Class Schedule

2012 Schedule

Summer 2012 #1 - Tuesdays

CLASS CLOSED - FULL

Tuesday evening class 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Sweet Pea’s Studio
3717  N. Ravenswood, Suite 213, Chicago IL
June 5, 2012 - August 7, 2012

Class Date Topics
1 Jun 5 Introduction to the Bradley Method, exercises for pregnancy and birth, discussion of pain in labor, and choices in care.
2 Jun 12 Nutrition, anatomy and benefits of breastfeeding.
3* Jun 19 First stage labor.
4 Jun 26 Second stage labor, third stage labor.
Jul 3 NO CLASS
5 Jul 10 Comfort measures, labor rehearsal, interventions in childbirth part I.
6 Jul 17 Interventions in childbirth part II, how to avoid interventions and naturally start or speed up labor, variations and complications in labor.
7 Jul 24 Labor rehearsal and advanced first stage techniques, c-section.
8 Jul 31 Breastfeeding class, meet with lactation consultant, advanced second stage techniques.
9 Aug 7 Postpartum period, newborn producers and care.
* Class 3 is very important, please do not miss it.

Summer 2012 #2- Thursdays

CLASS CLOSED - FULL

Thursday Evening Class, 6:30-9:30pm
Swedish Covenant Hospital
Anderson Pavillion 2751 West Winona in The Auditorium | map it
June 7, 2012 - August 9, 2012

Class Date Topics
1 Jun 7 Introduction to the Bradley Method, exercises for pregnancy and birth, discussion of pain in labor, and choices in care.
2 Jun 14 Nutrition, anatomy and benefits of breastfeeding.
3* Jun 21 First stage labor.
4 Jun 28 Second stage labor, third stage labor.
Jul 5 NO CLASS
5 Jul 12 Comfort measures, labor rehearsal, interventions in childbirth part I.
6 Jul 19 Interventions in childbirth part II, how to avoid interventions and naturally start or speed up labor, variations and complications in labor.
7 Jul 26 Labor rehearsal and advanced first stage techniques, c-section.
8 Aug 2 Breastfeeding class, meet with lactation consultant, advanced second stage techniques.
9 Aug 9 Postpartum period, newborn producers and care.
* Class 3 is very important, please do not miss it.

Summer 2012 #3- Mondays

CLASS OPEN- 6 spaces left

Monday Evening Class, 6:30-9:30pm
Sweet Pea’s Studio
3717  N. Ravenswood, Suite 213, Chicago IL
June 18, 2012 - August 20, 2012

Class Date Topics
1 Jun 18 Introduction to the Bradley Method, exercises for pregnancy and birth, discussion of pain in labor, and choices in care.
2 Jun 25 Nutrition, anatomy and benefits of breastfeeding.
3* Jul 2 First stage labor.
Jul 9 NO CLASS
Jul 16 NO CLASS
4** Jul 20** Second stage labor, third stage labor.
5 Jul 23 Comfort measures, labor rehearsal, interventions in childbirth part I.
6 Jul 30 Interventions in childbirth part II, how to avoid interventions and naturally start or speed up labor, variations and complications in labor.
7 Aug 6 Labor rehearsal and advanced first stage techniques, c-section.
8 Aug 13 Breastfeeding class, meet with lactation consultant, advanced second stage techniques.
9 Aug 20 Postpartum period, newborn producers and care.
* Class 3 is very important, please do not miss it. **Class 4 is on a FRIDAY evening, same time

Fall 2012 - Sundays

CLASS OPEN - 6 spaces left

Sunday Evening class 5:30pm - 8:30pm
Swedish Covenant Hospital
Anderson Pavillion 2751 West Winona in The Auditorium | map it
September 9, 2012 - November 4, 2012

Class Date Topics
1 Sep 9 Introduction to the Bradley Method, exercises for pregnancy and birth, discussion of pain in labor, and choices in care.
2 Sep 16 Nutrition, anatomy and benefits of breastfeeding.
3* Sep 23 First stage labor.
4 Sep 30 Second stage labor, third stage labor.
5 Oct 7 Comfort measures, labor rehearsal, interventions in childbirth part I.
6 Oct 14 Interventions in childbirth part II, how to avoid interventions and naturally start or speed up labor, variations and complications in labor.
7 Oct 21 Labor rehearsal and advanced first stage techniques, c-section.
8 Oct 28 Breastfeeding class, meet with lactation consultant, advanced second stage techniques.
9 Nov 4 Postpartum period, newborn producers and care.
* Class 3 is very important, please do not miss it.

Fall 2012 #2 - Pending


Swedish Covenant Hospital
Anderson Pavillion 2751 West Winona in Conference rooms 5 & 6 | map it

Class Date Topics
1 Introduction to the Bradley Method, exercises for pregnancy and birth, discussion of pain in labor, and choices in care.
2 Nutrition, anatomy and benefits of breastfeeding.
3* First stage labor.
NO CLASS
4 Second stage labor, third stage labor.
5 Comfort measures, labor rehearsal, interventions in childbirth part I.
6 Interventions in childbirth part II, how to avoid interventions and naturally start or speed up labor, variations and complications in labor.
7 Labor rehearsal and advanced first stage techniques, c-section.
8 Breastfeeding class, meet with lactation consultant, advanced second stage techniques.
9 Postpartum period, newborn producers and care.
* Class 3 is very important, please do not miss it.

  • About Denyse

    My name is Denyse Ffrench and I have been an AAHCC afiliated Bradley Method instructor since 2000. I have 4 children and have had very different birth experiences with all of them. My son Sebastian was born in 2000, and was a natural water birth. My daughter Violet(2002)was a natural vaginal birth, and her twin sister, Fiona, was an emergency c-section. My last daughter, Gemma(2006) was a beautiful, natural VBAC (vaginal birth after c-section). I feel like my collective birth experience has enhanced my teaching greatly. I have had personal experience with a pitocin induced labor, labor that begins naturally, water birth, normal vaginal birth, episiotomy, birth without an episiotomy, singleton pregnancy and birth, twin pregnancy and birth, c-section, VBAC, etc. The common factor is the use of the Bradley Method in all my labors.

    In addition to teaching The Bradley Method, I work as a birth doula and lead a support group for women who are nursing twins. It is very important for me to stay tuned in to the birth community in the Chicago area so that I can better serve my students and provide resources for them. My goal is to provide continuity in care, from birth education, to labor support and postpartum support. This is one reason why my work as a birth doula with my Bradley students is so rewarding.


  • My Philosophy

    My goal as a Bradley teacher is to educate couples about childbirth and let them know that they have choice and options. I would like my students to plan for the birth they want. What many people want for their labor often falls outside of what is typical protocol in many hospitals, so it is important to know about what happens at births, and what options you have.

    Many people who attend my class would like to labor without medications, but are not exactly sure they want, or can have an unmedicated birth. You are about to have an experience that will be completely new to you and it is normal to feel unsure of how you will handle it. My goal is to give you tools and information that can help you to labor without interventions, to know the reasons why interventions are sometimes necessary, to prepare not only physically, but mentally and emotionally, and to honor the experience as a family event.

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