Customer Reviews

Laugh and Learn About Childbirth

5 star:		(145)
4 star:		(54)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Very Informative and Helpful. My wife and I could not make it to the Lamaze classes and we still glad we didn't. This video is great. My wife and I enjoy watching it, and learned a lot. The baby came out like a piece of cake (my wife doesn't agree on that one completely) but we both knew what we where doing)
We read the reviews that mostly criticized Sheri's sense of humor but we took a chance. Her humor is not that bad actually. She gets funny and sometimes goes a bit over the edge, however she is very knowledgeable and definitely has a talent of teaching. When she is describing important stuff she is serious and right on the point.
Some reviews criticized the quality of film making. I am professional photographer and my wife is an art teacher and we both studied film in college. In our opinion the cinematography part of the video is quite appropriate, informative video doesn't have to be a master piece.
Highly recommend it.

This is a DVD set that's full of good factual information that's then clouded by the instructor's biases and obvious corporate sponsorships.

The facts: she does a very nice job of presenting critical information that I'm glad I now know - such as the 3 phases of labor and the stages within each, simple breathing techniques that I won't be likely to forget in the moment, etc. Yes, she's a little to full of her own sense of humor but in my opinion that's easily overlooked when you consider that you're getting tons of good information in roughly 4 hours of material. And at least she tried to make the subject matter interesting rather than just dry facts.

Biases: she's obviously a very strong advocate for natural birth - no pain meds, no interventions. While she acknowledges that there are sometimes medical reasons that make interventions necessary and describes the interventions well, she does nothing to alleviate the viewers concerns about these procedures and in fact makes you feel pretty bad about "putting your baby through it" (not her exact words but definitely her attitude). The pattern for describing an epidural, and inducement, or another intervention goes something like: (a) here is how the procedure works (facts), (b) here's why it's bad for you, (c) here's why it's bad for your baby, (d) oh, and sometimes it's medically necessary, oh well. As someone who knows that she fits into the "medically necessary" category I didn't appreciate the judgment and lack of support. I went to my OB with a list of questions a mile long after watching the section on being induced and he countered quite a few of her "why it's bad for you and your baby" arguments as extreme cases based on his professional experience and knowledge - I think she's presenting worst case scenarios for these interventions as if they're the most likely outcome. I bought the dvds to increase my knowledge and decrease my anxiety about labor -- I know more than when I started but she definitely did not decrease my anxiety.

The corporate sponsorship: she's very obviously a shill for Viacord (a cord blood banking company). I briefly worked for one of the companies (not Viacord but a major competitor of theirs) and I can tell you she presents a very, very one sided argument for cord blood banking. She's not presenting facts, she's using the marketing techniques that all these firms use to convince you to buy this "insurance". For some people it may be a wise choice - especially those with a strong family history of diseases that cord stem cells have been proven to treat - but I did not expect to nor appreciate being marketed to in the guise of education, especially since I PAID for this dvd set.

All in all, if you can ignore the rest, there's a lot of good factual information here that's pretty well presented. But, if I had known how biased the instructor would be, I would have looked for a different dvd.

I was very happy with this DVD set (and in fact just ordered the breastfeeding DVD from the same instructor). I watched it in lieu of attending childbirth classes and do not regret that decision. I had read several books about labor and delivery, etc., and can't say that the video really contained a lot of new information but it brought the information together nicely and made me feel more prepared overall. I also appreciated the fact that the instructor did not spend a lot of time on breathing techniques and did not overly emphasize natural childbirth. Instead, she discussed the desirability of postponing medications until the labor is well underway because of the cascade effect of interventions (which seems sensible to me). But she certainly didn't try to push going natural all the way. As for the humor, it's not anywhere near as bad as some other reviews have made it out to be.

The DVD was a welcomed relief for me! I had no clue what a Lamaze class was about and I thought I'd be sitting in front of the TV with my fiance for the entire time doing the "he he hoo" bit. That's not it at all! I'm an information junkie and Sheri really explains to you a lot of the medical terms that they'll use that you normally wouldn't understand. Like when someone says, "Shes 100%, -2 and 3" it means that you're 100% effaced, the baby has dropped to the -2 station (-4 is when the baby is past the pubic bone) and 3 centimeters dilated.
She gives examples of the different positions you can use to birth your little bundle of joy and what makes them work for the different situations. Also there isn't that annoying feeling of her talking directly to the camera since she is talking to the couples on set/class. Yes, she does go overboard with the humor sometimes but only sometimes. There were tons of times I was sitting on the couch just rolling with laughter as she talked about some funny stories that happened to her as a labor nurse and some demonstrations of "what you should sound like when you call the doctor as your contractions become five minutes apart."
Overall this is the best information I have gotten during my entire pregnancy and I've spent a small fortune on other literature. I'm bringing my portable DVD player and this video to my birth just so I can feel calmed.

I can confidently recommend both Labor 101 or Learn About Labor and Laugh. If I could only choose one I would choose Labor 101. Here's why.

Even though they're both informative I am more prone to watch Labor 101 multiple times. I use the relaxation cd almost daily. I'm glad I watched Learn about Labor and Laugh, BUT once is enough for me.

Some difference:

-Style-
Learn about labor and laugh films the dvd in a large room with a number of pregnant couple in attendance. The instructor is addressing those students as though it is a live class. This makes you feel like you're really sitting in on a class. The drawback is that there is a lot of wasted conversation as a result. For example, she goes around the room getting to know each class member and the introductions of a large group takes awhile. Labor 101 addresses you directly and cuts down on small talk.

-Content-
They both cover the stages of labor, birth options, interventions, breathing and pushing. The pushing segment of labor 101 was more useful to me because you actually watch the pushing stage of labor and hear the doctor coaching and guiding the pregnant woman.

-Diagrams-
Learn about labor and laugh shows diagrams and picutres using a flip chart while Labor 101 uses digital animation and birth photography to show diagrams. There is far more birth related imagery show in Labor 101. The camera doesn't spend as much time on a talking head.

-Watching Birth-
There is no birth footage in Learn About Labor and Laugh. You witness two births in Labor 101 and a lot of birth pictures.

-Entertainment Quality-
Sheri Bayles in Learn About Labor and Laugh tells a lot of jokes. Even though she takes it a bit far like she doesn't quite know when to stop you might laugh in spite of yourself because some of it's true. Labor 101 takes a more serious approach but isn't completely dry either.

-Breathing-
Learn about Labor and Laugh teaches one way to breath and has you practice during the dvd. Labor 101 covers three options for breathing but recommends slow deep abdominal breathing.

-Relaxation-
Learn about Labor and Laugh doesn't cover relaxation at all. Labor 101 spends a great deal of time on relaxation and how to voice positive affirmations as well as other tips on setting up a comfortable environment. This created the gap for me. The relaxation cd is the core of your preparation. I could practice every day and experiment with different techniques. I found a favorite but I'm getting better at all of them.

-Package-
There are 2 dvds in learn about labor and laugh. The first one is helpful, but the second dvd is spent entirely on c-section, postpartum, and reuniting the couples that attended the class after birth. Labor 101 has 1 dvd and two cds. The entire dvd focuses on labor from home to the hospital. Labor 101's All About Labor cd details emotions, behaviors, and physical signs of each stage of labor as well what type of support the laboring woman will need. Labor 101 is more informative on third stage labor (placental delivery) and newborn procedures. It also includes the previous mentioned relaxation cd.

-Special Emphasis-
Learn about Labor and Laugh spends a significant amount of time on blood banking and labor 101 spends a significant amount of time trying to involve the husband to take the role of coach seriously. Both give an equal and objective amount of emphasis to the pros and cons of medicated versus un-medicated. They both lean toward natural is best.

-Review-
Learn about Labor and Laugh spends a lot of time repeating, reviewing, and quizzing the students. Labor 101 reviews material by interviewing a doctor or midwife or showing an example in a birth video.

Both are a safe bet!

After reading reviews here, I was hesitant to purchase this DVD, but all the classes at our local hospital were booked solid and I figured...why not? I think some people need to lighten up. She was just trying to give the needed information and make it entertaining and not dull. My husband and I really enjoyed it. We learned a lot and the information was repeated and reinforced so we weren't left asking questions about what we learned. Of course, she prefers natural childbirth and there is the promotion about Viacord, but we had our personal decisions on these matters already and ignored her opinion on these topics. We really were glad we bought this and watched it as we feel much more prepared for what we will encounter in less than two months! Who knows what kind of person would have taught a class at our local hospital? This was very informative and we recommend it. We're first time parents and thought this DVD was very worthwhile.

My husband and I were unable to find any classes in our area that would work for us, so we purchased this DVD. We found it very helpful! I loved that I could go back to it and watch certain parts over again to refresh my memory. If we had gone to a class, I wouldn't have had that luxury. Once I went into labor, I knew exactly what to do and I was able to make it without any drugs. The nurses at the hospital were all asking me if I had gone to a class and I told them about the DVD. They said it must have been good because I did everything perfectly. I would highly recommend this DVD!

Our biggest concern was retaining all the information one 8 hour lamaze class was going to give. The DVD's were very helpful because we could watch it and retain the information at our own pace, although we procrastinated until very last moment to finish the DVD. It was extremely helpful to be able watch it at the very moment we needed it ( the evening I went into delivery ). Sherri kept us laughing while we learned----- " a mucus what ! " and prepared us for one of the greatest moments in our lives.


-Shakima Duncan

Although childbirth classes were available in our relatively rural community, we were unable to attend due to work commitments. We were very happy with this DVD. Sheri is a well informed instructor who presented material in an accessible format and even managed to keep us entertained with a little humor. One wonderful aspect about the DVD is that you are able to advance at your own pace - Watch the DVD in one day or take a 'class' a week, whatever works with your schedule. Two components offered at local childbirth classes and unavailable on the DVD were breastfeeding techniques and a tour of the local hospital. Hospitals should be accomodating about arranging visits and there are plenty of breastfeeding resources available (books, videos, La leche leagues, and lactation counselors). I would definitely recommend this DVD to others.

I bought this for my daughter who is having her first child, (my first grandchild). Lamaze has changed quite a bit since I took Lamaze classes when I was pregnant with her. We loved the tapes! They were very insightful, funny and calmed her fears. In fact, when she went to her next doctor's appt, she was quoting some of the things she learned. The doctor was very impressed! I would recommend this for any first time mother.