Group Sessions
Why Group Sessions?
Group Sessions offer a whole different set of advantages, but perhaps the ‘cherry on the cake’ is a new and fresh group of friends you didn’t even know you needed!
They’re all delightful and lovely, like-minded, at the same life stage as you, and suddenly have become incredibly important to you and your partner. As the classes unfold, you feel your connection and closeness growing as you learn about so many new ideas, discuss novel concepts and share deep emotions and feelings. How could you not bond as you experience the build-up to this life-changing moment of having a baby and, as a group, forge precious memories together at the start of a new chapter in all your lives?
Another plus of Group Sessions is hearing other people’s stories, which you may never normally come across. These deepen your understanding of pregnancy and, as your fellow classmates open up, help you acknowledge your own feelings and normalise your worries and anxieties which previously felt so unfamiliar and intense. Importantly, you also learn different coping strategies to use during birth, labour and postnatally.
It’s also very important that your partner feels involved and my courses go all out to include them so they also feel fully prepared to take on the role of your birth partner (which includes feeling confident and well-informed as your advocate and helping you liaise with the midwives and doctors), ready to work with you to achieve the best birth for you and your baby.
Within the group, you and your partner can reflect on birth and ready yourselves for parenthood, exploring the changes a baby will make to your lives and relationship, and prepare yourselves for the transition from being a couple to becoming a family.
I always emphasise that any question, be it big or small, is better aired and I encourage people to ask all their questions. Together we usually find a way to understand everyone’s issues more clearly, get perspective, and put any worries to rest. And, of course, as a group, we always set ‘house rules’ creating a confidential environment where each person feels valued, safe and cared for.
Where do I Teach?
Usually in my home in North West London where I make it warm and cosy so you’ll feel comfortable, relaxed and able to open up in a confidential and safe atmosphere. Also, lots of TLC and yummy biscuits supplied! I also do classes by zoom and, actually, it works remarkably well! Nothing replaces face to face but zoom is a very good second best option.
When to take the course
Most people take their course when about 7 to 8 months pregnant, although people can attend as early as 6 months, especially if it’s a matter of fitting the classes into a busy schedule.
It has been known for couples to leave it as late as the 9th month – though that’s not to be advised! You certainly don’t want me running after you into the Maternity Unit still explaining about the breathing through an open and relaxed mouth!
However, whenever you decide to take the course, people usually book it when about 4 or 5 months pregnant, so then they can relax, safe in the knowledge their course is ready and waiting and they’ll hear all the info they need at the right time.
What's Covered - Course Content
Over my 25 years’ of teaching I’ve learnt what works and with my NCT training (the gold standard when it comes to antenatal teaching) behind me I aim to give you the very best preparation on all fronts – medical, emotional and practical – for your starring role as new parents, through a variety of teaching, discussion and activities.
Antenatal Classes help you realise birth is, quite simply, a natural physiological triumph of nature and women already have everything they need. In fact, I feel I’m just reacquainting you with this inherent knowledge which will feel familiar and wonderful!
While birth is a natural phenomenon, you also need practical, hands-on information to help you deal with labour, pain management, interventions, caesareans and, importantly, how to choose the right and most effective pain relief for you. All this vital info is, of course, included in spades.
Everything is aimed at providing you with – the holy grail of childbirth education – Informed Choice: finding your strengths, knowing your options and making your choices every step along the way. And, I also want to know what’s important to you and your partner, so I can ensure all your issues are covered.
Clarity of information is equally important, as knowledgeable and relaxed parents-to-be will have a better birth, so I always encourage all couples to probe and clarify points, ensuring you understand everything completely.
Topics cover the ‘whole kit and caboodle’! From late pregnancy through to labour, from birth to breastfeeding and those heady first days of early parenting. Here’s a rough class content, although each course may be slightly differently constructed:
Class 1
- Antenatal care – ways to understand and improve it
- Learning about Informed Choice – knowing your choices; your strengths for your birth
- Understanding the amazing role of hormones
- Looking at mum’s growing uterus
- Understanding the three stages of labour
- Exploring the advantages of upright positions and movement for first stage
- Examining the structure of the pelvis, baby’s head and his position in the womb
Class 2
- Learning about the natural physiology of a woman’s body to adapt to labour and birth
- Breathing awareness and relaxation to aid a calmer labour and birth
- Hypnotherapy techniques to deal with fears and anxieties to help you relax, stay calm and in control
- Birth plans – making them, changing them and knowing when to ditch them!
- Emotions during Pregnancy – as experienced not just by mum, but her partner too!
- Anatomy and physiology of first stage of labour
- Liaising and communicating with midwives and medical professionals to achieve your best birth
Class 3
- Understanding contractions, taking away the fear and working with them
- When to go to hospital and what happens when you get there
- Getting to know your inner ‘birth partner’ – your baby!
- Understanding the role of contractions and pain and how to manage it
- Knowing everything about all forms of pain relief and what’s good for you
- Acknowledging self-help methods of pain relief and when/how to use them
- The role of the birth partner as a crucial support during labour
- Hands on ideas to empower the birth partner
Class 4
- Transition and fully understanding the second stage of labour
- Everything you need to know about the birth itself
- Breast and baby feeding overview – finding what’s right for you and making it work
- Postnatal life, including awareness of postnatal depression and how to deal with it
- Loving mum’s postnatal body
- Understanding interventions and helping to minimise them
- Making a caesarean-section a positive way to bring your baby into the world
Class 5
- Role of men as dads
- Third stage of labour and the first few hours with your new baby
- Exploring the range of emotions at birth – the good, the bad and the unexpected!
- Understanding the Apgar score
- Practical strategies for coping with the ups and downs of the early days with your precious new baby
- Recap of breathing; upright positions and movement
- Summary and review of everything learnt throughout the course
Information Sheets to Have at Home
At the end of the course, I’ll send you a comprehensive pack of Information Sheets for you to keep and study in your own time.
Let’s face it, being pregnant is not easy (you’re tired, uncomfortable and your mind’s not as razor sharp as it was!) and during classes it’s a tad tricky concentrating (and not dozing off!). But, no worries, you can relax and still know (if you miss a point or two) you’ll receive all the relevant info to pore over in your own time.
The varied sheets (about 60 of them!) are inclusive in the one-off course fee and cover subjects from the sessions and more. And, of course, in-between classes you can call me, literally anytime (no jokes, I’ve had women calling during labour!).
Reunion
And then, there’s ‘The Reunion’, after the babies are born. This is the highlight of the whole course. Firstly, it brings the whole group back together and you all get to meet the little stars who have finally made their appearance in the world. Secondly, I love meeting the bonny, bouncing babies and who, I’m convinced, all recognise my voice! And thirdly, it satisfyingly ‘rounds-off’ the whole antenatal experience as it flows into ‘getting the hang of early parenting’ – setting you up for being the most brilliant parents on planet earth.
So, once your baby is born we compare diaries (you’ll need 48 hours in a day) and set a date when everyone converges at my place, babies/buggies/bibs & bobs for a lovely little shindig together.
