Antenatal courses

Why preparation matters

I believe birth is part of a season in your life that brings a lot of change. Preparing for that season is one of the most valuable things you can do.

I know this from my own experience. I was terrified of birth and convinced I would find it re-traumatising. But it was in-depth preparation, and individualised support from my midwife, that helped me explore different coping strategies and see that birth could be positive.

Antenatal education is a big part of that preparation. It helps you understand how birth works, how the maternity system works, and the evidence behind what you’re told, so you can make informed decisions at any stage of pregnancy, labour and birth.

I designed The Nesting Season so that many of its topics are the ones I would cover in antenatal sessions if I were your doula. You get that depth of preparation, whether or not you book a birth package.

I also teach HypnoBirthing® – The Mongan Method, the original method centred on self-hypnosis as a programme designed for reframing negative feelings and fears towards birth, and understanding how the body is designed to facilitate physiological birth.

Prices at a glance

	Group class	One-to-one
The Nesting Season™	£575 per family (in person). Online: price on request	£870
HypnoBirthing® – The Mongan Method	£455 per family (in person only)	£740

Prices are per family, so your birth companion joins you at no extra cost.

One-to-one sessions take place in your home.

The Nesting Season™

Evidence-based antenatal education that is free of any one birth philosophy and centres you and how you feel about this change in your life. It’s a class for adults, where you’re treated like adults. We go through the evidence behind the things you’re told about preparing for birth and caring for a newborn.

It suits you especially if you want in-depth preparation like the kind I’d give as your doula, but you’re not sure about a birth package.

What we cover

The course runs over 5 weekly sessions, each lasting approximately 2.5 hours. Each session ends with something practical to take home, so by the end you’ve built your own birth preferences and postpartum plan.

• Session 1: Who you’re becoming.
  • What matrescence and patrescence are, and how your identity and the relationships in your life shift when you become a parent.
  • How the human body is designed to give birth, and how the modern maternity and perinatal system works.
  • The importance of informed decision-making, strategies for coping with information overload, and how to recognise misinformation.
• Session 2: Early and active labour.
  • A deeper dive into informed decision-making, practicing self-advocacy and asking clarifying questions, and exploring the role of birth companions.
  • How the body prepares for labour and how to recognise the signs of labour.
  • Exploring choices for where to labour and give birth – within and outside of the NHS system, and how to make any setting feel supportive.
• Session 3: Pain, relief and decisions.
  • Reflections around what “pain” is in the context of labour and birth
  • Pharmacological and non-pharmacological mechanisms for coping with sensation of labour and birth.
  • Methods of induction and augmentation of labour, a walkthrough of the “cascade of interventions” and how to decide when and how they apply to your birth.
• Session 4: Birth and the first hours.
  • Overview of vaginal birth, how the birthing baby and baby work in tandem
  • Overview of assisted and caesarean birth, how they apply in a planned or emergency situation
  • What the placenta is, how it is birth physiologically or through managed third stage, and options for what to do with the placenta
  • What happens during the golden hour after birth (for the person who has given birth and the baby) and its importance in recovery and bonding.
• Session 5: Your new life.
  • The importance of physical and emotional recovery, recognising the signs of postpartum depression in all parents, and options for seeking support.
  • Postpartum nutrition and infant feeding – exploring options including breastmilk and formula.
  • Demystifying sleep for parents and babies, understanding what safe sleeping looks like and options for building rest into your routine as a new parent.
  • Navigating the healthcare system and milestones in the first year.

HypnoBirthing® – The Mongan Method

The original HypnoBirthing® method, centred on self-hypnosis. It suits you if you want another coping strategy for labour that promotes deep relaxation, or a positive way of framing pregnancy, labour and birth. I’m the facilitator of your own ability to reach deep relaxation.

It’s particularly helpful if you’re preparing for a physiological birth. The tools for deep relaxation can also be used if you plan to have interventions or a caesarean birth.

Taught in person, in a small group or one-to-one, over five weeks. You receive a copy of the book, a handout for class and your own preparation at home, and MP3 relaxation tracks.

What we cover

• Week 1: Setting the stage.
  How your uterus works in labour, how fear and tension affect it, and how your mind and body talk to each other. You’ll start learning breathing and relaxation, and begin building positive pictures of birth.
• Week 2: Falling in love with your baby.
  Bonding before birth, choosing your care providers and building a partnership with them. You’ll deepen your relaxation, release fears and prepare your body for birth.
• Week 3: Going deeper.
  Longer visualisations for labour and birth. We also look at the estimated due date, preparing your birth preferences, how your body prepares for labour, and your options around induction and a breech baby.
• Week 4: Understanding labour.
  The signs labour is starting, what happens in each phase, and how to stay comfortable. We cover your birth companion’s role in supporting and speaking up for you, and you’ll rehearse your birth through imagery.
• Week 5: Birthing and beyond.
  Positions for labour and birth, breathing as your baby descends, the first hour after birth, feeding, bonding and the fourth trimester.

Not sure which course is right for you?

If you’d like to talk it through first, you can book a free connection call.

Questions you might have