Antenatal Education & Preparation

You're pregnant??? Congratulations!!!!!

This can be one of the most exciting & joyous times of your life! And for others, it's totally terrifying. The wading into the unknown. Some people like to know everything about what ever it is they are embark upon. And pregnancy & parenthood is just the same. Thankfully, there are lots of us out there to help you along in pregnancy, birth & postpartum. As doulas we can help you with your antenatal education & preparation.

Pregnant person with hands forming a heart on their bump

When you're pregnant there's lots you can do to prepare for baby's arrival & for their 1st few weeks earthside/the 4th trimester.

Pregnancy yoga: you can't beat a good pregnancy yoga class to help with the changes in your body during pregnancy, during labour & birth.

Pregnancy Yoga

Independent Antenatal Class: hospital classes are fantastic at preparing you for hospital policy. An independent class is best for unbiased, best practice information. There are a few different types of antenatal classes, some of which are hypnobirthing, Active Birth, Spinning Babies, or Antenatal Ireland classes. All are beneficial & give you the tools to feel empowered & ready for your birth. Some classes also give you templates for birth preferences. These are a fantastic tool to help you communicate with your health care professionals your wishes & desires. Some of these classes also go through newborn care.

Class time

Breastfeeding Preparation Class: most of us have never seen anyone breastfeed a teeny newborn. Attending a breastfeeding preparation class can be so helpful for both you & your partner. Understanding the basic biological principals & being prepared for the intensity of the 1st few days & night 2 are all vital for a successful breastfeeding journey.

Breastfeeding

Health Insurance: If you have health insurance, check your policy to see what is included. You'd be surprised how many people have postpartum doula support or meal service or cleaner included in their policy! Check your policy & see if your insurance company has recommended contractors for the services they rebate.

Food: Like I said above, some insurance companies provide meal service as part of your maternity package cover. If this isn't something that you have, do you have family or friends around that could help with a meal train for the 1st week or 2? Have your the freezer space to prepare slow cooker dump bags or freeze some of your favourite meals? Or better yet, discuss your postpartum nutrition plan with your doula, so that they are ready to get stuck in as soon as they start with you.

Food Delivery

Laundry: I say this to every family I work with; send the towels & bed linen out to the launderette. No one has the head space for big laundry when there's a newborn & a new mother to be worrying about! Probably cheaper than the electricity it takes to tumble dry them at home & there's nothing like not having to fold fitted sheets!

Laundry Service

Interview Doulas: Some people feel like they only need support for their birth, others it's their postpartum & more & more, folks are seeing the benefit of having both birth & postpartum doula support booked & scheduled.

There are some doulas, like myself, who offer full journey support. I can tailor make a package that suits you & your family best. Some of my clients have booked pregnancy & birth support, but have their family look after them postpartum. Others book pregnancy support/birth preparation & planning, along with in-person, extensive postpartum support, as they felt that this was the best use of their budget for their needs. Some, just birth support. And again, others just 2 weeks of postpartum support. Your life, your needs & your budget is unique to you & your family. I always offer a free initial consultation, so that we can work this out together. There are no wrong questions in these calls/meetings. Knowing that you have the right person supporting you in such a trans-formative time is worth it's weight in gold!

Stretchy Wrap

I can provide a lot of the above support. I provide the following services as

• Pregnancy doula support

• Custom antenatal preparation classes, including baby care & breastfeeding preparation

• Active Birth antenatal workshops

• Eco-parenting classes & workshops

• Baby gear advisory, including car seat installation & travel system building

• Babywearing for beginners & individual consultations (both in person & on zoom)

• Birth Doula Support

• Postpartum Doula Support

  • Daytime & overnight support

  • batch cooking

  • laundry

  • emotional support for both parents

  • help with newborn care

  • breastfeeding support

  • formula feeding support

The very best of luck with your pregnancy! Please get in touch if you wish to find out any more information.