Our Antenatal Course

Antenatal Academy: Empowering You for a Confident Birth and Journey into Parenthood

Welcome to Antenatal Academy, where we offer a comprehensive, modern, and unique antenatal course designed to equip you with the tools, knowledge, and support needed for a positive, empowering birth and a confident start to parenthood.

Our course is tailored to meet the emotional and practical needs of expectant parents, ensuring you feel fully prepared, informed, and excited about this life-changing experience.

With flexible course options, you can choose from:

6 x 2.5-hour sessions over consecutive Wednesday evenings, or

3 x 4.5-hour sessions over three consecutive Saturday mornings.

Both are hosted at our fabulous venue in Bury St Edmunds.

What Makes Antenatal Academy Unique?

At Antenatal Academy, we don’t just prepare you for birth – we provide a comprehensive experience that supports both you and your birth partner every step of the way. From personalised support and modern techniques to exclusive resources designed to empower you, our course goes beyond the essentials to ensure you feel fully prepared and confident:

Your Journey: What to Expect and How You'll Transform

SESSION ONE – Your Positive Birth

• This session sets the foundation for a calm, confident birth by helping you to:
• Eliminate fear and replace it with trust in your body’s natural abilities.
• Understand how anxiety impacts your birth and learn strategies to stay calm, centred, and in control.
• Leverage the body’s hormonal responses during labour for a smoother birth.
• Gain the understanding of how to achieve a positive, empowering birth experience.

SESSION TWO – Your Birth Environment and Your Birth Partner

• Discover how to create the ideal birth environment that promotes relaxation and ease.
• Equip your birth partner with the skills to offer active, meaningful support, making them a key part of the birth journey.
• Understand why letting your baby decide when to arrive is essential and how to make informed decisions around induction of birth with confidence.
• Find out how to have a positive, empowered induction if you decide to have one, so you feel in control regardless of how your birth unfolds.

SESSION THREE – Using Your Body and Your Mind

• How to prepare both mind and body for birth, so you feel physically and mentally ready.
• Explore the physiology of birth and how to use comfort techniques, active positions, and movement to support labour.
• Understand why we feel pain in labour and develop strategies to change your response to discomfort, making labour a calmer experience.
• Experience the transformative power of mindfulness, and relaxation techniques, and how hypnobirthing can work to empowering you to stay in flow and trust your body.

SESSION FOUR – Your Decisions and Birth Planning

• Make informed decisions during birth using evidence-based tools and frameworks.
• Understand the options around medical pain relief and know what’s best for you and baby.
• Learn how to adapt if your birth journey changes, ensuring you feel prepared and confident in every scenario.
• Get detailed insights into cesareans—what to expect, how to plan for them, and how to navigate the experience with calm confidence.

SESSION FIVE – Post-Birth and Meeting Your Baby

• Navigate the first moments after birth with ease and understanding.
• Learn the essentials of postnatal recovery, focusing on healing
• Make informed decisions on feeding, ensuring you’re supported every step of the way.
• Embrace life as a new family and discover how to transition into parenthood with confidence and calm.
• Understand what support you’ll need and how to access it, making sure you’re never alone in this journey.

SESSION SIX – Caring for Your Baby

• Gain confidence in understanding your baby’s needs and responding intuitively.
• Learn the practical skills every parent needs—nappy changes, bathing, and baby care essentials.
• Get the latest guidance on safe sleeping practices and how to understand baby sleep patterns and growth spurts.
• Learn how baby-wearing can help build a close bond with your baby while keeping them calm and comfortable.

The Exclusive Added Extras - All FREE!

• Hypnobirthing Essentials Online Course. This exclusive 3 to 4-hour course, led by experienced Hypnobirthing Practitioner and Birth Coach Debbie Willis, is designed specifically for Antenatal Academy members. It’s divided into three easy-to-follow steps, offering bite-sized lessons for you and your birth partner. You'll learn proven self-hypnosis techniques to help you stay calm, focused, and in control during birth, even if things don’t go as planned. The course also includes 5 hypnobirthing audio downloads to deepen your practice and support you through your birth journey.

• Bespoke 1 to 1 Hypnobirthing Coaching Session: Consolidate your learning with a personalised session with Debbie Willis to answer any lingering questions and feel fully prepared.

• Bespoke 1 to 1 Postnatal Doula Support Session: Get expert postnatal guidance with Helen, who will support you with any baby care or postnatal recovery questions you have once your baby arrives.

• Baby reunion with Your Antenatal Group: Stay connected with your group after birth for shared experiences and ongoing support. This community aspect is invaluable as you navigate parenthood.

• WhatsApp Support Group: Join a WhatsApp group with your antenatal class to share questions, advice, and encouragement, ensuring you feel supported even after the course ends.

• Exclusive Members-Only Area: Access to our members-only website packed with birth and baby advice, support materials, follow-up information from classes, and links to local baby groups [updated with even more info from October 2024!].

Birth & Postnatal Doula Support

Enhance your journey with bespoke doula support packages from Helen Fortes at Natal Nurturing.  Helen offers personalised 1-to-1 antenatal sessions, support during your baby’s birth for both you and your birth partner, and postnatal care to help you navigate the early days of parenthood with confidence and ease. Her guidance will ensure you feel supported every step of the way as you welcome your baby into your family.   

Our antenatal classes are for parents in Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket, Sudby, Newmarket, Thetford, Needham Market, Diss, Eye, Ipswich, Haverhill, or Cambridge and anywhere in between!

You may be planning on birthing at home or at a hospital labour suite or midwifery led birthing unit at West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds, or The Rosie Hospital in Cambridge or Ipswich Hospital (or any of the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS locations).