Lamaze- Background and Practice
One of the most commonly taught childbirth methods known
today is Lamaze. It all began in
1951. Dr. Fernand Lamaze first introduce
a new childbirth method in France which combined childbirth education classes
with relaxation and breathing techniques and emotional support from the father
and the Lamaze instructor. In the late
1950s, Marjorie Karmel popularized Dr. Lamaze’s ideas when she gave birth under
his assistance and then wrote a book about her experiences called Thank You,
Dr. Lamaze. In 1960, Marjorie Karmel
teamed up with Elizabeth Bing to create ASPO/Lamaze, which is now called Lamaze
International. This organization is a
not-for-profit organization that has parents, childbirth educators, doctors,
nurses and others spreading the word about Lamaze.
The Lamaze Philosophy
The Lamaze Philosophy is based on a number of tenets. They believe that birth is a normal process
that should be guided by a woman’s self-intuition. Both the care providers and birthing location
can greatly enhance, or deter, a woman’s confidence and ability to give
birth. Birthing can be done anywhere
that a woman is comfortable doing so – whether that’s in a hospital, a birthing
center or a home. Childbirth education,
through Lamaze, is essential to help women to make informed decisions about
their health, their health care, and their birthing method.
Lamaze has six care practices that they advocate to support
women in having normal births. They want
these recommended practices to help women to listen to their innate wisdom and
to give birth easily. These practices
include the idea that labor should begin on its own and not because of
intervention. Laboring women should move
freely during their labor (and not be confined to a bed). Laboring women should be supported during
labor by their husbands or other helpers.
In an ideal situation, women should not have any intervention during the
birthing process. Women should not give
birth on their backs, and they should not be separated from their baby after delivery.
Lamaze Today
While Lamaze used to be primarily a birthing method, it is
now more of a philosophy for helping women to prepare to give birth
normally. When most people think of
Lamaze, they think of breathing techniques.
While Lamaze still teaches breathing techniques to aid in delivery, they
are no longer the focal point of the program.
Lamaze classes are offered by trained educators who cover a wide range
of topics including relaxation and breathing techniques, birthing positions, pain
medication, episiotomies, breastfeeding, and much more. A typical Lamaze class includes at least 12
hours of instruction with no more than 12 couples. Many couples today find that Lamaze is the
perfect mix for them – offering many birthing options without making value
judgments about medicated births, unmedicated births, home deliveries, and so
much more. They educate without
advocating a specific position, and this is one of the reasons that Lamaze is
such a popular program today.
