You are excited beyond words. You are a female going into labor after months of
intricate planning. Two months of childbirth classes help to ease some of the tension.
You remember countless breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, and helpful tips from
a number of sources. As an informed consumer, you have made a decision to have a
non-medicated childbirth.

Lamaze is a method of pain relief that has been around since the 1950’s. Lamaze can also
be called the psychoprophylacitc method, because it highlights mind control. It was
created by French obstetrician, Dr. Ferdinand Lamaze. It emphasizes pain management
through relaxation, imagery (finding a focal point), light massage of the abdomen, and
breathing management. Many who support Lamaze view childbirth as a natural
phenomenon. Many Lamaze educators teach expectant parents about the Lamaze
philosophy of birth. This philosophy says: the experience of a childbirth will affect the
whole family, it is a woman’s right to birth free from medications; and proper education
on childbirth methods will lead to a method that is comfortable for mom and baby. In a
number of studies, it was found that all these principles helped the mother’s confidence level rise during child labor (Lamaze.org).

Once the female goes into labor, she is instructed to find a focal point. An item,
such as a picture or stuffed animal from home, can be brought in. Concentrating on this
focal point keeps nerve pathways in the brain occupied and they do not respond to pain.
During a contraction, the female is taught to relax specific muscles in her body while her
uterus contracts (Larsen, O'Hara, Brewer, & Wenzel, 2000). The expected outcome is the mother-to-be feels control over her body. She may relax and contract her body and feels she is in charge over her pain level. Having a support person in the delivery room is also very helpful. Deep breathing is taught, because it lifts the diaphragm off the uterus. This gives the uterus extra room to contract.

Contrary to popular belief, countless Lamaze educators do not take a stand for or against
medications during child labor. Some hospitals prohibit the teaching of alternate methods
of labor, such as caesarean section or epidural. Most teachers will educate their patients
on various methods. The decision is ultimately left to the mother-to-be. Research
concludes that women who attended Lamaze or childbirth classes viewed their birth
experiences as more positive than those parents who took no classes. It is not a necessity
to take a Lamaze childbirth class, but research shows it helps (Monto, 1996).

A study was done at the University of Iowa in the Department of Psychology. They
concluded Lamaze was very helpful until the last stage of labor. It is possible that some
women lost concentration when the contractions sped up. Interviews with different
females concluded they had positive experiences using the Lamaze methods (Larsen, O'Hara, Brewer, & Wenzel, 2001). Over two million women take childbirth classes every year. It is hard to note what percentage of these rely soley on the Lamaze method. Many females combine various methods of pain relief. Some mothers have every intention of having a natural, “medication-free” birth, but decide the pain is too much and opt for an epidural.

Overall, whether you are going to be "medication-free" or receive medication during labor, lamaze is an effective means of pain control. This technique is not confined to non-medicated labor, but can also be used in conjuction with medication. This technique helps to relieve anxiety while providing some non-medicated pain relief. According to literature and research, lamaze keeps the mother focused and helps create an overall pleasant childbirth experience (Larsen, O'Hara, Brewer, & Wenzel, 2001).