Antenatal Information Course For Women And Their Birth Partners

The birth preparation course is run over two Saturdays 9.30 – 4.00, and one evening with a qualified Breastfeeding Counsellor.

The first Saturday is also a great refresher for anyone having their second or subsequent baby. It is a reminder of the three stages of labour and all the practical ways you can help yourself manage the experience effectively. We practise positions for labour, massage etc.

On the first Saturday we concentrate on normal labour, and how best to enable it.

We cover these topics:

• The stages of labour, pre-labour & onset of labour, 1^st stage labour. Transition, 2^nd & 3^rd stage labour.
• What is an ‘Active Birth’? Gain the knowledge and skills to manage labour using you own resources.
• Pain & helping to manage it. Positions, breathing, relaxation & massage for labour.
• The partner’s role. Learn how to be a really effective birth partner.

The breastfeeding evening will be run by a breastfeeding counsellor. It will cover:

• The physiology and benefits of breastfeeding.
• Good positioning for mother and baby.
• Avoiding problems; establishing good breastfeeding practices in the early weeks.
• Partner support for successful breastfeeding.
• Expressing milk.

The breastfeeding counsellor will then be available to you free of charge postnatally, to help you overcome any difficulties you might experience and to give you support.

The second Saturday will cover medical interventions in labour – how to avoid them, how to know when they are necessary, and how to make the best of them.

The day will cover:

• Pharmaceutical pain relief.
• Monitoring the baby during labour.
• Interventions in labour–including induction, acceleration, episiotomy, and forceps.
• Caesarean section.
• The newborn baby.

To book a place on the course email me, Ruth Armes or phone on 020 8395 9435.