Frequently Asked Questions about Birth Matters antenatal courses.
1) What is covered in a Birth Matters course?
2) Who teaches Birth Matters antenatal classes?
3) What is the difference between NHS, NCT classes and Birth Matters courses?
4) Can my partner attend classes too?
5) I’m a solo mother to be. Will I feel uncomfortable in a childbirth class full of couples?
6) When should I do my classes?
7) Do I have to live in locally to do the classes?
8) Where and when are the Birth Matters courses held?
9) How many couples are on each Birth Matters course?
10) How much do the classes cost?
11) Can I get time off work to attend classes?
12) How will I know that I’ve been allocated a place on a course?
13) What happens after my place has been confirmed?
14) I can’t get a place on one of your courses. What can I do?
1) What is covered in a Birth Matters course?
Topics covered include:
• Changes during pregnancy
• The stages of labour
• Pain management options
• Medical aspects of birth
• Positioning for birth
• The role of the birth partner
• What to take to hospital
• How to improve the labour room environment
• Care for you after your baby is born
• Early days of parenting including feeding and babycare
The classes are informal and questions are encouraged so other topics may arise during the course.
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2) Who teaches Birth Matters antenatal classes?
All of our Birth Matters antenatal teachers and breastfeeding counsellors undergo a thorough training with the National Childbirth Trust. All our teachers have been registered with the NCT and are required to keep up to date with the developments in their field. The role of the teachers is to offer support, information, practical skills and resources to help parents make informed choices for themselves and their babies. Teachers are not usually medically qualified and do not offer medical advice. Parents are asked to take any questions about medical care of mother and baby to their midwife or doctor. All of our teachers have children so have a wealth of personal experience.
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3) What is the difference between NHS, NCT classes and Birth Matters courses?
Birth Matters courses are much smaller than NHS classes. Birth Matters courses typically last 18 hours so there is time to fully educate couples about the labour and birth experience. There is more time for individual questions and gives more chance for a group to bond. Meeting up in each others’ homes after the classes is also easier as a small group.
Often NHS courses are rolling classes where attendees can start when they like and attend for as many or as few as they feel they need to. The defined start and end dates of Birth Matters courses allow the group the chance to grow together and lasting friendships are usually formed.
Unlike NHS classes, Birth Matters classes are not linked to any hospital and teachers will be able to give you full details of the range of hospital and homebirth options open to you locally.
BirthMatters courses are taught independently of the NCT so that we can run
classes using teachers who live locally. We have teachers based in
Marlow, Maidenhead, Windsor, Slough, Burnham, Farnham Common, Chalfont
St Peter, Gerrards Cross and Beaconsfield and as such we are
able to group couples according to their locality. This means you are
likely to meet other couples that live near to you due at a similar time.
Our teachers have been running local classes very successfully for many
years and are very familiar with maternity and postnatal services
across their area. All of our teachers are NCT trained and we do
encourage membership of the NCT as a way to meet and socialise with
other parents......
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4) Can my partner attend classes too?
Yes! The courses are aimed at couples to encourage partners to get involved with the pregnancy and to understand what will happen in labour. Attendance is not compulsory and not all partners make it to all of the sessions. Some sessions within course are pre-planned as women only sessions.
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5) I’m a solo mother to be. Will I feel uncomfortable in a childbirth class full of couples?
We hope not. In our classes we have solo mothers, same sex couples, older first time parents and couples where one partner already has children. You are very welcome to bring a support person to the classes, for example your mother, a sister or a friend.
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6) When should I do my classes?
We like to book couples on to courses where the other couples have similar due dates. We look for a class that takes place in the third trimester and finishes no later than 2 to 3 weeks before your due date and there is usually a spread of 1 month across everyone’s due date.
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7) Do I have to live in locally to do the classes?
Couples usually live in the same town as the class or in the nearby villages. We like to book you on to a course with couples who live near you as one of the benefits of the course is the social interaction after the babies are born. Occasionally we book couples from further away if there is no space for them on a local course. If you are enquiring from further away do look at your local options first.
The contact details for other local Birth Matters antenatal courses are:
Email info@our-birthmatters.co.uk or telephone • Marlow and Maidenhead Telephone 07005 803693
• Windsor, Slough, Taplow, Burnham & Farnham Common Telephone 07005 938401
• Beaconsfield, the Chalfonts and Gerrards Cross Telephone 07039 400484
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8) Where and when are the Birth Matters courses held?
The courses are taught in local halls and teachers homes. Venue details of all courses are sent with the booking form.
There is usually at least one course in every area every month and sometimes we may run an extra course to meet demand. First timer courses are typically 16 hours, though the formats vary, and occasionally we offer shorter 12 hour courses. Refresher courses are 8 hours long. The course schedules vary between area so it is best to ask what formats are available for your due date.
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9) How many couples are on each Birth Matters course?
There are usually 8 or 9 couples on first timers courses. The number on a refresher course varies more.
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10) How much do the classes cost?
First timer £180 for a 18 hour course
Refresher £95 for an 8 hour course
We try to offer reduced rates for parents receiving benefits. Please enquire with the booking clerk who will manage your enquiry in strict confidence.
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11) Can I get time of work to attend classes?
Your employer cannot 'unreasonably refuse' you paid time off to attend antenatal care classes during working hours when you are pregnant. This includes time travelling to and from the appointments. Parent craft and relaxation classes can be included in the term 'antenatal care', but you may find it helpful to show your employer proof from your GP or midwife that states that these classes are part of your care. You should request the time off rather than assume you can take it. Your employer has the right to ask that you produce proof from your GP, health visitor or midwife that you have an antenatal care appointment. If they ask you for this proof and you are unable to provide it, then they have the right to refuse you the time off. You are not under any obligation to make up the 'lost' hours to your employer at a later date.
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12) How will I know that I’ve been allocated a place on a course?
After your initial enquiry we will send you details for a suitable course or a choice of courses. You will be pencilled in to the course best suited to your location and due date. You then have up to 14 days to reply and as soon as we receive your completed booking form and cheque we will send you a confirmation email for the course you have chosen. It helps to decide quickly to secure a space on a course/format of your first choice. If there are no more spaces left on the chosen course we will contact you to offer an alternative if available or to discuss other options such as courses in neighbouring areas etc.
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13) What happens after my place has been confirmed?
After we have confirmed your place on the course you will not hear from us again until a week before the course start date when we will email you a reminder. Details of class participants will be forwarded to the antenatal teacher about a week before the class starts. If you have any questions you can get in touch with the booking clerk at any time.
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14) I can’t get a place on one of your courses. What can I do?
Birth Matters courses are highly regarded and extremely popular. They are small classes, usually limited to 9 per class. Women are usually told about them by the midwife at their 12 week appointment. If you want to book, it is advisable to do so straightaway.
If you are too late, do ask for your name to be put on a waiting list as places do sometimes come up if couples move to earlier or later classes. If the waiting list is long we will consider running an extra course. The booking clerk can help you make enquiries with other local Birth Matters courses. If you do confirm a place elsewhere be sure to tell the booking contact so she can remove you from the waiting list. Or you could ask the bookings contact about private one to one sessions which some teachers offer.
If you have any questions at any time please contact the Birth Matters booking clerk.
e: info@our-birthmatters.co.uk
t: 07005803693
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