Your Guide to Antenatal Classes

Your Guide to Antenatal Classes

At Dimples, we understand that preparing for the arrival of your little one can feel both exciting and overwhelming. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Grace Strange – Midwife and owner/founder of Antenatal Co. to bring you expert insights on what to expect from antenatal classes. With years of experience supporting parents-to-be, Grace shares why these classes are so valuable in preparing you for birth and beyond.

By Grace Strange – Midwife and owner/founder of Antenatal Co.

Antenatal Classes

Antenatal classes are where you and your partner go to learn about all things childbirth and most LMC’s (Lead Maternity Carer’s – your midwife or obstetrician) will recommend that you do an antenatal class, especially if you are pregnant with your first baby.

So, why should you go to an antenatal class?

  • Your LMC doesn’t have time to tell you everything! Antenatal classes play a cruital part in helping prepare you and your partner for your labour, birth and beyond. Yes, your LMC can answer any questions you have about the labour and birth process, but they often don’t have the time to talk you through the intricacies of a vaginal birth or go into detail about what happens in a forceps, ventouse or c-section birth, or discuss all the pain relief options you have and the pros and cons of each. Your LMC relies on you going to antenatal classes to get a good foundation of knowledge and then they can fill in any gaps.
  • You get to ask all the silly questions. You don’t know what you don’t know. In a good antenatal class, you will be presented with lots of different labour and birthing scenarios and situations. These are not to scare you but are so that you can get a clear understanding of what you might encounter on the day of your birth or in those early newborn days, and to give you space to process and to ask questions you might have while in a calm, non-pressure environment. No question is a silly question!
  • You will be prepared for the unexpected. As I alluded to in the point above, sometimes the best laid birth plans don’t go to plan.  It’s important to find an antenatal course that prepares you for not only your dream birth but also for scenarios like c-sections and assisted births. A good antenatal class will give you the space to really process each of these scenarios and have a deep understanding of them so when you’re in the throes of labour and birth and if you are faced with an unexpected scenario, you are able to make a truly informed decision about the next steps.
  • You will make friends for life. Having a baby is a life-changing event and the people that you meet in your antenatal class are the ones who are journeying on the same road as you. These are people whose baby will also be up in the middle of the night, teething, or taking their first steps. Although your other friends might have children, they might not be the exact same age as yours and there is something about the camaraderie of ‘being in the trenches’ with others at the same stage as you that is incredibly bonding and reassuring.  The mother of one of my best friends still meets up with her antenatal ‘coffee group’ 30 years later!

What are my antenatal class options?

  • Free or paid. Most antenatal classes are privately owned and operated and therefore have a fee to attend, however your local hospital might run free antenatal classes. It’s important to investigate your options and be booking your antenatal class in early second trimester. You usually attend an antenatal class around 30-32 weeks pregnant and the really good antenatal classes do sell out quickly so book in asap!
  • One day, a weekend or 6 evenings. All antenatal classes provide around 8-12 hours of education, they are just packaged up in different layouts. Some provide a comprehensive class in one day; others cover everything over a weekend and some are run for 2 hours one week night for 6 consecutive weeks. You need to think about what works for your lifestyle and what you have capacity for. We at Antenatal Co. provide a one day Saturday antenatal class and this is by far the most popular option we’ve ever provided, as people are tired at the end of pregnancy and often don’t have the time to go classes week after week.
  • Antenatal vs specialized. When looking into an antenatal class have a really good look at what they are offering. Some are generic classes that just focus on the labour and birth, some focus on the LGBTQ+ community, some classes like Antenatal Co. major in on not just the labour and birth but also the 4th trimester and preparing for postpartum for both mother, partner and baby and all the practical things that involves. If you are deeply passionate about an unmedicated birth then antenatal classes such as Hypnobirthing and Calmbirth give you wonderful tools to help you during your labour. Often these specific classes just focus on the labour and birth, not the ‘beyond’ so you might like to also do an antenatal class that focuses on the postpartum too, so you have information across the board.

What should I look for in a good antenatal class?

  • The course is taught by a qualified teacher. Antenatal classes are completely unregulated so that means that literally anyone can ‘teach’ an antenatal class. Most classes are taught by antenatal educators who have done a diploma, some are taught by midwives, while some are taught by people who have no qualifications at all. Please make sure you know who is teaching your antenatal class and that you are comfortable with their level of education and knowledge.
  • Is going to teach you everything, not just share their opinion. Make sure you are investing your money in an antenatal class where you are going to learn real information not just hear someone’s opinion. At Antenatal Co. we are passionate about educating couples about all the different ways their baby might be born, all the different ways they might like to feed it and all the different ways they might like to parent it and then empower them to make the best decision for them and their little family. What is right for me is not necessarily right for them. The most important thing is that they feel empowered and supported to make the right decisions for them.
  • You will prepare your relationship. A great antenatal class should give you and partner space and an opportunity to prepare well for birth and life with a baby both physically and mentally. At Antenatal Co. we have a big focus on you and your partner’s relationship and laying a great foundation to thrive in one of the biggest challenges of your lives. Relationship counsellors say it’s the parents’ relationship with each other that has the biggest impact on the children, either positively or negatively. The more you invest in yourselves and growing and strengthening your relationship, the better it is for your children and the stronger your family unit will be.
  • Practically helpful. Seek out a course that not only prepares you for labour and birth but for life once your baby has been born. Labour and birth could last 24-48 hours but parenting lasts a lifetime so find a course that sets you up for the future not just the birth-day. Some important topics to look for are what to pack in your hospital bag, what do I need to buy vs what are luxury items, how to change a nappy, how to bath a baby, how to settle a baby, what can I expect from newborn sleep, what are the different parenting styles, which parenting style do we like, what does a day with a new baby typically look like, what will my birth recovery look like…etc?
  • Dads/partners. Dads often feel a little overwhelmed and helpless in the whole birthing experience and even in those first few months.  However, there are so many ways Dads can not only be involved but also contribute to the overall positivity of the whole childbirth and early parenting experience. Our Antenatal Co. classes are packed full of tips and tricks for dads and really encourages and supports them to practically be empowered on his journey into fatherhood.

Where do I find an antenatal class?

  • Ask around. A personal recommendation from trusted friends or family members is likely to be most successful as they probably have similar taste in antenatal classes as you do and are likely to know what is available in your area. Ask them what they liked most about the antenatal course and why they are recommending it.
  • Midwife, Obstetrician or GP. Your LMC or GP might recommend an antenatal course that their patients have been to and have given good feedback on. Do your own research, investigate each one and make your decision from there.
  • Google! Read all the reviews about the antenatal classes in your area and then contact them if you still have questions.

We are super passionate about antenatal classes and believe a great antenatal class is the best thing you can do to prepare yourself for labour, birth and beyond and will really get this new and exciting season off to a great start where you both feel empowered and have all the tools and knowledge you need as first-time parents.

Antenatal Co. - Antenatal education designed by midwife Grace Strange, to prepare you and your partner for labour, birth and beyond. Full of knowledge, experience and practical how-tos, you’ll get the tools you need to empower you to birth and parent the way you want.

www.antenatal.co.nz

https://www.instagram.com/antenatalco/