antenatal course
THE ANTENATAL COURSE THAT DOES SO MUCH MORE THAN BIRTH PREP
The Carrying Midwife Antenatal Course brings 16 years of midwifery experience and antenatal education to expecting parents who want more than just a basic antenatal course. This course is designed to inform and empower you with tools to achieve a positive birth experience regardless of mode of birth. In addition, it aims to prepare you for becoming a new parent and the early weeks with your baby.
The course begins with the changes during pregnancy and how we can best prepare our bodies for birth. We cover birth physiology with tips to keep labour progressing and reduce the need for intervention at each stage along with coping tools. We cover every type of birth and prepare for every eventuality. We then cover your recovery with Laura May Physio, an expert women's pelvic health physiotherapist. We cover postnatal planning and all aspects of self-care and baby care with lots of tips and tools!
This course is run from a cosy, intimate setting in my home studio in Claines, Worcester. The space is warm and snug through the winter (with tea, coffee, hot chocolate and snacks always on hand), and for the summer months, we’re fully kitted out with aircon and a beautiful garden setting, surrounded by birds and flowers.
Following on from the antenatal course, you will also be given priority access to sign up to my postnatal course to join after your baby arrives. This is a great place to come for a cuppa and support throughout those early newborn weeks, and connect with even more new parents or maybe even see some familiar faces from your antenatal course. I also offer specialised workshops for starting solids and infant first aid and home safety, a weekly playgroup/sling library called The Carry Community Playgroup and free to join sling and coffee walks.
WHAT'S COVERED
This comprehensive 16-hour group course will prepare you for any type of birth, recovery and early life with your new baby. The course is typically split into 4 or 8 sessions, where we will cover:
Antenatal Course
Understanding pregnancy, labour and physiological Birth:
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The process of labour and birth, hormones and the labour timeline
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Creating the best birth environment to keep labour progressing smoothly
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Decision-making, your birth choices and preferences
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Your options when it comes to your place of birth, home births, waterbirths, birth centres and hospital births
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The role of the birth partner
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Your tools for birth, pain relief and coping mechanisms - including lots of non-medical strategies including aromatherapy and massage
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The importance of an active birth and understanding biomechanics of birth
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What happens after your baby arrives - birth of the placenta, cord clamping, skin-to-skin, vitamin K
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
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Goody bag with treats, discounts and information on local birth and baby services
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A comprehensive, evidence-based handbook which covers everything included in the course and more!
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Plenty of drinks and snacks during each session
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The option to hire a TENS machine, rebozo scarf or peanut ball to help during labour (how to use these tools is covered in the course)
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Access to the Antenatal WhatsApp group chat - which includes all the other couples from your course
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Invitation to join the No Sleep Club WhatsApp group chat - a much larger group chat which includes parents with a variety of experience, who have joined my antenatal and postnatal courses over the years
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Invitations to my exclusive So Sleep Club parties which I host throughout the year
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Ongoing support via WhatsApp for as long as you need me!
BOOK YOUR PLACE
My antenatal courses run every month throughout the year. To make my courses as accessible as possible, I alternate the structure each month:
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Weekend Antenatal Course: 4-hour-long sessions on weekend days, split into 4 sessions in total
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Evening Antenatal Course: 2-hour-long sessions on weekday evenings, split into 8 sessions in total
Check out the dates for the next antenatal courses below:
HOW MUCH IS THE COURSE?
£230
Secure your place with a £50 deposit today
WHY CHOOSE THE CARRYING MIDWIFE?
Led by an experienced midwife
All of the Carrying Midwife courses are led by me, Lisa, a midwife with over 25 years of healthcare experience. During my 16 years of midwifery practice within NHS trusts, I have helped support every type of birth you can think of - from emergency C-sections to hands-off home births and everything in between, I’ve seen it all! I have taken this experience, along with additional training and knowledge outside of the NHS, and transformed it into a comprehensive and accessible antenatal course, which will leave birthing people and their partners feeling informed, confident and excited for the arrival of their baby.
Everything you’ll need is here in one place
My antenatal course is usually just the starting point for a lot of families I support. The families on my antenatal course receive priority access to my postnatal course when their baby arrives. Unlike most providers, I also offer weekly sessions and workshops that are suitable for families long after the 4th trimester, including:
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The Carry Community Playgroup - a weekly sling library and playgroup
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Starting Solids Workshop - suitable for babies around 6 months old
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Infant First Aid and Home Safety Workshop - these are also delivered by me, as an RLSS-trained first aid trainer assessor
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1:1 Babywearing Consultations - for those needing bespoke babywearing advice and guidance
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Sling and coffee walks - FREE sessions to get outside and connect with other parents
Make lifelong friends along the way
Before the course starts, I will invite you to two group chats on WhatsApp:
You will be invited to a WhatsApp group for your course (up to 6 couples). This is the place where I can share specific information about your course, and families can get to know each other throughout the course (and beyond!). As you will be roughly at the same point in your pregnancies, you will likely find that you have a lot in common, and I have found that lots of parents from my antenatal courses will stay in touch with each other long after their baby arrives.
Following the birth, there is the option to join a wider community on WhatsApp called the No Sleep Club, which includes a large number of families that I have supported. This is a great resource for new parents who need reassurance or advice from parents who are further along in their parenthood journeys.
Ongoing individualised support
I believe that all birthing people should be given individualised support throughout their pregnancy and labour. Throughout my career as an NHS midwife, I have always been proud to put this into practice, and naturally, I am passionate about bringing this ethos into my courses and workshops. During the course, I always allow for opportunities for questions and conversations so we can delve deeper into important topics. Before the course starts, I also share my phone number with the group, so if anyone needs to contact me privately, I am available.