Product: Laugh and Learn About Childbirth - Lamaze and Beyond (2003)
Rating: 3.0
Learn About Labor & Laugh vs. Labor 101
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!