Our birth preparation classes have been born due to us frequently meeting couples whose labour, birth and early days with their new baby did not match their expectations, despite having attended antenatal classes. We believe that women have a much better chance of having a positive birth experience if they are prepared for all eventualities, because when it comes to childbirth, things don’t always go to plan. Therefore, we have decided to create antenatal classes which would offer honest, relevant and up to date information straight from the horse’s mouth – no filter, no fluff!
We offer you antenatal classes with a difference. Run by experienced practising midwives, our courses are relaxed, open, honest and non-judgmental and include everything you need to know for your labour, birth and early days with your baby.
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We also offer antenatal courses specifically designed for women and their partners who are having a planned Caesarean section and therefore don’t need the information about labour and vaginal birth, but who still want to get all the benefits of attending antenatal classes. These courses will help you feel at ease about your upcoming Caesarean section and include practical advice to help you prepare for the big day and postnatal recovery, infant feeding (both breast and bottle) as well as looking after your new baby.
Classes are small enough to allow interaction and space for asking questions, but large enough to enable you to meet other parents with babies due at similar times, giving you the opportunity to create a support network and potentially friends for the years to come.
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COVID-19 UPDATE
Although our antenatal courses are now being delivered via Zoom, they are still as interactive and hands on as before! We will provide you with one of our ‘Feeding & baby care packs’ containing a weighted baby doll, knitted breast, baby bottle, baby clothes, disposable and reusable nappies, muslin and a stretchy wrap (sling), so our infant feeding and baby care sessions will still be ‘hands on’ – no different than what they are in the face to face environment. We have had a great feedback about our weighted dolls. They feel very realistic and are great for practising nappy changing, dressing, sling practice (baby wearing), breast and bottle feeding as well as holding and cuddling a baby. And there is a bonus – you will get to keep them until the end of the course, so you can practice as much as you like! Needless to say that everything in the pack will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before and after (we will arrange to meet up with everyone within the first couple of weeks of starting the course to hand the packs over – this will give us a chance to collect them from the previous group and give everything a good clean. They won’t be needed until the 3rd session).
This way you won’t miss out on any part of the course and you will still have a chance of meeting other expectant parents due at similar times as you. Same as with our face to face sessions, we will still have a break, so you can have a cuppa and a chat with the other participants. We are still planning to hold the reunion sessions face to face, once all the babies have been born and the restrictions lifted (whenever this will be!).
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Our Course
- 10 hour comprehensive course + 2.5 hour Reunion session once all the babies have arrived
- Up-to-date and evidence-based content taught by experienced practising midwives
- Private 1:1 sessions available – these can be tailored to suit your individual needs
- Coming soon – dedicated antenatal classes for women having planned Caesarean section
Course Content
Please contact us directly to enquire about our course content.
Our Antenatal Class Services
Price: £150 (this includes you and your birthing partner)
- 4 week course + reunion when all the babies have been born (12. 5 hours)
- Includes a break with refreshments
- Chance to meet other expectant parents with babies due at similar times
- Opportunity to make new friends and create a support network
- Support by your midwife for the duration of the course via email or WhatsApp
- It is recommended to start the course when you are between 28 – 33 weeks pregnant (although due to the small class sizes we strongly recommend booking in advance to guarantee your place)
Price: £140 (you and your birthing partner)
- 3 week course + reunion when all the babies have been born(10 hours)
- Specially designed course for people who are having a planned Caesarean section
- Includes a break with refreshments
- Chance to meet other expectant parents with babies due at similar times
- Opportunity to make new friends and create a support network
- Support by your midwife for the duration of the course via email or WhatsApp
- It is recommended to start the course when you are between 28 – 33 weeks pregnant or at least 4 weeks before the date of your planned Caesarean section (although due to the small class sizes we strongly recommend booking in advance to guarantee your place)
Price: £70 per hour or part hour (+ mileage cost) Minimum 2 hours
- Ideal if you can’t make the group antenatal course due to work commitments or if your due date is fast approaching and you might not have enough time to attend the full 4 week course
- This can be tailored to your individual needs
- Takes place in the comfort of your own home
Price: £140 - £150
Gift vouchers are available for our regular antenatal courses as well as well as C-section antenatal courses. Great gift idea for expectant parents. Suitable as a gift for a baby shower, Birthday, Christmas etc.
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What Our Clients Say
Jo & Andrea are absolutely incredible! There's no sugar coating how scary the thought of labour and a newborn can be but they're brilliant at helping you feel at ease and confident! They also make such an effort at making dads feel included, as especially during Covid there has been a lack of support for dads-to-be.
Myself and my husband attended the antenatal classes with Jo and Andrea. They were completely invaluable to us. We learnt about everything from early labour, active labour, pain relief options, induction, what to expect if things don’t go quite to plan as well as feeding options and what to do in the early days when you bring baby home. The sessions were packed full of useful and practical information and I can honestly say that I have learnt so much. The sessions were really relaxed and enjoyable and I was able to ask any questions that sprung to mind. Jo and Andrea were so helpful, friendly, supportive and extremely knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this course to anyone expecting a baby!
Andrea and Jo have been amazing. Myself and my partner are first time parents and the advice we received in the classes was so valuable to us. We have learnt so much from them and it has certainly put my partner and I more at ease. They are such informative and fun classes even though we had to do them through Zoom. We would highly recommend the classes. Thanks for your support. x
I cannot recommend this company enough. I am a first time mum during the pandemic and didn't have a clue what to expect during my pregnancy, birth and beyond. Although we had to have our antenatal classes on Zoom due to covid, Andrea and Jo were fantastic. They covered everything from labour, delivery, pain relief, feeding, what to expect in the hospital and at home after the baby is born, just to name a few of the topics.
I honestly finished the 4 weeks feeling confident and ready for my baby's arrival. Jo and Andrea are brilliant teachers and having lessons from both a community midwife and a midwife who works in the hospital was invaluable.
Thank you both for a great 4 weeks.
Andrea and Jo provide an amazingly thorough course covering everything you need to know. Because of lockdown this unfortunately had to be over Zoom, but I don't think this compromised the quality of the course or the ability to connect with the other participants one bit. The small group meant we were able to chat with each other very easily. They provided us with a pack that included a weighted doll, sling, nappy, wooly boob etc. so that you can still learn in a hands on way. I also think that as midwives at the NNUH they provide extra insight into the actual process of what will happen specific to Norwich. I had done a lot of reading and research, but it's only after this course that I actually feel confident and excited for it to happen!
My wife signed us up for four sessions with Jo and Andrea in Strumpshaw. I've been informed and entertained from start to finish, with well pitched information from a couple of clearly knowledgeable professionals. I thought I was pretty clued up after reading some books and listening to friends' anecdotes and experiences, but I now realise nothing beats getting it straight from the experts. I certainly recommend this course.
Andrea was the most amazing in bringing our little girl into the world in December, she was truly incredible, as were all the staff at MLBU. We can't thank you enough. We had a real laugh with Andrea, not that you would expect to be laughing in the situation but she was so lovely and funny we had a real giggle feeling so relaxed, we'll never forget her and what she did for us that night. I've had a real fear of birth for as long as I can remember and put it off for years, but Andrea completely changed that, and has now changed our lives by bringing our little girl into the world. We'll never be able to thank her enough, so cannot recommend these ladies and what they do highly enough! ❤ xx