About: Carpet and its role in a healthy home

      Joshua Nickerson ~ Old Glory Floor Services   

 1:00 Cloth Diapers 101

     Kim Swayman ~ Healthy Baby Happy Earth   

 1:20 Top 10 Reasons to Wear Your Baby

     Ericka Martinez ~ Amazing Alterations & Creations  

 1:40 Umbilical Cord Blood: Your Baby Can Help Save a Life!   

     Rob Schemitsch ~ Celebration Stem Cell Centre 

 2:00 Doula Care  

     Jenny David, AAHCC ~ Valley Childbirth Services

 2:20 Pregnancy and Infant Massage 

     Paul Magnuson, AAHCC ~ AZ  Flowering Mothers

 

SOUTH Picnic Area

 12:15 Welcome 

 12:20 A Little Secret to a Great Pregnancy 

      Dr. Jenny Dubisar ~ Expressions of Life Chiropractic

 12:40 How to Avoid an Unecessary Cesarean 

      Stephanie Stanley ~ ICAN of Phoenix 

 1:00 You want me to do WHAT with my placenta?       

     Wendy Diaz, AAHCC ~ No More Baby Blues

 1:20 Breastfeeding Booby Traps 

     Debbie Gillespie, IBCLC ~ Mommy Help Center 

 1:40 What is AZ Breastfeeding Bag Project? 

     Lena Yeary ~ AZ Breastfeeding Bag Project

 2:00 Financial Planning for the New Family 

     Eric Stolp & Joseph Wollersheim ~ Thrivent Financial 

 2:20 TBD 

 2:45 Raffle   

 About that raffle: Each exhibitor has donated a raffle prize, and we have had contributions from other students and teachers.  There will be a wonderful selection of prizes for our guests.  We have also had generous contributions from local, mama-run stores. Modern Mommy Boutique , Zoolikins and Healthy Baby Happy Earth have all gone above and beyond for our guests.  Thank you ladies, for your amazing gifts for our students.   Every family will receive a complimentary raffle ticket.  You can earn more by visiting our Facebook page, and we will have more available at the event.   

 We also have seventeen exhibitors joining us, as well as several activity booths hosted by local Bradley Method® instructors*:   

 AZ Breastfeeding Bag Project 

 *Magnuson Family - Massage 

 Amazing Alterations & Creations 

 Celebration Stem Cell Centre 

 *David-Vicino Family & Mommy Help Center host The Nursing Stop

 Expressions of Life Chiropractic - Dr. Jenny Dubisar 

 InJoyable Birth Services 

 *Victoria Calleja - Tattoos 

 Healthy Baby Happy Earth  

 BabyMoon Inn 

 MomDoc Midwives 

 *Amy Sites - Family Photo Booth 

 Thrivent Financial 

 Old Glory Floor Care 

 *Tina Lebedies/Klarissa Jones - Diaper Toss 

 Norwex Independent Sales Consultant 

 Bradley Method® Information Center & Raffle Prizes 

 *Diaz Family - Craft Booth 

 Body & Breast Thermal Imaging, LLC 

 Juice Plus+ Whole Food Nutrition

 Midwives at Valley Women For Women 

 Gold Medal Swim School 

 *Bowman Family - Bubbly Bubbles the Clown (balloons & face painting)        

 Barefoot Books Phoenix 

 ICAN of Phoenix 

 Macaroni Kid 

 *Davis Family - Dinosaur Dig   

 If you are in the Phoenix area, please come out and visit us.  As one of our instructors quipped, “no birth plans necessary!”.  If you are looking for a FREE and fun family event, we are a perfect fit.  The Bradley™ Day Family Picnic at Encanto Park begins at noon. You bring the family, the blanket and the picnic - we provide the fun!

  

 

Encanto Park – Amphitheater Island 

 2605 North 15th Avenue 

 Phoenix, AZ, 85007   

Look for us on the north end of the Island.  The Bowman family will be hanging out with Bubbly Bubbles the Clown.  See you there!  

Links not working?  Here are the urls for you to copy & paste into your browser:

Modern Mommy Boutique

http://modernmommyboutique.com/

Zoolikins

http://www.zoolikins.com/

Healthy Baby Happy Earth

http://www.healthybabyhappyearth.com/

Facebook Event Page

https://www.facebook.com/events/386606711351716/

  

  

Our Bradley™ Day Family Picnic is one week away!  As it is our inaugural event, we are looking forward to making some great memories as we reunite with our students and meet new faces.   

 Here is a little insight as to why we are celebrating the life and work of Dr. Robert Bradley on May 5, the anniversary of his retirement from obstetric practice.   

 When Dr. Bradley was a resident doctor, he noticed a stark contrast between the “knock ‘em out, drag ‘em out” births he was seeing in the hospital setting, and the gentle, quiet, uncomplicated natural births he witnessed on the farm in Kansas.  The birthing mammals he had observed growing up were completely able to follow their instincts and give birth without drugs, and generally needed very little, if any, assistance at all.  The moms he was seeing at the teaching hospital were heavily drugged, if not completely anesthetized (knock’ out); and their babies were often delivered with forceps or vacuum (drag’em out).   

 Dr. Bradley thought about what he observed in perspiring mammals on the farm.  He identified six needs of perspiring mammals in labor.  Then he asked to do a clinical trial to test out his theory: could he teach a pregnant woman to labor and birth without drugs by applying these principles?  The answers: yes he could teach and apply his observations; and yes, the mother could labor without drugs and deliver naturally.   

 As a happy accident of his second trial group, he realized that he was the wrong person to be coaching the mothers in labor.  One of his clinical trial patients smooched him straight on the lips as she was overcome with gratitude and emotion.  He already knew that it was an unrealistic expectation to be able to coach every one of his patients in labor.  After being the recipient of that kiss, it dawned on him that the person on the receiving end of the mother’s love and affection after she delivered naturally and her body was flooded with overwhelming love and affection should be the person who helped start this whole process in the first place: the “husband-coach”.  Hence, the Husband-Coached Childbirth movement was “born”.  

 He started classes for his obstetrical patients, and trained countless parents to labor together, while he got to act as the” lifeguard” and simply catch the healthy babies born to healthy moms.   In order to put his methods into practice, husbands had to be allowed into hospital labor and delivery rooms at a time when birthing fathers had been relegated to pacing the floors of hospital waiting rooms.  He insisted that husbands be allowed into the labor space that had been completely overtaken by medical staff in the hospital setting.   

 There are many things that Dr. Bradley proposed in his book that were absolutely radical when it was published in 1965.  I don’t think many people realize that they have Dr. Bradley to thank for all the choices that we have today in labor: 

 Those of us affiliated with The Bradley Method® are dedicated to continuing Dr. Bradley’s work.  We are passionate about preparing families to have natural births.  We still teach the six principle needs of a mother in labor.  Along with that, we encourage parents-to be to have healthy, low-risk pregnancies; and we teach mom and a loving support person to labor together.    

 If you had a Bradley™ birth, meaning a Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby outcome, we invite you to come out and celebrate the life and work of Dr. Bradley with us.  If you are interested in natural birth, we invite you to come join us and learn more about The Bradley Method® and see if it is a good fit for your family.   

 Here is a list of the family activities that will be hosted by local instructors: 

 *Temporary Baby Art & Tattoos 

 *Family Photo Booth 

 *Clowning Around (balloons & face painting) 

 *Diaper Toss 

 *Dinosaur Dig         

 *Fingerprint Arts & Crafts 

 *Breastfeeding Living Room 

 *Pregnancy & Infant Massage   

 These are the mini-workshops and the presenters that are going to share their knowledge and answer questions about their topics:  

NORTH picnic area 

 12:15 Welcome Bradley™ Instructor 

 12:20 Barefoot Books Story Time - Marissa Honey-Jones 

 12:40 Crawling Baby & Clean Foors - Joshua Nickerson 

 1:00 Cloth Diapers - Bridget Moore 

 1:20 Babywearing - Ericka Martinez 

 1:40 Cord Blood Banking and Donation - Rob Schemitsch 

 2:00 Doula Care - Jenny David 

 SOUTH picnic area

 12:15 Welcome - Bradley™ Instructor 

 12:20 Chiropractic Care - Jenny Dubisar Brost 

 12:40 Avoiding an Unnecessary Cesarean - Stephanie Stanley 

 1:00 Placenta Encapsulation - Wendy Diaz 

 1:20 Breastfeeding Myths - Debbie Gillespie, IBCLC, RLC 

 1:40 AZ Breastfeeding Bag Project - Lena Yeary 

 2:00 Family Finances - Eric Stolp & Joseph Wollersheim   

 Here are the exhibitors that will be on hand to share their products and services, and to answer questions about what they have to offer to Bradley™ families.  Many of them are also planning to host a craft or another family-oriented activity.  All of the folks listed below will be donating an item for our raffle – there are going to be lots of choices in raffle prized.  Every family will get a raffle ticket when they sign in upon arrival.

 And although they cannot join us for the fun, Modern Mommy Boutique and GoGo Naturals have generously donated gifts for our raffle.  If you would like to earn more than one raffle ticket, please visit our event page for posts that allow you to earn more raffle tickets.   

 Here are the rest of the details: We hope you will join us on the lawn at Amphitheater Island at Encanto Park, 2605 N. 15th Ave, Phoenix 85007 on May 5, 2012 from 12:pm to 3:pm.  We invite past students, current students, and anyone in the general public that is interested in natural childbirth and other natural living options to join us for a fun-filled afternoon.  Area 2012 Affiliated Bradley Method instructors will be providing the fun; we invite you to bring a blanket and a picnic lunch.

Our Bradley™ Babies:

Bruss - Sep 2009

Ysabella - Jan 2005

Bryan - July 2007

Angelika - October 2011

Photo ©2012

Marriot Photography

All rights reserved

Link to the event page didn't work?  Copy and paste this url into your browser: https://www.facebook.com/events/386606711351716/

Disclaimer:  

 The material included on this site is for informational purposes only.
It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation.  Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. 

Did you know that The Bradley Method® was listed first in an ABC News story about alternatives to a C-Section?  The Bradley Method® landed the top spot in the list of five popular natural ways to have a baby.   

Did you know that there are 19 Bradley Method® instructors serving the needs of families in the Greater Phoenix area? Our goal is to help families achieve Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby birth outcomes every time.    

Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, ScottsdaleArea instructors affiliated with The Bradley Method® of Natural Childbirth will be hosting a Family Picnic on Saturday, May 5, 2012. The public event will be hosted on Amphitheater Island at Encanto Park in order to celebrate the Father of Fathers, Dr. Robert Bradley, the pioneer of allowing fathers into the hospital room to be at the birthing mother’s side.

In honor of Dr. Bradley’s retirement on May 5th, The Bradley® Day Family Picnic will feature child-friendly booths and games, as well as offer information on The Bradley Method® and other natural living options.  Area instructors will be providing the fun; you bring your family, a blanket, and a picnic lunch.  

The Bradley Day Family Picnic is open to the public. Past students, current students, and anyone interested in the many options available to birthing families in Arizona are welcome to join us. No matter what kind of birth experience you had or you want, we invite you to celebrate the man who normalized fathers being present at births in the hospital setting.

The Amphitheater Island at Encanto Park is located at 2605 North 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, 85007. For more information on the picnic or to inquire about vendor space, please call Krystyna Bowman at 602-684-6567, or via email [email protected].  Visit www.bestbirths.com for updates and more information on the event.  

Here is the latest update on the activities and presenters at The Bradley Day Family Picinic...

Booths and Activities:

Vendors:

The material included on this site is for informational purposes only.
It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation.  Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.  This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®.    

Bruss taught class last night and he is in the process of writing a blog post on mental relaxation beyond the script...in the meantime I am going to share some information about an event that the Arizona Bradley Method® instructors are planning.

The Bradley Method® has been helping women and their partners to have safe, satisfying birth experiences since the 1950s and it still works.  Area instructors affiliated with The Bradley Method® of Natural Childbirth will be hosting a Family Picnic on Saturday, May 5, 2012. The public event will be hosted on Amphitheater Island at Encanto Park in order to celebrate the Father of Fathers, Dr. Robert Bradley, the pioneer of allowing fathers into the hospital room to be at the birthing mother’s side.   

Robert A. Bradley, M.D. (1917–1998) developed what he called Husband-Coached Childbirth, now more commonly known as The Bradley Method® of natural childbirth. Dr. Bradley first articulated this method of natural childbirth in a 1947 clinical trial, and it was popularized by his book Husband-Coached Childbirth, first published in 1965.  Now in it's fifth edition, Dr. Bradley's method of natural childbirth had been used successfully by couples all over the world.

Dr. Bradley's idea that unmedicated childbirths were possible in a hospital setting was revolutionary in the era of anesthetized births. He was "allowed" to do his first clinical trial on unwed mothers. When they did not have adverse outcomes, he was next "allowed" to do a trial on hospital nurses that volunteered to be in his trial. After seeing the great results in the unwed mothers, he had no problems finding trial patients.

At the bedside of one of these married nurses, she was overcome with joy and  emotion after the natural delivery of her child. As her "thank you" to Dr. Bradley, she kissed him straight on the lips! It was at this moment that Dr. Bradley realized that husbands (now we say loving support person, or "coach"), not doctors, should be coaching these mothers through the labor and birth process.

It was from that day forward that Dr. Bradley started advocating for husbands to join natural birth mothers in the labor and delivery rooms. Now all birthing families in a hospital setting can benefit from Dr. Bradley's idea that coaches who are willing should be allowed to be at the laboring mother's bedside.

His method articulates the six needs of a laboring mother and the steps to take to provide a laboring mother with the help and support from a loving, trained coach.  His methods proved themselves through his patient practice. He likened his role as an obstetrician to serving as a lifeguard, stepping in only when his patients needed him.  Dr. Bradley had a 94% unmedicated birth rate throughout his years of obstetrical practice.  

We are excited to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Robert Bradley on May 5, the anniversary of his retirement.  The Bradley Day Family Picnic is open to the public. Past students, current students, and anyone interested in the many options available to birthing families in Arizona are welcome to join us. No matter what kind of birth experience you had or you want, we invite you to celebrate the man who normalized fathers being present at births in the hospital setting.

The Bradley® Day Family Picnic will feature child-friendly booths and games, as well as offer information on The Bradley Method® and other natural living options. The instructors will provide the fun; guests are invited to bring their blanket and a picnic lunch.

The Amphitheater Island at Encanto Park is located at 2605 North 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, 85007. For more information on the picnic, please call Krystyna Bowman at 602-684-6567, or visit our Facebook Fan Page.  If you would like to RSVP, click here. For vendors interested in hosting a booth, please contact Krystyna Bowman at 602-684-6567, or via email [email protected]