Our Blog
We are really pleased to find the perfect new venue for our meet ups!
At Antenatal Academy, we believe wholeheartedly in your right to autonomy throughout your pregnancy and birth. It is your body and your baby. In order to support you to step into this power with confidence, we want to make sure you have everything you need to make informed, evidence-based decisions for you and your baby. We hear a lot of 'I've been told I'm not allowed to.....' and 'they won't let me...', but the truth is that you always have a choice and having an understanding of all the risks, benefits and alternatives, will make you feel far happier with your decisions and the birth experience that you have. Key points to remember: 🧡 It is your body, your baby, your birth 💚 You can ask for time to consider the options once you have been given all the information 💙 You do not have to justify your decisions to anyone - 'No.' can be a complete sentence ❤️ Our course will give you the tools and knowledge to navigate your way to a really positive birth experience Helen & Debbie Antenatal Academy
Well it is difficult to choose just 3 things I wish I’d known as a new parent! There are so many things I have learned, some the hard way in my own parenting, and lots more by supporting so many new parents as a postnatal doula. In our Antenatal Academy classes, we cover a whole range of knowledge and practical skills to take into looking after newborns and your parenting journey. Most importantly, we want you to know you aren’t alone; parenting can be hard, whilst also being wonderful. Attending our group course will give you the opportunity to begin to build a support network and friendships with other parents-to-be. Helen Fortes Antenatal Academy
Often we know that it is important to keep ourselves well and healthy during pregnancy, but it can be difficult to work out how to take that time out for self care, so we have pulled together some top tips to help: 1. Eat well. No doubt you will be discovering how hard it can be to eat a balanced and nutritious diet during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, but whenever you can physically stomach it, make sure you eat well. It is important to get nutritious food into your diet as it will help you feel better and it will help your baby grow and develop as it should be. 2. Exercise or be active as much as you can. Our bodies are designed to be active during pregnancy, exercise will help you become stronger and more flexible, which may make labour and birth easier. Being active will also help lift your mood. Try to get outside as much as you can, especially in the winter as it will really help to boost your feel-good hormones. Yoga classes and swimming are great exercises for pregnancy, so we always recommend getting in your local pool and finding your local antenatal yoga practitioner. 3. Listen to your body. If your body says its time to have a break then listen, rest and even take time out of your day for a little nap, you will often find yourself completely revitalized after a 15-minute lie down! We also recommend regular massage by a professional masseuse if you can, or even encourage your birth partner to massage your neck, shoulders and back, and/or feet to help loosen those muscles and calm your mind at the same time. You will also find that taking a few days away from home for a Babymoon with your partner or attending a pregnancy retreat will help you make time for you and your baby. 4. A healthy mind will help you to have a healthy pregnant body. Practising relaxation, mindfulness or hypnobirthing techniques always has a knock-on effect on your body and your baby. Simply taking time out to focus on relaxing all your muscles or listening to a calming guided relaxation will make a big difference to your overall wellbeing. 5. Don’t forget to do some fun stuff too! Make time in your diary for activities or projects that boost your feel-good hormones, whether it’s crafting, dog-walking, coffee with your friends or going to the movies, spending time having fun will always be a good move for you and your baby’s health. Debbie and Helen Antenatal Academy
Pregnancy anxiety, top 5 tips to reduce pregnancy worries
So THIS happened after Pregnancy Support Group in Bury St Edmunds this week.. our cafe natter all about pooing in labour !! 💩 Key takeaway is that it is completely normal and midwives see it all the time, so please don't worry about it. Excuse the giggles! Click on the Photo and our video on Facebook will open up. Debbie & Helen Antenatal Academy 💙
We had such a great turnout for our August Bumps & Babies Picnic at Nowton Park in Bury St Edmunds yesterday! At Antenatal Academy we believe that having babies is not just about education and empowerment but also about community. We love organising free meet ups so that our parents can see and chat to their fellow class mates but also those in other classes too. We also open it up to anyone who wants to join us, for example those who are interested in attending classes in the future and those couples that I have worked with through Hypnobirthing courses and those that Helen has supported with her Birth and Postnatal Doula work. A chance for everyone to get together and have a good old natter - and of course a chance for Helen and I to cuddle babies too! Keep an eye out on our socials for the next one. Debbie Antenatal Academy
Ready for lots of pregnancy, birth and baby discussions at our free recent meet up
Yes. You have the right to choose where you give birth. You can choose to give birth in a hospital, in a birth centre, or at home. A birth centre is a maternity unit that is run by midwives. It can be part of a hospital or completely separate. Here is some great advice from www.birthrights.org.uk 'Your NHS trust may automatically book you into a hospital or birth centre. You can ask to discuss this and make your own choice. A healthcare professional may say you ‘need’ or ‘have’ to give birth in a hospital. You can ask them why they think this. What medical reasons do they have for this advice? You do not have to agree with them. In some cases, there may be restrictions on your right to choose a hospital or birth centre. However, no-one can make you give birth away from home if you want to stay at home.' Which? also have some great information about your local maternity services: www.which.co.uk/reviews/birthing-options Have you thought about where you want to give birth? You cannot predict how your baby's birth is going to unfold, but you can equip yourself with the knowledge and the techniques to help you navigate whatever birth journey your baby takes you on. In this weeks' Antenatal Academy class we went through the questions to ask when interventions are suggested or you experience a change in circumstances during labour (such as a potential transfer from home to hospital!), how to make decisions that help make your birth experience a positive one, no matter what happens along the way. Our aim for you and your birth partner is for you to be able to able to navigate the unexpected from a place of preparation. Educating yourself and your birth partner can be so powerful that it can change your baby's birth, and change your experience of birth for the better.
Before you say it.. no, it is not because you will be asked to do role play #noroleplayhere !! We know that there are a number of online antenatal courses out there... so what makes THIS one different and why should you take our in-person group course? We could go on about how 'you pay for what you get', but what does that really mean? and is it really true? Let us tell you what you can expect to get from our Antenatal Academy course so you can see what you get for your investment... Our ‘in-person’ group antenatal course isn't just a click and read/watch, our sessions are interactive with many benefits for you and your birth partner including the ability to ask questions and for us to explain things in a different way, if you need us too. Being in-person with us means we can often tailor the course to your specific needs, even in a group setting. We will always be happy to cover your specific fears and concerns about the birth, because often there are others in the group with the same worries or queries! You will get the knowledge and expertise of 2 highly experienced antenatal educators, having personally had 5 babies between us and having supported hundreds of couples over many years. This is a comprehensive course so, for example, you will not only learn all about how the body and the mind works when birthing your baby but also about how your birth partner can support you, and how to navigate parenthood in those first few weeks. You will be amongst like-minded expectant couples where you will undoubtedly forge friendships; something that is a lot more difficult to do online! Did you know that when we have interactions with real people we are conditioned as human beings to remember it more and understand the conversation better? So you will learn more AND remember more AND make friends! Our support doesn't stop at the last session, you will finish the course with membership to Antenatal Academy where you can tap into even more information on birth and parenting, if you need it AND you will be included in a WhatsApp group with other attendees if you wish. If you are in any way concerned about being amongst other folks and the spread of covid, then be reassured that we have chosen a large venue to aid social distancing, have completed a risk assessment and a ‘Let’s Stay Safe’ Guide for all couples to agree to beforehand. Investing in yours and your birth partners education is so important. It will mean that your baby could have a birth that you will never forget, for all the right reasons... If you would like to chat about whether our course is right for you then please send us an email or message (also happy to chat over the ol’ phone!) because we love talking about birth and babies, especially yours! Debbie & Helen Antenatal Academy
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