Step 6 of 8
Antenatal classes
Classes fill up, so it’s worth booking early. Going together means you both hear the same things, and you pick up the practical skills first-hand. The NHS explains what antenatal classes cover.
The options
Free NHS antenatal classes
Usually free, and they cover the basics of labour, birth and early feeding. There’s no national search for these, so ask your midwife what’s running near you. Places are limited, so ask early.
Family hubs and councils
Some areas have a family hub, one place that pulls together support for new parents. If yours isn’t running classes they’ll know who is, and it’s worth going in for a look round, you’ll be back there for baby groups. Find out if there’s one near you. If there isn’t, lots of councils still run free sessions, so search your council’s name plus “antenatal”.
Paid courses
Courses you pay for, like NCT and other local providers, that go into more detail. They also put you in a group of local parents due around the same time as you. Search “antenatal course” plus your town to see who runs them near you.
Hypnobirthing
Breathing and relaxation techniques for labour, in a class or online. Staying calm helps the birth progress.
Why go together?
You’ll learn the practical stuff such as positions, ways to help mum through contractions, nappies and feeding basics. You’ll also meet other local dads, which matters more than you’d think once baby is here.
Not sure how to bring it up?
You could say something like, “I found a class near us, I’d really like to do it together so I know what I’m doing. Shall I check the dates against my work?”
Get it booked
BOOKING CHECKLIST
Booking antenatal classes
0 / 4
Ever heard of a doula?
A doula is someone you can pay to support you both through the pregnancy, the birth and the days after it. They aren’t a midwife or a doctor and they don’t do any of the medical side, so they work alongside the hospital staff rather than instead of them. They support you as well as mum, so if you’re worried about being the only one in that room who has never done this before, that’s the gap a doula fills. Some dads find it takes the pressure off, others would rather it was just the two of them, and both are fine.
My wife, Bex Fédia (The IVF Doula), is a doula, and this is how she describes what she does:
“I specialise in ensuring that those who have had a challenging fertility journey receive exactly the practical and emotional care they need through pregnancy, birth and beyond.”
