Childbirth classes in Wollongong and Surrounds.
In Wollongong and surrounds there are many options for antenatal or childbirth classes, pregnancy support groups and other ways to support families to prepare for birth and early parenthood. This blog will cover options for in-person and online antenatal or childbirth education options currently available in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven region. A directory of classes is found at the end of the blog.
What are the benefits of a childbirth or antenatal class?
Knowledge is power. Learning what happens in labour and birth helps us to trust our body to bring our baby into the world. Some of us are lucky enough to be in communities where birth is spoken about and you may have witnessed the birth of a sibling. Mostly, knolwege has been lost when it comes to childbirth. Because we rarely witness births these days, and our aunties and mothers may not talk about their births or we are often confronted with traumatic birth stories. It is no wonder we need to re-learn how to give birth. The hospital system does not always put women in the center of maternity care which makes is important for parents to seek out the knowledge to support them have the best birth experience. Antenatal education can:
Give you the knowledge and information to approach your labour and birth with confidence and trust in your body.
Help you be aware and understand the choices that are available to you throughout the pregnancy and birth experience, no matter what your model of care is - public hospital, private hospital or birthing at home.
Classes help the birth support person understand their role to support their partner birth.
Come together with other pregnant people and parters, listen to their questions and experiences which helps eliminate isolation and increase connectedness
Publicly available information shows birthing in hospitals can involve unnecessary medical interventions and whilst many parents are opting and able to access homebirth most parents in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven birth in a hospital environment. What we are witnessing is women no longer want to be the passive recipient of their care. We understand a positive birth has a significant impact the post-partum period, on bonding with our baby, how we heal from birth and how we feel about ourselves as a mother, parent and family on this new (or not so new) journey. We understand the importance of being prepared rather than going with the flow. Antenatal classes are just one way to help families prepare.
Antenatal classes generally teach:
physical and emotional preparation for labour
how labour progresses
different labour and birthing positions
early parenting
newborn baby behaviour
With improved knowledge and trust in your own body you can then work towards making the right choices for the birth experience that is right for you and your baby and is a positive step towards improving the emotional wellbeing of the family.
In the Illawarra, antenatal education can cost anywhere from $0-$550 for group classes or up to $800 for private classes. If you are not in a financial position to attend these childbirth classes you still have options.. First try contacting your chosen class to see if they can assist with a discount or a payment plan second get in touch with Peaceful Birth Partnership who provide free antenatal classes (see more details below).
With a vast and varied range of options available for antenatal education here are just some of what the Illawarra has to offer (prices listed are as of 7th January 2022)
Better Births runs affordable antenatal education through our 4 hour Active Birth Skills workshop. Parents will find out about active birth skills and the proven links to labours which are shorter, less painful and requiring less intervention. This workshop is led by Fiona Reid, a midwife with over 30 years experience and Helen Donovan a midwife and lactation consultant with nearly a decade of experience. Both midwives are experienced in birthing at Wollongong hospital and homebirths. They have strong localised knowledge and will work through common scenarios in both settings.
The workshop covers:
Benefits of active birth
Active birth positions which can help during labour
How to use props during labour such as birth balls, mats and slings
Making the most of your birth environment (at hospital or home) during active birth
How partners or support people can help during active birth
Active Birth Skills Workshop $90 per person (Limited spots available on 6th March 2022, future dates to be confirmed)
Lyndal is a Registered Midwife/Nurse. Her recent maternity experience is mostly in postnatal care, however she has experience and has worked in all areas, including Midwifery Group Practice.Lyndal knows and has seen first hand that birth is life changing and says, “I don’t just want to help you or your loved ones reach their birthing potential but over time I want to see and be part of a generational change where our daughters and granddaughters no longer fear labour and birth but instead, revel in the challenge of seeing what a woman’s body is truly capable of.”
An evidence-based education program proven to:
• reduce rates of medical intervention
• reduce use of pain relief
• reduce the impact of postnatal anxiety & depression
• enrich the birth experience as positive, irrespective of how they birth.
Calmbirth Wollongong is run by Regina Power, a Calmbirth educator for the past 14 years.
Calmbirth is a holistic, thorough, unbiased, and collaboratively designed course that addresses all the needs of birthing couples on an emotional and physical level. A 12-hour face to face program, Calmbirth strives to reframe birth & empower women to work with their bodies and team to create a positive experience.
Group classes $550
Refresher Course $330
January Course (Online), February (face-to-face), March (face to face)
Balanced, evidence-based knowledge to help you have a positive birth. Classes cover both the physical processes, while giving you and your support person skills to navigate your birth experience.
Illawarra Birth Classes are taught by birth doula Alyssa, with a huge wealth of experienced in supporting births in Wollongong Public & Private Hospitals and homebirths. Specifically for Illawarra families you will learn hints and tips about local hospitals and common scenarios.
A large range of comfort skills are covered and we don’t tell you how you should give birth. You gain the skills and knowledge to achieve the birth you plan.
Empowered Birth Class 9am-5pm $249 (Jan and Feb Sold Out)
Fourth Trimester Parenting Class 9am-1pm $100 (Jan Sold Out)
Minga Gudjaga - Waminda South coast
Minga Gudjaga (Mother and Baby) is the child and maternal health program for Aboriginal women and their families that offers community focused, holistic, continuity of midwifery care. They provide spiritual, cultural, emotional and physical support during pregnancy, labour, birth and up to five years of age. Contact them for more information on their antenatal education.
The Peaceful Birth Partnership is a small group of women offering pregnancy and birth support as well as birth education to women, free of cost. They believe that having solid support throughout pregnancy, birth and early parenting is a human right and should not be limited to women with extra financial resources.
They offer pregnancy and birth classes in groups or one-on-one. Their approach is trauma-informed and sensitive to the cultural and faith backgrounds of the women they serve. They also have a curriculum developed especially for mums who are new to Australia or learning English for the first time. They prioritise supporting women who are new to Australia, learning English, single mums and/or those with a healthcare/pension card.
Email them at peacefulbirthpartnership@gmail.com for more information and to book your spot. Whilst they offer free classes, donations are welcome if you are able and will be put towards supporting more women.
Wollongong Public Hospital offers 2-hour childbirth education sessions online and free. Running every second Saturday with a choice of morning or afternoon classes. Breastfeeding classes and Gestational diabetes information sessions are also available for those birthing in the public system. Contact the Antenatal Clinic for more information and bookings.