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You wouldn’t take your ‘A’ levels without a bit of revision, so why approach the biggest event of your life without doing any preparation? The good news is antenatal classes aren’t about being lectured on breathing and breastfeeding in a draughty village hall, these days there’s a class to suit everyone. To help you decide which to choose, here’s an at-a-glance guide
If you just want the basics.... book hospital classes
The experts say parentcraft classes are all about informing and preparing mums-to-be. If you feel prepared, birth is a much less worrying prospect.
At the hospitalclasses you do a course of three to six weekly parentcraft sessions, led by one of the midwives at your hospital.
The classes focus on everything from pregnancy niggles to the stages of labour and your pain-relief options. There’s usually a session on bathing, holding and feeding a newborn.
The big plus is you’ll probably get to have a nose round the labour ward – which makes it less scary when you revisit it in more contracting circumstances.
There are some drawbacks though: these sessions are often daytime-only, so your partner may not be able to come. The groups are usually big and can be impersonal. And some hospitals no longer have the resources to run any courses at all.
The biggest pro with the hospital antenatal classes is they are completely free.
If you’re planning a natural birth... book Active Birth classes
You attend a one-day Active Birth Workshop or a full weekend’s Preparing For Labour and Birth course.
These classes focus on understanding the birth process and ways to make it as natural as possible, using massage, meditation and relaxation. You’ll practise lots of birth positions and learn breathing techniques. The weekend course also covers water birth and has a special session for fathers-to-be.
Among the pluses of these courses is that the groups are small and the teaching is inspired - and inspiring. The Active Birth Centre in London also offers lots of other great stuff, including reflexogy, massage and yoga in pregnancy classes.
How much does it cost? £75 for the one-day workshop (£130 per couple); £175 per person for the weekend course.
If you fancy something indulgent... book a weekend course
You and your partner spend a weekend at a luxury hotel, where, in between the gourmet meals and spa treatments, you get down to the antenatal essentials.
Courses are tailored to the group’s needs (everyone is sent a questionnaire to fill out before the course begins) but include recognising the signs and stages of labour, understanding pain-relief options, and learning relaxation techniques.
The best bits are the gorgeous venue (much nicer than a hospital meeting room) and the chance to have time away as a couple before the baby’s born.
And the drawbacks? It’s a lot to take in over one weekend. You may not feel like travelling far/eating rich food if you are very pregnant.
The cost depends on the hotel and the company running the course.
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