What will an antenatal class do for me?
No-one knows what it’s really like to be pregnant, give birth and care for our own baby before we do it.
But a good antenatal class will help you feel much less clueless about the whole process.
What is the role of an antenatal class?
So the short answer is: whatever you need them to do.
The slightly more detailed answer is this…
Antenatal classes, hypnobirthing, NCT, Lamaze, childbirth education: whatever you want to call them, they all refer to the same process - getting you ready to meet your baby.
But not all antenatal classes are the same; there are a million different providers out there, ranging from free online classes to paid personalised courses, ones delivered by midwives, doulas or specialist antenatal practitioners.
Each one has its own objective: some will be more focused on labour and birth, while others will give you the practical skills to care for a baby. Some will cover all of those bases.
This amount of choice can be a bit overwhelming - and understandably so! Everyone wants to feel ready for birth, to have a positive birth experience and to feel prepared for parent life.
But these are all feelings, and feelings are different for everyone.
One person’s ‘totally prepared’ is another person’s ‘clueless’.
When you look at it that way, one thing becomes totally obvious: it’s not so much about signing up to AN antenatal class, its about signing up to THE RIGHT antenatal class that matters.
What do you do at antenatal classes?
Again, this totally depends on the class, but in general a good antenatal class should give you some or all of the following:
Explanations on the science of labour and birth: the muscles, the hormones, the stages of labour.
Unbiased, evidence based information about your choices for labour and birth, relevant to the area you live in.
Information, and ideally the chance to practise, strategies to support labour’s progress and help you manage the sensations (aka pain) of birth.
Information and support for navigating pathways through induction of labour and caesarean.
Unbiased, evidence based information about parent life: feeding, sleeping, hygiene and baby care.
Different providers will do this differently: an online class will naturally be done on a computer screen. It might be recorded or live, but either way it’s likely to be a ‘watch and learn’ scenario.
In person classes could deliver it with more variety: some information sharing, some discussion, some practical elements… some providers favour one approach over others, so make sure you pick a course that meets your expectations by asking about course delivery before you sign up.
How do I choose the right antenatal class for me?
The question to ask yourself is what do you need to feel ready?
The question to ask yourself is what do you need to feel ready?
Looking for the facts and figures?
A brief overview of the choices that are ahead of you for birth and parenting, then one of the free classes available might do the trick. Most NHS trusts provide free antenatal options, and other private companies also have free options too. These sessions, often delivered online, will cover the main bases of birth options and strategies.
Looking to calm those birth nerves?
Human beings are rarely comfortable when facing the unknown; antenatal classes that go deeper into the science of birth and the ways to manage the physical and emotional sensations of it, can really help to create a sense of calm and confidence.
Looking to feel like you know what you’re doing?
Practical preparation for labour and parenting can be an absolute game changer. ‘In person’ classes will give you the time and space to practise different breathing techniques & labour positions, as well as the essential skills of nappies, bathing, feeding and sleeping will help you find your feet before your baby lands earthside.
Looking to know how it’ll look for you?
Everyone starts their pregnancy & parenting adventure from a different point; that’s what makes it virtually impossible to create a group class that fully caters to every single person’s individual circumstances, needs and goals. Private antenatal classes, delivered either virtually or in your own home, will give you the information you want and the practical skills you need, whilst catering to your own individual circumstances.
As with everything birthy and baby, there is no right or wrong way to do this: what matters is that you do what you need to feel calm, confident and in control as you approach labour and birth.
But, in this case, that does come with a bit of a caveat.
So often, we tell ourselves that we don’t ‘need’ things that we want: that spending money on the extras that would help us to feel on top of the world, would be a waste. That we can cope without it and use the money for baby later on.
And in one sense that’s totally true: by saving the money on antenatal classes you can totally buy a few terms of baby swimming.
But at what cost to your own emotions?
Antenatal classes exist, in all their glorious forms, because having knowledge and practical skills helps people to approach their birth positively. And when we start positively, it’s far more likely that we’ll emerge from the experience positively too.
My birth planning workshops and private antenatal courses are all about the positivity: depending on the route you take, I make sure you get what you need to help you approach the birth of your baby with a smile on your face.
Not sure which route best suits you? Book in a free consultation and we can chat about how I can get you feeling totally ready for this next stage of your birth & baby adventure!
