FAQS

A: We recommend starting your course when you are between 28-32 weeks pregnant. Please drop us a line through the contact page if you can’t find a course with the right dates for you and we will do what we can to help and advise.

A: Absolutely. The cost of your place includes a partner. We are all set up for partners to attend and pretty much all of our attendees come with a partner - whether life partners, fathers, birthing partners, family member or a bestie. Support is of the essence in this process and we want to help both you and your nearest and dearest get in the know so that you can feel as well-supported and prepared as possible. It is also perfectly acceptable to come solo if that is your preference. No judgement.

A: Yes, since the restrictions relaxed in August 2021, we have been running our antenatal courses back in person. We truly believe that our attendees benefit from being able to meet face to face in order to build a network of other local expectant parents who are going through this exciting stage of life at the same time.

A: The experts.

One person can’t be an expert in all areas of pregnancy, birth and parenting. Our course allows you to hear from seven experienced specialists, including:

• Midwife

• Obstetrician

• Women’s health physiotherapist

• Mental health expert

• Paediatrician

• Feeding expert

• Sleep consultant

Not only will our experts share all the latest evidence-based information and practical skills from their expert areas, but as parents and frontline NHS workers themselves, will provide you with realistic, caring and non-judgmental support and answer all your questions in depth and detail, unlike pre-recorded courses.

The social.

The social part of the course is very important to us, so we make sure that social time is scheduled into all aspects of our course as well as a meet up in the pub before the babies arrive. From our choice of venues, to group socials, reunions and ongoing coffee mornings and play dates with your babies, you will have every chance to connect with other likeminded parents-to-be.

The support.

Families come in all shapes and sizes and whatever your set-up, we will support your needs. Our courses are popular with single, same-sex or second (or subsequent) time parents.

Our sessions are face to face (bar the optional sleep session) and everything for birth and the fourth trimester are covered - we won’t try to sell you bundles.

The special extras.

You’ll graduate the course with ongoing support from the team and useful supplemental information which we send out after each session.

A: Although we certainly don’t shy away from talking about pregnancy, birth and new motherhood honestly and in a good amount of detail, we pride ourselves on ensuring that our classes aren’t overly medicalised and are palatable even for the squeamish. Of course if you think we need to tone it down further or you’d like us to bear your specific worries in mind then please let us know.

A: The NHS free antenatal classes are a fantastic resource and a great place to start your antenatal education. But, restricted by their length and funding, they are not intended to deliver the breadth and detail in terms of antenatal education that a private course will provide. They are also not designed to provide the social network that a private antenatal course can, again thanks to the longevity of the courses. 

There are a wealth of private antenatal course providers out there and it’s worth doing a bit of research into the ones offered locally to you. The NCT (National Childbirth Trust) is the most well-known course provider, and a very well established institution, but in most larger towns and cities these days there are alternatives that are definitely worth considering, depending on your approach to childbirth and parenting.

Finding the right cultural match for you and your partner should help to ensure that you end up with a like-minded group of fellow new parents to befriend, to help support you through your new parenting adventures. 

A good antenatal class should ensure that all the parents in a group are due to have their babies at around the same time, to ensure that your new friends are in exactly the same boat as you in terms of each experience that parenthood presents.

They should also support and possibly facilitate your social meet ups during the antenatal and postnatal period. And, of course, they should definitely be providing you with an evidence based, balanced and comprehensive and practical education to help guide you through pregnancy, birth and the newborn period. 

So, just to summarise, here’s our advice on the 4 most important things to check for from your private antenatal course provider:

• Similar due dates within the group

• Social network encouraged + supported

• Evidence-based and balanced content (breastfeeding, expressing and formula feeding all covered)

• Practical skills taught (breathing for labour, how to change a nappy etc.)

And obviously Bump to Cradle delivers on all of this and more.

A: Absolutely! We aim to create a safe, non-judgmental space where all families feel supported. Everyone is welcome on our courses. All families are celebrated. Please contact us if you would like to discuss how we could support you.

A: A lot of people come straight from work for our evening classes - some change into comfy clothes and many don’t bother. There’s no need to wear anything specific - so just something in which you are comfortable to be seated for a while (but have space to eat cake in) would be our suggestion.

A: Apologies that we can’t provide a more substantial dinner for you at every class. But we do our best in terms of tea, coffee and delicious cake from Fed 303. But please don’t be shy about bringing food along for yourselves though - we have seen it all - including partners with wine in flasks!

A: Of course not! It is a complimentary free extra, provided by our friends in the Nursery Team at John Lewis - and we think it is a fab way to do a bit of extra socialising with your new friends plus there are so many different brands and baby equipment on the market, it can be a bit of a minefield! The Nursery Team are really upfront about what items they consider essential and what are not necessary, especially in the early days, so as not to completely clutter up your homes with baby paraphernalia but you certainly do not have to come along. There’s space to let us know on the booking form whether you would like to attend.

A: We run courses in Bristol in Redland (at Redland Parish Church Hall) and Bedminster (at Windmill Hill City Farm). But we have more courses in the pipeline so keep posted and please do let us know if you think we should start a venue near you!

A: We try our upmost best to find a suitable alternative for you. We tend to run two courses per month, so there is always the option to attend the session at the other venue, if the dates and timings allow.

If that does not work and as long as your due date allows it, we are also happy for you to attend the missed session on the course taking place the following month at either venues. Our coursebook, which every attendee receives at their first session, is also very comprehensive and covers all the sessions on the course.

A: During every class we arrange for there to be time for you to socialise with your group over tea, coffee and cake. The classes are also very interactive. However, as our sessions take place in the evening and are jam packed full of amazing information, that does not leave as much time for socialising as we would like. That is why we think it is beneficial to organise a social before your little ones arrive, so you get the opportunity to chat and connect with your antenatal group before life becomes a little more tricky, especially getting out of the house on time due to poop explosions, various outfit changes (for little ones and parents!), unexpected sleeps, exhaustion and it just sometimes being easier to snuggle indoors on the sofa especially in those newborn days…..

We believe it is very important to build a network of support during pregnancy and after the birth of your baby, so we do encourage our antenatal groups to socialise. To that end, we create a Whatsapp Group for each group to make life easier with exchanging contact information and organising get togethers.

A: We are more than happy to accept a £50 non refundable deposit to secure your booking and place on one of our antenatal courses, with the balance of £245 being payable two weeks before your course starts.

A: Definitely! We have many people attending the courses who already have children. Not only will you be able to connect with a whole new group of friends at a similar stage of pregnancy, but you will also be able to debrief on previous birth experiences with our team of specialists, refresh your newborn care skills and perhaps learn some new skills.