Is an online antenatal class going to give me what I need?

In the current climate, we are all scrambling to develop ways to adapt to the new normal. We are working from home, perhaps not working at all, and certainly trying to stay away from crowds. Admittedly, you don’t have that lovely face to face contact we all enjoy, but then, no one does at the moment! There are, however, plenty of reasons why an online antenatal class is a great option – even when we aren’t battling Coronavirus.

Here are some of the advantages of an online antenatal class

• Learn at your own speed. You can skip ahead on things you already know about and spend more time focusing on what’s important to you
• Take as long as you like. So even if you don’t find our material until you are 34 weeks, you could actually take the whole course on a weekend if you needed or wanted to.
• Sit on the couch with your partner, or just get them involved for the important bits.
• Learn whenever it suits you. The material is available 24/7, so if you work odd hours or if you feel that you are more attentive at a certain time of day, it is there for you.
• There are lots of different types of material to suit different learning styles. There are worksheets, videos, reflections, checklists, audio downloads to practice with. So even if you and your partner learn differently, there will be something that suits.
• You can always go back to the material. So if something pops up later on that you want to go through again, it is there and available to you.

Things to look out for

You need to make sure the course is applicable to your situation and covers the things you need for your particular circumstance.

For Example, if you are a healthy and well woman who would love to have a natural birth with as little intervention as possible, there are lots of great options such as a CalmBirth® or Hypnobirthing™ program. If you are having twins, there are great multiple birth courses available. If you have Gestational Diabetes or are planning a Vaginal Birth after a Cesarean, then your learning needs will be different again, and quite specific and there are now programs just for you.

The setting or format of the course design isn’t anywhere near as important as making sure that the content suits your particular needs.

We hope you find something that works for you and all the best for the birth of your beautiful baby.