Antenatal classes

Since 2013 we’ve been bringing together local expectant parents, to help make their transition to parenthood as smooth and as happy as possible. Education is at our core - we’re obsessed with empowering expectant parents through knowledge - but the magic of Bump and Baby Club lies in the connections and friendships made at our classes. Our groups support each other, laugh and cry together, and stumble and sail their way through new parenthood as a team. Their children are growing up together, bonded by a club they joined as bumps, and we hope their friendships last a lifetime. It is our great privilege to support our members through the life-changing, roller coaster ride of becoming parents and we’re dedicated to providing the best experience possible.

  • We aren’t stuck in the dark ages, using old-fashioned ideas and teaching you much of what you already know. Our emphasis is on the practical, and our teachers draw on the very latest evidence-based research.

    As well as covering all aspects of labour and birth, we address those crucial early days and weeks of parenthood, including plenty of practical tips and advice on how to care for your newborn. And we don’t preach! Whether you’d like a home birth, water birth, epidural or c-section, our course is the place for you. We aim to prepare people for any eventuality in labour and to inspire them to feel great about themselves whatever type of birth they end up having, and whatever style of parenting they choose.

  • Having friends who live locally with babies the same age is invaluable during the early days of parenthood, as well as for many years to come. We make sure everyone’s due dates are around the same time to ensure companionship and support when it counts, and of course a ready-made group of buddies for your babies!

    As well as sharing playdates and precious milestones, Bump & Baby Club babies have gone on holiday together, seen each other though nursery, taken their first steps into big school together and even welcomed baby siblings side by side! We are big on the social side of things and our interactive and sociable experience is the perfect way to make friends for life.

  • We are extremely proud of our carefully selected team of experts. Not only do they have the highest level of qualifications and experience, they are warm, engaging, inspiring and amongst the most well-loved antenatal teachers in the UK.

  • Our friendly and supportive experts are more than happy to answer your questions or talk you through any concerns you may be having after the course has finished and during your first few months with your new baby.

  • All of our antenatal classes take place in-person, for the optimum sociable experience. And to keep the conversation alive outside class hours, we share contact details within the group at the beginning of the course and create a Whatsapp group for everyone to join.

  • Baby first aid is one of the most important things you can learn as an expectant parent and we cover what to do if your baby is unconscious, not breathing or choking. This class is in-person and includes hands-on practice with resuscitation mannequins.

  • Our antenatal course is comprehensive and tailored to the interests of each group. Due to the interactive nature of the classes, the content can vary slightly, so the list below is a guide to the topics we cover:

    Labour, Birth and Baby-care:

    – Final stages of pregnancy and getting ready for birth
    – Early signs of labour and coping at home
    – When to call the midwives/come to the maternity unit
    – Coping with labour: natural strategies and different types of pain-relief medication
    – Birth partner’s role in labour
    – Straightforward birth
    – Induction of labour
    – Ventouse and forceps delivery
    – Caesarean birth
    – Home birth
    – What happens immediately after birth
    – Going home and the early weeks with your baby/babies
    – Practical skills – nappy changing, bathing, swaddling, umbilical cord care and more…
    – How to deal with a crying baby
    – How to encourage a good sleeping and feeding pattern
    – Postpartum healing – how to deal with stitches and sore perineums.
    – Your emotional health

    Breastfeeding and bottle feeding:

    – Getting started
    – Establishing a good milk supply
    – Positioning and technique
    – Recognizing your baby’s/babies feeding cues
    – How to encourage a good sleeping and feeding pattern
    – How to tell if your baby/babies is/are getting enough milk
    – How to manage common breastfeeding problems
    – When to seek advice
    – Expressing milk
    – bottle and formula feeding

    Baby first aid:
    – What to do if your baby is unconscious, not breathing or choking
    – Our in-person course includes hands-on practice with resuscitation mannequins

  • Included in the course package is The Bumplet – our carefully written guide to having a baby. Slicing through the overwhelming amount of info on the internet, The Bumplet addresses essential things to know about becoming a parent and includes useful links for further reading. Mobile friendly and easy to digest, you can pull it up on your phone or print it out for note scribbling – it’s the perfect accompaniment to our classes and a brilliant resource for the months that follow.

  • Included within the price of your antenatal classes is our fantastic complete Hypnobirthing course, which comes with our digital Hypno Handbook. Learn everything there is to know about Hypnobirthing and give yourself the best possible chance of a calm, comfortable and empowering birth. This bonus course is online and pre-recorded, unlike our antenatal classes which take place in-person.

  • After the course has finished we arrange a group get-together at a local pub, where everyone has a drink on us – a final hurrah before the babies arrive!

  • Who to bring

    Our antenatal course is for you and your partner or birth partner. You are extremely welcome to come alone or with a friend or relative.

  • Who’ll be there

    We take a maximum of 20 people per course (ie, 10 pairs) - and groups are arranged so everyone’s due dates are roughly within four weeks of each other.

  • The fee

    This depends on where you take our course. Select your local club using the link below to view our prices. The course fee is for up to two people to attend.

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