The Really Useful Antenatal Course
Get the knowledge, skills & new friends to help you feel calm & confident about birth…
Group antenatal course in Truro suitable from 20 weeks onwards…
How will' ‘The Really Useful Antenatal Course’ help me?
When you’re in labour and caring for a baby, the only person who knows what’s best is you.
But that can be a difficult thing to get your head around. Our society is built around the experts being other people (not us). Finding the confidence to trust yourself to ask the right questions and make the right decisions is something that many first time parents really struggle with.
And that’s what this course exists.
“This course has made us feel more positive and focused! Each week has been different and there’s a great balance between information and practical skills. ”
Unlike other antenatal courses that teach a particular approach or set curriculum, our time together is focused on giving you the tools you need to create a birth and baby experience that genuinely works for you, however it ends up happening.
Over the course of our sessions, you’ll
understand all the options for labour, birth & family life to help you find your ‘comfort zones’.
develop practical skills that’ll help you to stay calm, confident and in control of your own experience.
connect with a small group of other pregnant folk so that you know you’re not alone in this.
“I am so glad I attended!”
Emma & Rob arrived at their first session of ‘The Really Useful Antenatal Course’ feeling anxious about their baby’s birth: they wanted everything to go well but didn’t know how to help that happen. By the end of the course, they didn’t just know what to do, but were able to use everything they’d learnt to create the positive birth experience they’d dreamed of…
Click here to listen to Emma’s story of how ‘The Really Useful Antenatal Course’ took her from fearful to confident…
“We were attracted by the compact layout of the course. The hands-on practical experiences have been a real highlight for us and we are so excited for birth now!”
What does ‘The Really Useful Antenatal Course’ cover?
Honestly, we could spend 20 hours together and I still wouldn’t be able to teach you every single thing you may (or may not) need for your birth and baby adventure.
No-one has the time or money for that. So I take a different approach.
My group antenatal course focuses on the really useful stuff (hence the name!) that often gets skimmed over, compressed down or ignored completely in free courses or appointments with your midwife.
By dedicating time, discussion and thought to the big questions and the need to know information you’ll get a deeper, unbiased understanding of what you want.
And what you don’t want.
And what you want to research or discuss in greater depth.
So that by the time you leave the course, you’ll be fully armed with the knowledge and practical skills you get the things you need out of the people supporting you and carve your own birth and baby experience.
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During this session, we’ll cover…
Physiological birth: what your body, and your baby, does during labour.
Medicalised birth: how assisted, induction & caesarean births work.
Influencers: how hormones and your emotions affect birth.
Managing pain: exploring non-drug and drug based options for relief.
Birth partner priorities: what you need to think about on ‘the day’.
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During this session, we’ll cover …
Confidence: exploring hopes, fears and goals for birth to give you confidence in yourself and each other.
Calm: developing birth partner skills in responsive talk, massage, counterpressure, movement & breathing to help make birth manageable.
Control: developing birth advocacy skills to stay in charge of your birth experience.
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During this session, we’ll cover…
Your first parenting decisions: choices to make for your baby in the first hour of life.
The Fourth Trimester: understanding what you and your baby really needs for the first 3 months.
Postnatal mental health: common conditions and where to go for help.
Postnatal recovery: what your body has done and what it needs to recover.
Baby-care basics: the tools to make decisions for feeding (all forms) & sleeping as well as skills in bathing and nappies!
Balancing the New Normal: exploring how identities, lifestyles and relationships may shift and change.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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The total cost for the course, per couple, is £170.
Payment plans are available; please contact me directly to discuss.
This price includes the three two-hour sessions and all materials and benefits listed here.
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Our group sizes are relatively small; our maximum class size would be six couples or birth teams.
We do this for a few reasons:
to keep the vibe nice and relaxed.
so that I get chance to talk to each team personally through each session.
So that we can use the space we have comfortably.
If the group size and dynamic is important to you, please get in touch. I’ll be able to advise a suitable class for you to book into.
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All sessions take place at ‘The Family Space’ in Truro Business Park, Threemilestone.
There is plenty of free parking on-site.
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Yes, absolutely. In every way possible!
I am a fully certified and FEDANT registered antenatal teacher.
I am a certified birth & postnatal doula.
I am a highly qualified classroom teacher with 14 years experience.
Not only that, but every session is delivered alongside Anya, a Specialist Nurse Sonographer, with qualifications in Nursing and a background in newborn care.
Are we midwives or obstetricians? No. But we know this.
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The course is booked as a block of three sessions (occasionally two) and individual sessions are non-transferrable or refundable.
There may be the opportunity to catch-up a missed session privately at an agreed extra cost, availability dependent, at my discretion.
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This course is practical in nature and you will have lots of opportunities to practice things that will help you on your birth & baby adventure.
To make sure you get a feel for as many topics as possible, individual activities do have a time limit. There may be times when you want to spend more time on a specific skill or area (eg: feeding).
If you wanted to include these in your antenatal preparation, I recommend using your discount entitlement to book some private sessions with me, where we can do those activities in your own home.
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Partially: 25% of the cost of your place is a non-refundable deposit. This pays for our costs and booking fees.
if you are unable to come and give us at least 14 days notice, you are entitled to a refund on the total you have paid, minus the 25% of full price deposit.
If you give us less than between 13 and 7 days notice, you are entitled to a refund on the total you have paid, minus the 25% of full price deposit.
If you give us less than 7 days notice, we cannot guarantee any refund.
“If I could go back and do it all again, I’d change nothing. It’s been really useful! It’s helped with birth planning and made me feel more relaxed and confident ... worth doing!”
What else does the course include?
The cost of the course covers all of our face-to-face sessions and refreshments, as well as…
Professionally printed colour antenatal guide featuring all the information covered in the course
Virtual follow-up pack featuring clickable links, videos and FAQs to help with all the topics we’ve covered
A private Whatsapp group to stay in touch with your course mates
A postnatal meet-up when all your babies have been born. (optional)
A direct Whatsapp line to me to ask questions & find out information until your labour begins*
10% off on any further antenatal packages or birth options workshops booked with me.
*office hours (9pm-5pm)
** Price of antenatal course to be deducted from total package cost
