Looking for antenatal classes in Brighton? Towards the end of your second trimester is the perfect time to start looking.
Not only are antenatal classes a fantastic way to get the information you need in preparation for your birth and the postnatal period, they’re also a great opportunity to meet other like minded parents-to-be.
As one of the newest providers of antenatal classes in Brighton, expectant parents often ask us what they can expect from our courses.
You may have questions like ‘what topics will I learn about?’, ‘where will the classes be held in Brighton?’, ‘do I need to bring anything or anyone to the Brighton antenatal classes?’
Which is why we thought we’d put together a one-stop what-to-expect blog post to answer any questions you may have about attending antenatal classes in Brighton with us.
1. Cutting edge antenatal topics
You wouldn’t believe how many antenatal topics most expectant parents don’t get the chance to learn about when they’re preparing for their little one’s arrival.
Not having access to the latest, evidence-led information on things like stem cell banking and delayed cord clamping means that you could be missing out on the huge benefits these could bring to you and your baby.
One of the most important topics we feel you should know about before birth, and one we’re particularly passionate about, is upright birthing.
What is upright birthing?
It’s an age-old technique that makes for a safer, healthier, less painful birth experience.
Upright birthing involves assuming a position for birth that feels most comfortable, for you. This could be, but isn’t limited to, sitting, squatting, standing, being on all-fours, or a combination of all of these throughout the birthing process.
Incredibly, upright birthing has been shown to reduce the risk of emergency c-sections by 29%, the risk of medical interventions by 23%, the risk of baby becoming distressed during labour by 54%, and the chances of needing a cut to the perineum by 21%. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Despite being recommended by the World Health Organization and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, upright birthing remains an obscure topic for a lot of expectant mums.
However, we hope that by including upright birthing, and other cutting edge antenatal topics, in our Brighton antenatal classes we help to spread awareness about their importance and proven benefits to more mums-to-be in Brighton.
2. Expert teaching from a local midwife
Our antenatal classes in Brighton are taught by a fantastic, local, NMC qualified midwife called Saskia.
A community homebirth midwife, currently working for the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Saskia has over 22 years of experience as a midwife, working in a range of hospitals (and countries) to help guide parents in learning about their options when it comes to pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.
Living and working in Brighton, Saskia has an encyclopaedic knowledge of where and how to give birth in Brighton, from birthing centres and home births to hospitals, Saskia’s all-round experience means you couldn’t be in safer hands.
Here’s what she has to say:
“Hey there, I’m Saskia, and I teach antenatal classes in Brighton at WRAP on Queen’s Road.
“I’m currently a midwife working at The Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. Before this, I was a midwife at The Royal Free in London, and I’ve also mentored midwifery students in Amsterdam alongside my midwifery practice supporting families.
“Attend classes with me in Brighton, and not only will I be here to answer your burning questions and turn those nerves into know-how, but you’ll also get the chance to connect with other like-minded parents.
Expect some genuine talk, a bit of fun, and a lot of practical advice.
I can’t wait to meet you in class!”
P.S. Saskia’s top tip for preparing for your antenatal classes in Brighton is to bring your Parents Guide with you to each session, so you can make notes and build a birth plan (if that’s something you want to do as part of preparing for birth).
3. Evidence-led, without bias
We’ve developed the modules of our antenatal classes in Brighton to reflect two key principles we believe are fundamental to the quality of the information you can expect to receive.
The first of these is that the information we give you is backed by the latest evidence and most up-to-date science.
When being advised on topics like induction or cardinal movements, you want to know that the information you’re getting is backed by scientific evidence.
That’s why when you book antenatal classes in Brighton with us, you’ll receive a full list of references and resources in your own copy of The Parents Guide. This will be sent to you in the post at the moment of signing up to a course, and you’ll get access online too, so you know exactly where we’re getting our information from.
The second is that we won’t provide you with biased information, or information with any kind of agenda.
Of course, every midwife and every antenatal teacher will have their own opinions.
But by giving you the latest evidence on all the topics you’ll be able to make informed choices for yourself without having to rely on just one person’s point of view.
It’s not our place to make these decisions for you, we’re here to give you the information so you can make confident choices.
4. A friendly, welcoming environment
Our Brighton antenatal classes are held at the WRAP space in Brighton, just down from Brighton Station on Queen’s Road.
Their comfortable and cosy meeting rooms are the perfect place to meet and share a cup of tea or coffee with other mums and dads-to-be whilst you learn about everything from diet and nutrition during pregnancy all the way through to adjusting to life with a newborn.
Saskia will set up a bunch of workshops so you can really get involved if you like the hands-on approach (optional of course if you prefer to sit back and watch!), plus plenty of time to chat and discuss any worries or questions you may have with both Saskia, and other parents in your class.
We also schedule a post-birth meet-up, so you can get together with the other parents who attended the same antenatal course as you once your baby is born.
5. When should I book an antenatal class in Brighton?
We recommend that you look to book our Brighton antenatal classes at around 20 weeks to start when you’re at 32 weeks.
This way you won’t have to worry about the class getting booked up, or about having enough time to complete the six-week course in time before baby comes.
But if you’d find it more beneficial to get all the information you need in one go, or are looking to book for late on in your pregnancy, we also have the option to complete the six modules of the course in just one weekend.
Take a look at our schedule of upcoming antenatal classes in Brighton to find a date and time that suits your due date and availability.
Ready to start your journey to a safer, healthier birth?
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