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< return to A Comparison of Childbirth Philosophies for Christians by Emme Amble
LamazeMany people refer to any birth class as "Lamaze" class, just as we sometimes refer to all tissues as "Kleenex," and all bandages as "Band-Aids." Lamaze has become the brand name for childbirth classes, even if the actual lessons do not conform to the traditional "true" Lamaze techniques. In the 1930's, Dr. Ferdinand Lamaze became convinced that women could deliver babies painlessly, using what boils down to a "mind over matter" approach, after observing laboring women in Russia apparently experiencing no pain. These women were the targets of a major propaganda program put forth by the Communist Party that promoted the idea that through mind control, they could achieve a pain free labor.Dr. Lamaze was convinced that pain in labor was "all in our heads," not taking into account that the experience of pain and expression of pain are two very different things! More likely, these women had become very adept at hiding their true feelings, in the face of such strong support for the pain free model promoted by the "experts" in the government. Today, even most Lamaze trained childbirth educators do not teach that an actual pain free labor is likely or should even be expected. However, it does focus on using breathing, focusing and visualization, and relaxation techniques to take one's mind off the pain.
copyright 2000 by Emme Amble
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