Course overview

Week 1 - The Birth + practical newborn care (Midwife)

Week 2 - Looking after your body + Intervention and pain relief (Women’s Physio + Obstetrician)

Week 3 - Your Emotional Health + Early days with your newborn (Mental Health Expert + Paediatrician)

Week 4 - Feeding your baby (Lactation Consultant)

Week 5 - Social gathering with your group

Optional: Zoom Sleep Session (Sleep Consultant)

Optional: John Lewis Nursery Advice Event

Optional: Postnatal Coffee Mornings

Add on: Infant First Aid Course

DESCRIPTION

Our expert Midwife will talk you through normal labour and provide guidance on preparing your body for labour. She will cover vital questions such as when to go into hospital and what to expect, the stages of labour, coping strategies for pain and anxiety and how progress is assessed. She will also cover water births, home births, non-pharmacological pain relief, management of the third stage of labour, cord clamping, the role of the partner and immediate postnatal care.

Course Content

• Preparing your birth plan + understanding your options

• The stages of labour and what this means for you

• Pain relief and relaxation during labour

• Life with a newborn

• Practical newborn care - nappy changing and bathing

Expert: Midwife

DESCRIPTION

Our resident Women’s Health Physiotherapists are specialists in antenatal and postnatal care as well as experts in advising on labour positions to facilitate pain relief and natural birth where possible. Learn how to take care of your body in pregnancy, including specific musculoskeletal problems, perineum care, pelvic floor protection and rehabilitation and receive guidance on postnatal recovery and safe return to exercise.

A yoga mat and cushion will be necessary for this session as our physiotherapist will get you all on the floor to practice some labour positions and breathing techniques.

covers

• Exercise in pregnancy and postnatally

• Breathing

• Pelvic floor care + rehabilitation

• Labour positions

• Perineum care

Expert: Women’s Health Physiotherapist

DESCRIPTION

Our expert Paediatricians will talk you through what to expect during and after labour, from the medical perspective, including understanding the Apgar score, labour room equipment, reasons for admission to a special care baby unit. Also understand the first day baby check and learn to recognise some common issues including weight loss, meconium, jaundiced babies and dry skin. Understand what is normal and abnormal in the first few weeks and when to seek medical attention. Preventing SIDS, first aid. Cord care.

Our Midwife will also cover the basics of practical newborn care including bathing and soothing your baby, bedtime and healthy sleep routines (for the whole family) and how and when to use a sling with your baby. Expect to be hands on during this session!

covers

• Why a paediatrician might need to be there

• Special care babies

• Common newborn concerns + what to do

• Safe sleep

Expert: Paediatric Doctor

DESCRIPTION

New parenthood is an emotionally and physically challenging time and at Bump to Cradle we do not underestimate the effect that it can have on parents’ emotional health and wellbeing, as well as the impact that this can have on relationships.

With our resident Perinatal Mental Health Specialist, you and your partner will learn strategies to cope with the emotional rollercoaster that is parenthood and understand what is ‘normal’, how to recognise when you might need more support and where to find it. This covers the Perinatal period which includes pregnancy and a year or two after the birth of your baby.

covers

• Recognising what is ‘baby blues’ (and what is not)

• Coping with the unexpected

• Supporting your partner

• Coping strategies for anxiety

• Where to find support

Expert: Perinatal Mental Health Specialist

DESCRIPTION

Feeding your baby is bound to be pretty high up on your list of things to learn about as you approach new parenthood! Consistently one of our most popular sessions, our Feeding and Lactation Consultants will deliver non-judgmental advice on breast and bottle feeding, when and how much to feed your baby, winding, expressing and storing milk. You will also learn to recognise some of the common feeding problems such as low milk supply, oversupply, nipple pain, mastitis, tongue tie and where to go for support. 

covers

• Trying to allay fears and concerns about how to feed your baby

• Breastfeeding technique - achieving the perfect latch

• How to introduce a bottle + combination feeding

• Expressing + storing breast milk

• Common problems and how to solve them

Expert: Lactation Consultant

DESCRIPTION

Sleep deprivation in the early days of new parenthood is one of the major concerns that our parents-to-be talk about and we aim to equip you with the practical tools to recognise and respond to your baby’s unique needs.

This optional Zoom session with one of our Sleep Consultants will help with understanding your baby and their sleeping patterns and needs. We want to help you establish a healthy and effective bedtime and nap routine that works for both your baby and you. There are a lot of sleep aids on the market and we will talk about the safest and most effective products and nursery kit to have to help settle your baby and ensure peaceful sleep for the whole family!

covers

• Recognising sleep cues

• Settling a restless baby

• Understanding a newborn’s sleep patterns

• Safe co-sleeping

• The Lullaby Trust

Expert: Sleep Consultant

DESCRIPTION

We know how important it is that you leave your antenatal course feeling well-established as a group of new parents - fully informed, relaxed in each other’s company and ready to take on the newborn world together as a supportive tribe. So, based on feedback from our new parents who felt that they always wanted more time to get to know each other before the babies came along, we make sure that the 5th and final evening session that we offer is all about the socials.

We will book a spot at a local Bristol eatery at the end of each course and give you the opportunity to have some dedicated time together to tighten those bonds and feel completely supported as you move toward b-day together.

Of course, we actively encourage meet-ups from the outset and use of the usual range of chat and social media groups too. We are happy to assist with setting these up where needed.

covers

• Build your tribe of local new parents

• WhatsApp chats

• Establish long lasting friendships

COFFEE MORNINGS WITH BABIES

We love to get together and so we hold fully organised Postnatal Coffee mornings at one of our favourite Bristol pubs, joined by a handful of our experts and practitioners, all included in your course package.

We’ll bring the yummy FED cakes, baby toys and play mats, so you can enjoy a two hour catch up with your group and other local Bump to Cradle new parents.

As mums ourselves, we know how much your life with your new baby can feel focused on your birth experience, how you are feeling physically and coping mentally, along with sleep and feeding challenges. So, we will have a handful of our expert practitioners on hand at our coffee mornings, available to you for an informal chat in this relaxed setting - whether that is about your birth experience, your pelvic and physical healing post birth or c-section, or any sleep and feeding challenges you are experiencing.

If you you feel you need further one-to-one support from our any of our private practitioners, you will be able to arrange this with them from here.

These events form part of your course package and there is nothing that makes our day more than seeing you again, and meeting your new little ones.

As a Bump to Cradle attendee, we shall welcome you to all our coffee mornings ongoing. We hold around 3-4 coffee mornings each year, and everyone is welcome, so even more opportunities to get together!

• Meet the new additions

• Get together with your group and other local Bump to Cradle new parents

• Establish lasting friendships and make some new ones

• Nourish yourself with delicious cake

• 3 Coffee mornings each year, everyone welcome to all

Get a little Bump to Cradle expert advice right now by heading over to The Expert Blog to see videos and read blogs from our team of experts and specialist practitioners.