What is Lamaze?

Lamaze is based on the belief that birth is normal, natural and healthy.

The Lamaze approach to birth takes its name from Dr Ferdinand Lamaze, a French Obstetrician, who in the 1950s incorporated childbirth practices he had observed in Russia to his care of women in France. These practices included antenatal classes, breathing and relaxation techniques and encouraging involvement and emotional support from fathers. “The Lamaze method”, as it became known, promoted the beginnings of the natural birth movement in the UK and the USA during the 1960s.

Today Lamaze antenatal sessions draw from this rich history and seek to encourage women to feel confident in their instinctive ability to give birth and birth partners in their ability to provide help and support. The sessions are informative yet practical with lots of advice on what tends to happen and help at each stage of labour and how birth partners can feel informed and confident in their role.

About Juliette

Why choose Lamaze?

Knowledge

Birth is a physiological process and understanding how the process works means you can choose to respond in ways that tend to help rather than hinder it. Lamaze gives you the understanding as well as the skills you both need to approach labour and birth with knowledge and confidence.

Confidence

Sessions focus on how to stay as relaxed as possible during labour using breathing patterns, relaxation techniques, movement and massage – all of which help women to cope and increase the likelihood of a normal birth. Birth partners learn skills that enable them to offer knowledgeable, timely support that adapts as a woman’s needs in labour unfold.

Support

Lamaze antenatal sessions offer support based soundly on latest evidence and research empowering women to consider all their options and to make informed choices about their care – choices that are right for them and their families.