Labor, safety and Dads courses?! :)

[Lau1973]

Hi you all! Just have joined some days ago, shame i did not know about this site before. I was feeling quite lonely, glad I am not the only one having so many problems!
I'm 30 weeks pregnant (first pregnancy at my 39 years old) and i would like to know where i can do labor and safety courses and also some just for Dads! We are quite new in all this stuff so we need some orientation. Courses must be around London or Essex basically. I'm sure it will depend where we live but i least some links will be handy :)

Many thanks!! Lau.-

[ZuleikaD]

Try your local NCT branch - they will run antenatal courses that many people say are good for labour etc (dads are included, obviously). I don't know of anyone who runs courses just for fathers. If you want a first aid course then your local St Johns Ambulance (google) might be a good place to start.

[Lau1973]

I am already on the NCT webpage, only one course where i live and it is only 10 days before my due date, i think i might have to go London to find more options.

Thanks a lot! :)

[BlueChampagne]

Ask your midwife - there should also be NHS courses available.

[kellestar]

Lau it's worth giving your local NCT branch a call as sometimes they are in contact with the other nearby branches around the area and know which courses are available and how far away they are.

Do ask your MW as they should be able to tell you what's available as well, not just the NHS ones.

Our local NCT had a course starting after DD was due and the earlier one had no interest, so didn't attend a course. However the nearby branch had a peer-support group for both mums and dads, seperate parts of the house. Was a lovely way to meet future mums and dads, but also to hear from people who had been through it all. There was a more holistic approach to childbirth than I was into, but they covered all aspects. It was really really worth going though, DH was nervous but it helped him ask questions from the support side of things. Price was £5 including a piece of cake each and a cuppa.

I'm actually expecting again, this pregnancy is so different and I actually want some advice as it looks like I may be ELCS as my placenta is low lying and just want to get some general advice as it was 2 years since I had DD.

[Lau1973]

I called to the midwife community and the one at the phone said: "we can not sponsor any course! search on google"... well, that was weird.... I have been on google quite a lot and the NCT webpage has only one labor course in my area (already left a message), but no baby first aid, not even looking around my city, it comes up "there were 0 results" I can't believe!

I have a bababoom guide, and has a baby first aid course, 40 per person, also hypnobirthing course for 275 () 30 min by car from here (Harlow).

Kellestar, lovely group you found! I think i will call again to the midwife community. I already booked the tour, a labor class and a breastfeeding class through the hospital. I just wanted something extra now, like baby first aid and something more relaxing than a technical labor class from the hospital, i want my husband to really help me and understand what it is going on, at least he is very keen on learning what he needs to do!

Thanks everyone!

[crunchingautumnleaves]

www.nct.org.uk/courses/baby-first-aid
www.tesco.com/babyclub/join_now/babyclub_news/babysafe.page
www.babyfirstaid.org.uk/
www.redcrossfirstaidtraining.co.uk/Courses/First-aid-public-courses/First-aid-for-baby-and-child.aspx
www.sja.org.uk/sja/training-courses/courses-for-the-general-public/essential-first-aid-all-ages.aspx


www.nhs.uk/Livewell/childhealth0-1/Pages/Homefirstaidkit.aspx

[crunchingautumnleaves]

Sorry, already lost the draft reply once so just sent a whole load of baby first aid links above, mostly courses, that may be useful. The tesco one is for free online video courses, which could be useful especially if you're due soon. Surestart children's centres and health visitor clinics in your local area are worth getting in touch with as some offer first aid and/or general safety classes, usually free or heavily subsidised.

[crunchingautumnleaves]

Re labour classes, just thought, if you're using google, you may have more success searching for 'antenatal classes and courses' than 'labour classes and courses'. (sorry if you've already done this). Also, recently came across The Birth Partner. Haven't read it but sounds from the reviews like it could be useful for your husband. Hope you find good useful classes for all you want!

[Lau1973]

hi! thanks pistachio for the info and crunchingautumnleaves for the links! I will have a look them right now and tell you later, thanks a lot really, sometimes i get lost on internet, and my small social life does not help!

ps: sorry, English is my second language and i wrote labor instead of labour all the time! I should have known this word properly since i got pregnant!

[crunchingautumnleaves]

Hehe, aww, no worries. Didn't even notice that you'd put 'labor' rather than 'labour'. Really hope something amongst those links is helpful. This is the best site I've found for information on local Surestart children's centres - there's a box towards bottom of the page where you enter your town or postcode & it will list all the children's centres near you & their contact details.

[DeathMetalMum]

You may find that a lot of classes are alredy booked up. In my area they tell you to book on the NHS pre birth experience classes at around 24 weeks. To start or have them around the 30 week mark. Also because of popularity of courses etc. There may be a course running at your hospital if you are giving birth there my hospital runs one. So maybe look at their website.

[Ebb]

Try typing in 'Paediatric first aid courses' if you've been typing in baby first aid or give us a rough idea of where you live and we might be able to help.

[Lau1973]

Hi!

I went through all the links yesterday, there are a lot of out there really, glad i joined this group, i was feeling completely useless!

I already book a 5 hours First Aid for baby and child course with the British Red Cross, 20 minutes from home. The British Red Cross course through the NCT was 3 hours only and same price, covering less, so i booked the course straight forward with the BRC. Quite happy!

Now I would like to book something more relaxed for my labour day, maybe "hypnobirthing", but a workshop, only one day. For me it is something completely new so i have to investigate a bit more. I panic in hospitals, so it would be nice to learn how to control my fears in a relaxed way and also would be nice if my husband can help me a little too. Let's see!

Thanks for all your help ladies

[crunchingautumnleaves]

Have a look at these 2 courses by 'Natal Hypnotherapy' (I recommend the CDs to all my friends who are pregnant & I got a lot out of the workshop - it was a 2 day thing then, they now offer it as 2 separate workshops, each with a different focus. Have no personal experience of 'Hypnobirthing' by Mongan.

[crunchingautumnleaves]

I'd also explore the idea of a home birth if that's a possibility for you or a birth centre where the environment is more relaxed and/or getting a doula who will be very experienced at helping women in labour (& their birth partner) to relax & stick up for them or help explain things to them etc. That said, learning to relax is very important for labour & birth anyway but becomes especially important even if you are having a home birth or using birth centre as IF you transferred to hospital, especially in an emergency, it'll really help the more relaxed you are.

[meff]

You should look at DaddyNatal - they run classes in London (and other places in the UK). There dads only and pretty good by all accounts. www.daddynatal.co.uk

HypnoBirthing is fab too!! Did this for my last one!!

[Miahmoma28]

great post thank u for the posts mamas!

[Lau1973]

..... To be honest, I will feel safer on a hospital, don't think home birth is my thing, anxious as i am, if something goes wrong i will just panic. I only want to feel relaxed to not stress myself and the baby, but not sure to go through all the real pain and risks. If i have to go through a cesarean, or if i need epidural, i will take it, but i want to do it completely relaxed. I think as a humans, we forgot what is to feel real and natural pain as nowadays we have many ways to relieve pain, but believe me, i don't want to be that natural at all! Great for those brave mums that try and happy to go through it. I will be quite proud of myself if at least i am there and coping fine with no panic!

I am still reading and i am a bit confused now... there are:
Natal Hypnotherapy, HypnoBirthing and even HypnoCaesarean??! well, if you have planned one i think, but it is not my case, at least right now (i am in a high risk pregnancy level because 4 firboids and my frequent ectopic beats, so who knows....)

Thanks again for all the info posted, daddynatal is interesting, shame they do not have courses for january yet!

[crunchingautumnleaves]

Ok, that's great that you know what you want from labour & birth. Now, the thing to concentrate on is finding ways to relax with it. I found Natal Hypnotherapy great - you learn & practise the basic relaxation techniques with the Pregnancy Relaxation CD. There's a Birth Preparation CD for 32 weeks onwards (you'd choose the hospital births in your case) & good birth prep book. The Birth Prep CD still practises the relaxation techniques but also gives you more specific tools to help during labour & birth with some great suggestions for how birth partners can help. What I particularly like about Natal Hypnotherapy is that they use the same words as are used by the midwives & doctors. With Hypnobirthing, they suggest using alternative words like 'surges' instead of 'contractions'. This was something I avoided as I knew it'd probably upset me if things were too different in reality. But, it's down to what's right for you personally, just giving my experience. I also found the relaxation techniques v useful when things changed quite a bit from what I'd hoped for - I stayed far more relaxed than I probably would have done afterwards and so I still felt reasonably 'in control' and enjoyed giving birth. Natal Hypnotherapy also do a Birth music CD, with the tracks you're already familiar with from the relaxation & birth prep CDs, to help remind you to relax & practise the techniques. They also do a Labour Companion CD which has 3 tracks for the more excited, early labour stage, the serious stage & one to help you get relaxed again if you've had some kind of interruption or lost your focus etc. I loved this CD!!! (also enjoyed & recommend the postnatal recovery & breastfeeding CDs too, which seemed to make a big difference to first time when I didn't use them). Do have a look at older threads in 'pregnancy' and 'childbirth' boards - there's quite a few on Natal Hypnotherapy vs
Hypnobirthing or more on specific ones so these should give you more idea & more experiences than just mine. Oh, the other reason o suggested Natal Hypnotherapy is that you mentioned wanting a day workshop. From what I understand, the Hypnobirthing workshop is more of a longer course, with a few sessions. But again, do read up/post questions & best wishes in figuring out what you want to do

[BlueChampagne]

You can also try www.birthlight.co.uk/ for all sorts of ante and post natal classes. Searchable by location.

[Lau1973]

Hi BlueChampagne for the link, i already saved it on the computer to have a look later.

crunchingautumnleaves, I still haven't decided yet what to do, but i think i will go for Natal H. By the way, I found an old thread HERE where you can read differences between Natal Hypnotherapy and Hypnobirthing.

Thanks for all the help really, this thread made my week and organised my last two months of pregnancy!