Bradley Method Childbirth Classes- Melissa Marcus

Just wanted to update and encourage new moms to consider Melissa’s course. It’s very knowledgable and my son is almost 2 and we still use and talk to new moms about what we learned in Bradley. Good luck new mommys! You got this!

I don’t even know where to begin. Let me start by saying Mel is awesome. If you’re interested in a drug free natural birth, Bradley Method is the way to go & Mel is an amazing caring instructor! Mel was very knowledgeable of the bradley method & the birthing experience. She was also able to offer many resources (DVDs, websites, guest speakers, books, stores & more) for many topics & needs we discussed. Her home was inviting & informal which made the class much more comfortable considering the intimate things we discussed. Because of the Bradley Method & Mel, we were able to give birth free of any interventions with 12 hrs of labor. I was able to go through labor at home & I gave birth to our baby girl 15 min after we arrived at the hospital. If it had not been for her & this class I may have given up & given in to an epidural. But because I knew what to expect & that the pain wouldn’t last forever I was able to endure the pain knowing its purpose. If you are looking for a birthing class and live in the Long Beach area I highly suggest you take this class.

For our first birth experience my husband and I wanted as much knowledge as possible in order to make informed decisions and not fall into the slippery slope of interventions that often happen in healthcare, specifically with birth practices. Mel’s Bradley Method class was one of the ways we educated ourselves. This class, and specifically Mel, helped us to have a healthy, happy, and educated pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience. This class is geared toward couples who want to learn more about birth, each other, relaxation techniques, and medical interventions. While some Bradley classes can be repetitive in the information, Mel made sure to integrate book work, relaxation, nutrition, exercises, guest speakers, videos, questions, books to borrow etc. so that the class is diverse enough to meet different learners and types of information. The best parts of the class are the guest speakers that shared their birth experience and that the class provided a place for new parents to come together to connect. Mel’s class helped us birth without any interventions including pain relief! If you are looking to birth without interventions or pain relief, it is necessary to educate yourself as much as possible. It is a life changing experience and very difficult, but you won’t regret it! Thanks Mel!

MeL was a great resource for the birth of our first child. It was wonderful having the knowledge of everything we learned in our classes. Our birth plan did not go as planned, at all, so when the time came for us to make decisions that were outside our plan we were completely informed and able to make educated decisions. MeL made the classes fun and it was a joy to go to group every week. She is sweet, caring and has the coolest dog! My husband and I have formed friendships with the other couples in our class and hope to keep those friendships alive for our children to grow up together. That being said, they have been wonderful resource to bounce ideas off of after our baby was born to continue learning from each other! I absolutely recommend taking this class and especially with MeL, she’s the best!

I chose the Bradley Method with the strong belief that a natural, unmedicated birth was the best way to go and I REALLY did not want to end up with a c-​section! My husband was reluctant to sign up, since it requires more of a time commitment (11 – 12 weeks) and we have a 2 year old at home. To achieve the natural birth I wanted, though, I knew I needed a husband who was WELL-​informed of the process ahead of time, so no panicking in the end (and me, too!). ;) I needed my coach to be a strong advocate for me. All that to say, we chose Mel and are SO glad we did! She is well-​versed in everything natural birth and baby care related. When I was past my due date, trying to dig up something to help me naturally induce myself, she was sending me all the info she could find to be of help. And when my labor took an unexpected turn, she was like a doula via text for me. She was such a blessing! I am so grateful we chose Mel for our birth preparation class!

Mel and my classmates were the support that I needed to get though my pregnancy and delivery. She gave me the knowledge that empowered me to be strong enough to resist the hospitals constant nagging to induce labor too early. The exercises she taught me allowed a speedy recovery no tearing or ripping up and at um the next day! Love you mel!!! you’re the best… If I ever decide to have another kid (hahahahah!) you will be the first I call outside of immediate family. Wishing you many blessings and healthy happy babies delivered.

We could not have asked for a better Bradley Method teacher. We got started late, and she adjusted the curriculum to work with us. She helped us feel completely prepared and confident for our son’s birth. I truly enjoyed every «class.» She has a wealth of knowledge and endless resources, and none of our questions ever went unanswered. My husband and I highly recommend Mel.

My husband and I took MeL’s Bradley class and it was great! We joined the class a little late for when we were due (the class is 12 weeks and we only had 9 weeks to include the holidays), but she worked outside of the class schedule with us to make sure we didn’t miss any important notes/​details. She covered topics you never would’ve thought you would have to worry about during pregnancy and labor and it helped my husband and I to prepare for our baby’s arrival On top of that, she is very personable and sweet, her and her family make you feel right at home. I would highly recommend her!

Mel is wonderful. We got started a bit late into our pregnancy with Bradley and she was incredible. She provided so many useful resources, and helped us narrow down the immense amount of information available to what was really important to us. I felt very confident and cared for going into the delivery room. Her thoughtfulness didn’t stop with our classes either, she followed up with us after delivery in many caring ways. I highly recommend her. Very organized, immensely resourceful, and fun to be with.