Birth Preparation Workshops & Classes

Birth Preparation Workshops and classes help you to prepare for the birth of your baby. Couples, including lesbian couples, and single women (attending on their own or with a friend or birth partner) are very welcome to attend these classes. If you have a special requirement or request, please contact me.

Birth Preparation Classes

Birth Preparation Classes (or Antenatal Classes) take place over a number of weeks and allow you to meet and bond with a small group of expectant parents, to discuss and plan for labour, birth and parenting. You'll discuss self-help strategies, how birth partners can support the woman in labour and how you'll parent your baby.

You'll get the chance to input into the course content at the start of the course - so if you're really keen to talk about water birth, home birth or caesarean birth, we can cover it. We'll also look at breathing techniques, massage, positions for labour and birth and relaxation - all of which may lead to a more straightforward birth. For more information about what's covered, see our FAQs section.

Each course costs £120 per couple and includes five evening classes, a Saturday morning workshop (see below) and a women only coffee morning session (date & time to be agreed to suit you) at which we'll chat about life with a baby and address any issues that weren't covered in other classes.

Classes are running in Ely on the following dates:

May/June 2010 (Wednesday evenings: 12th, 19th, 26th May, 2nd, 9th June + workshop on Saturday 29th May) Ideal for late June/ July/ August babies.

July/August 2010 (Wednesday evenings: 28th July, 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th August + workshop on Saturday 14th August) Ideal for September/ October/ November babies.

October/November 2010 (Wednesday evenings: 20th, 27th October, 3rd, 10th, 17th November + workshop on Saturday 13th November) Ideal for December/ January babies.

Course

Yoga for Birth Workshops take place on Saturday mornings (10.00am - 12.30pm) at the Old Dispensary in Ely and allow you to find out how to use yoga to prepare for birth, including breathing, stretching, massage and relaxation techniques. Bring along your partner, husband, friend or Mum! Women can attend in the second or third trimester of pregnancy.

Forthcoming dates are:
Saturday 13th March 2010
Saturday 29th May 2010
Saturday 3rd July 2010
Saturday 14th August 2010
Saturday 2nd October 2010
Saturday 13th November 2010

Each workshop costs £30 per couple. If you attend birth preparation classes, your course includes a place on this workshop (date will be confirmed when you book your classes).

Dates

One-to-one classes are also available for couples who can't attend group classes. These last for 2 hours and either take place in my home at a cost of £60 per class or in the couple's home at a cost of £75. Please enquire about one-to-one classes.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What kind of things will we talk about & do in classes?
What's the difference between these & other antenatal classes?
My partner can't come to classes - can I come on my own?
When is the best time to start antenatal classes?
What support do you offer after the classes?

What kind of things will we talk about & do in classes?

Classes will look at labour and birth, what happens for Mum and baby and things to look out for (answering questions such as 'How will I know I'm in labour?' and 'When should I call a midwife?'). Whether you're planning a home birth or hospital birth or have a planned caesarean section, you'll learn how to prepare for birth, positions that may be useful in pregnancy, labour and birth; the role of the birth partner; breathing, relaxation and massage techniques; self-help; coping with the intensity of contractions; how to be fully involved in decisions around labour and birth; breastfeeding, baby care skills and what to expect during the early days, weeks and months as a parent.
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What's the difference between these & other antenatal classes?

If you're a first time Mum, you may have been offered NHS antanatal classes. These usually run over two to four sessions with a reasonably large group. Bumps to Babies classes run with a maximum of six couples and with six sessions, which gives you plenty of time to get to know the others on the course, and to chat about your own feelings about labour and birth. We run a combination of evening and daytime sessions, designed to give you time to take part in all kinds of different activities.
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My partner can't come to classes - can I come on my own?

You are very welcome to come to any classes and workshops on your own or with a partner, birth partner, friend or relative.
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When is the best time to start antenatal classes? 

You'll probably get the most from your antenatal classes if you attend between 25 - 35 weeks of pregnancy. Classes in Ely book up fairly quickly so if you'd like to book in earlier to make sure you don't miss a course, please contact us to chat about it.
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What support do you offer after the classes?

As soon as you book a course, you can contact us for information and support. We'll provide you with plenty of information during the classes and you can always ask for more specific information. You can borrow books from our large library of pregnancy and parenting books. After the course finishes and you've all had your babies, we arrange to meet up for a formal reunion and to meet each other again and introduce your babies.   
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