Hi! I’m Sophie!
“Sophie is so brilliant. Honest, so knowledgeable and wants you to choose what’s best for you, never pushing a preferred way. I feel a lot more prepared for birth and the fourth trimester having been on this course.”
“We finished the course feeling very informed and more empowered in how to ask for help and support during the birth process. Sophie was really sensitive to different experiences in the group and very approachable. A definite recommendation!”
Buckinghamshire Antenatal and Postnatal Classes
with Sophie - founder of The Village Midwife
Find out about everything I offer to parents in Buckinghamshire below
Hi, I’m Sophie! I’m the founder of The Village Midwife Antenatal and Postnatal Courses and I’m very excited that we’re expanding across the UK! I adore being a midwife and so much of my experience as a midwife has informed the writing of my antenatal course which is why it is evidence based, realistic and up to date! Outside of work, I live in Wendover, Bucks and love spending time with my family and going on lots of walks in Wendover Woods. Our permanent home of TVM courses is in Wendover where we hold our postnatal courses, introducing solids workshops, sling meets and where I teach 1:1!
Our courses truly make a big difference to local parents – I believe everyone has the right to honest, informed preparation for giving birth and to the non-judgemental support you need during life with your new baby. Have a read of our reviews to see more about why we’re different or drop me an email with any questions – my inbox is always open!
You can find out more about the content of the antenatal course here and the postnatal course here!
What do I offer to parents in Buckinghamshire?
During Pregnancy: Group courses
Early Pregnancy Workshops (for 12 - 20 weeks of pregnancy)
Refreshers Courses for people having their 2nd/3rd baby (in Groups)
The Grandparents Course - New! for prospective grandparents
During Pregnancy: 1:1 courses
Mini Hypnobirthing Course (for antenatal clients only - 1:1 at your home)
2 hour Birth Chat (in person or over Zoom)
Ongoing Midwifery support during pregnancy and after your baby is born
Personalised Antenatal Courses (1:1 at your home)
Refreshers Courses for people having their 2nd/3rd baby (1:1)
After your baby has been born: Group courses
Postnatal Courses (in Groups)
Refreshers Postnatal Courses for people having their 2nd/3rd baby (in Groups)
Introducing Solids Workshops (in Groups)
The Grandparents Course - New! for new grandparents
After your baby has been born: 1:1 Support
Postnatal & Feeding Support (1:1 at your home or in Wendover)
Slings & Carriers consultations (1:1 at your home or our Wendover venue)
Birth Debriefs (at whatever stage)
Find out more about all of these options
“I cannot recommend the courses and Sophie any more highly. If you are expecting I honestly think it is the best thing you can do for yourself, your partner and your baby. I’d seen the course and followed Sophie online whilst trying to conceive and planned to do the antenatal course once I fell pregnant. We’d read lots of books and listened to lots of podcasts beforehand but still found the antenatal course really informative. Sophie has a really enthusiastic, non-judgmental, passionate way of presenting that made the course really enjoyable. My husband and I read through the book Sophie has put together many times before our baby arrived and would often refer back to it once he was with us, it’s so helpful. Sophie kindly gave us lots of personalised advice about our birth and breastfeeding and without it we wouldn’t have had the great experiences that we did. ”
Upcoming Great Missenden & Wendover (Bucks) Antenatal Courses
Group Antenatal Courses
Our popular antenatal course is made up of 4 weekend sessions which are from 9.15-12.45pm in Great Missenden and Wendover or 6 evening sessions in Wendover. We also have an evening Zoom session on a weekday evening as part of the course (which is recorded if you have to miss it!)
As an antenatal client, you get my support via WhatsApp for any questions you might have, both during later pregnancy and into the postnatal period which is a big difference between this course and other local antenatal courses - it’s like having a midwife in your phone! This also includes discussions of what the right options might be for you/your birth partner, plus I also offer catch up sessions at your home if you need to miss a course date.
Chrissie Edley, a specialist women’s health physiotherapist also comes to talk to parents on the antenatal course and we also cover slings and how to use them safely with a newborn.
The Village Midwife Antenatal Course: £320
To book the antenatal course, most people pay a £100 deposit when they book their space and pay the rest later in instalments or nearer the course starting! Please note: We offer a £25 NHS discount for healthcare professionals, a £15 return discount for previous clients and a 35% single parent discount. We also offer discounts and payment plans to parents who are struggling financially - contact us for more information about The Village Midwife Accessibility fund, no questions asked.
I also teach antenatal courses in High Wycombe if our Wendover/Great Missenden dates don’t suit you - and if you have to miss a session you can catch up at another location!
Buckinghamshire Refresher Antenatal & Hypnobirthing Courses for parents expecting their 2nd/3rd babies:
Expecting baby number 2 or 3 and don’t want to book a full antenatal course? If you’ve had a big gap since your last baby or it’s the first baby for one of you - we recommend the full course. However if not, we also do a Refreshers course!
Our antenatal & hypnobirthing refresher course takes place in Wendover, Buckinghamshire. We have had a rejig recently of our refreshers course because we found that most parents wanted a chance to debrief their previous birth experience 1:1 and go over their birth preferences for this time around in a much more personalised way, but also to meet other second time parents. The course works in 2 parts
A 1:1 session at your home or in Wendover at HQ to discuss birth preferences & hypnobirthing in a more personalised way plus any refreshers about feeding you need. You can also schedule 2 of these sessions if you want to go through things in a more in depth way e.g you want to cover lots about hypnobirthing or you had a very complex birth experience last time
A group session to practice using slings (even more essential with your second/third baby!) and to discuss how to introduce your new baby to your older child and ease the transition for them - plus any emotions that may come up for you and a look at a postnatal plan. You also get a chance to chat to other parents due at the same time as you who are in the same boat!
You can check dates on the link below - or send us an email at admin@thevillagemidwife.co.uk. If the group dates don’t work for you, there is also the option of doing it all 1:1 over 2 sessions.
“Sophie , her courses, and all of her resources and networking really made pregnancy and parenting so much more comforting and reassuring. The information that I learned through Sophie and her networks gave me the confidence and knowledge I needed. She was always there to answer questions and to provide reassurance. She has a huge wealth of knowledge and is completely nonjudgemental so you feel like you can ask and tell anything. From the courses I have built a wonderful friendship group and I’m still using the Villiage Midwife resources. I honestly cannot express how valuable Sophie and her team are! I, without a doubt, would recommend.”
1:1 Antenatal Courses in Wendover or at your home
We cover everything from The Village Midwife antenatal course but in a 1:1 setting so that I can tailor it to you and your needs, either on your own or with your birth partner! This involves birth prep for a variety of different birth experiences, birth preferences for different scenarios and how to confidently express these (useful for partners!) We also cover active birth and the biomechanics of the pelvis, caesarean preferences, and how to care for yourself during the postnatal period. We cover baby care including safe sleep, feeding baby (and all of your options/potential challenges) and how to dress/bathe/care for baby.
The 1:1 course is fully personalised however which means that if there’s an aspect of antenatal prep that you’d like to cover more in depth or an aspect you’d prefer to leave out then I can work the course around you! I also work around your schedule as I teach during the day or during the evening and come to your home to make it as easy as possible for you. Also - because this is a question I get asked a lot - I’m fine with dogs/pets!
1:1 Antenatal Course: £50/hour
Buckinghamshire Hypnobirthing Courses:
I have developed my own, popular hypnobirthing course which has two main goals – realistic and up to date antenatal education using my experience as a midwife and effective relaxation techniques so that you and your birth partner can have a calm, positive birth experience. If you don’t finish my hypnobirthing course feeling like you can do anything, then I haven’t succeeded in my goal!
The Village Midwife Hypnobirthing course can be done 1:1 at your home or in our group workshops - find out more about the hypnobirthing course here.
Group Hypnobirthing Workshops in Bucks:
These are in Wendover, Buckinghamshire on weekday evenings.
Group Course: £95 for antenatal clients & £130 for non-antenatal clients
Monday 19th February 2024: 6.30 - 9.30pm
“During our first pregnancy we signed up to Sophie’s antenatal course and 1:1 hypnobirthing sessions, and we are so glad we did! Sophie is so full of knowledge about anything you can think of, and her course was really fun as well as being informative, which is rare according to friends who did other courses.
The hypnobirthing helped enormously with anxieties around the birth, and my calm and positive attitude was commented on by more than one midwife! I have Sophie to thank for giving me the information and tools I needed to make sure I had the best pregnancy and birth possible, and I can’t recommend her course enough.”
1:1 Hypnobirthing Courses in Bucks:
These can be within 30 minutes of Wendover, Buckinghamshire at your home and can be during the daytime or on weekday evenings.
Most people do their hypnobirthing course over 6 hours or 9 hours but antenatal clients can also do our ‘mini’ hypnobirthing course which is 3 hours. Most hypnobirthing sessions are 3 hours long but can be 2 hours if needed!
6 hour hypnobirthing course: £350 (or £295 for antenatal clients)
Mini Hypnobirthing Course (1:1 at your home, only available to antenatal clients): £195
Use our contact form or send me an email at sophie@thevillagemidwife.co.uk for more information or to check upcoming availability.
Once your baby has arrived:
We have a few options for Buckinghamshire parents for support once your baby has arrived - both group and 1:1 options
The Village Midwife Postnatal Course
The Village Midwife Postnatal Course on it’s own: £155
The Village Midwife Postnatal Course plus a 2 hour postnatal visit: £215
The Village Midwife Postnatal Course for people with their 2nd/3rd baby on it’s own: £95
The Village Midwife Postnatal Course for people with their 2nd/3rd baby plus a 2 hour postnatal visit: £165
The postnatal course takes place on weekday mornings but of course with the babies!
It primarily gives you the time and space to discuss you and your postnatal recovery and the transition you’re going through – everything else is about your baby, but this is about YOU! We reflect on how you’re doing in a supportive group of other local mums with similar aged babies. Partners are welcome to some of the sessions, but there is no pressure to do so if you’re back at work!
We now have the option to book either the postnatal course on it’s own or the postnatal course plus a 2 hour check in session once your baby is born - find out more about these below. These are very popular and booking it earlier means you get priority over any new clients once your baby has been born - when we arrange a time that works well for a visit!
In Buckinghamshire our postnatal course is 9 sessions long and spans from 4-8 weeks after baby is born until your baby is 6 months old.
It involves:
a session with a counsellor to discuss postnatal emotions and the transition to becoming a parent
a slings & carriers session plus free sling hire for a month and ongoing support with slings as your baby grows
a session on babies’ sleep and how it changes in the first year plus simple strategies to help
a session with a local lactation consultant and cranial osteopath on feeding where you can ask any questions you want to and discuss your feeding journey
a baby massage session with a local baby massage teacher
a session all about self-care with a local life coach
check-ins throughout the course and a chance to reflect on how you’re doing at all stages
a session on introducing solids before your baby gets to this stage
Plus you get ongoing support from me with anything you need!
When you do a Village Midwife postnatal course, you also get access to one of our first aid sessions at a discounted price-find more info and dates here!
“I originally booked the postnatal course as I thought it might be useful but actually it has been one of the highlights of early maternity leave. It gave us a safe and judgement free place to come where I didn’t have to worry if he cried or needed feeding or changing and gave me a reason to get dressed and out of the house in those early weeks of parenthood. I really looked forward to each session. Thanks to doing both courses I now have lots of Mum friends that I’ve been meeting up with which has been invaluable.”
Check dates for our postnatal courses via the links below!
Postnatal Support Sessions (1:1 at your home)
This is where I can offer support with feeding or baby care, help you using slings/carriers plus often parents find it helpful to discuss your birth experience. As a midwife, I can also help with any postnatal concerns or questions about your recovery that might come up.
2 hour Postnatal Visit booked separately: £60 for antenatal clients, £75 for non-antenatal clients plus you can add ongoing support similar to a postnatal doula - see the link below for more information!
“My husband and I booked onto both the antenatal and postnatal courses earlier this spring, both were amazing! I honestly don’t know where we’d be without Sophie’s knowledge, wisdom and kindness. I was particularly very anxious throughout pregnancy and approaching labour but The Village Midwife antenatal course helped me gain confidence and a better understanding of what to expect before and after birth. It also helped me connect with other mothers-to-be in the area, our group WhatsApp chat has been such a lifeline and great company during maternity leave! Sophie is absolutely amazing and I’d recommend doing any courses with her if you can to help you prepare for the mega gear shift ahead. We genuinely miss seeing her every week!”
Sling Support Sessions (1:1 at your home)
This is where I can offer support with slings and carriers - usually people do this in the postnatal period with their baby but sometimes during pregnancy/antenatally. You can either do this focused on one topic e.g stretchy wraps for newborns, back carrying for older kids, twins specific slings or you can have a session going over a few different options to find the best sling for you. It can be for just one parent or two parents or can include grandparents/childminders if applicable!
These are usually 90 minutes long and at your home - within 30 minutes of Wendover, Buckinghamshire and I bring lots of sling options with me plus weighted dolls to practise with if your baby is not keen on the day or you want to try with a doll first!
90 minute session: £75 including 1 months free sling hire of a sling/carrier of your choice
Introducing Solids Workshops in Buckinghamshire
2 hour Introducing Solids Workshop: £30 (1 person) or £45 (2 people)
Our Introducing Solids Workshop covers: baby led weaning, spoon feeding, purees, difference between before and after 6 months, signs of readiness, combining approaches, drinks/milk, snacks & meal ideas. It also includes an information pack with nutritional information; menu ideas and recipes plus a handout of information. Babies and children are welcome!
We also have Sammy from Happy Hearts First Aid joining to talk about choking vs gagging and what to do in each situation, plus common choking hazards at different ages and how to calm anxieties about this - a common anxiety among parents!
Upcoming Dates:
Monday 19th February 12.45 - 3.15pm
Monday 25th March 12.45 - 3.15pm
Monday 13th May 12.45 - 3.15pm