Report: Antenatal sessions - lived experience and staff views of local provision
The purpose of these classes is to help attendees feel more prepared for the baby’s birth, as well as building confidence and providing information. It is also an opportunity for individuals to meet healthcare staff that may be looking after them during their labour and time after birth.
We heard from 263 people. Most said they found out about antenatal classes through a midwife or doctor - but more than 50 people felt that information was not made available to them.
Find out more about getting antenatal support on the Bristol City Council website.
Parents had differing experiences around being offered antenatal education. Some people told us they hadn't received any information about antenatal classes. Others chose not to attend, for a number of different reasons:
- Feeling anxious in group settings or being more introverted
- Barriers such being at work when classes were offered, and classes not being offered at a convenient time or location
- Some who who were not first-time parents didn't feel that the classes were needed.
- Individuals were less likely to attend if their they had low expectations of the event or had been disappointed when attending for previous pregnancies.
- Classes being cancelled, or being offered too close to a baby's due date.
- Finding alternatives, such as online courses, apps, and paying for private classes.
'We were offered a fayre and thought that this was not an ideal forum to properly learn about such important topics, and that it wouldn't facilitate meeting others. Instead, my partner and I chose to pay for NCT [National Childbirth Trust] classes.'
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Recommendations
- Increase awareness about antenatal education; advertise in health settings and promote both in-person and online.
- Ensure that every eligible person is offered antenatal education, and that those offered an antenatal fayre also have access to antenatal classes.
- Offer antenatal education outside of normal working hours, to increase participation from those who work.
- Offer antenatal education at a reasonable time before the baby is due.
- Limit the size of antenatal classes so that individuals can socialise and feel part of a close group.
- Facilitate antenatal classes so that everyone can contribute.
- Increase content covered around breastfeeding, beyond 'breast is best' approach.
- Increase content covered about labour beyond vaginal birth, to include more information about caesarean sections.
- Provide more information about postnatal support for mum, baby and family, to involve information about breastfeeding support, mental health, relationship dynamics, and looking after a newborn.
- Consider adjustments to the content so that attendees from all population groups in BNSSG feel included.
