Our antenatal course covers what your choices are in pregnancy, labour and as a new parent from the perspective of an honest, friendly midwife. Plus, you’ll make a group of local friends who are also preparing to meet their baby!

Our reviews speak for themselves - this really is an antenatal course with a difference.

Making a group of local friends during an antenatal course is a given, but you deserve to come away feeling informed and positive about your birth experience too!

What we cover:

• All types of birth experience, including what happens during vaginal, caesarean and assisted births, how to prepare for giving birth to your baby, and how to write preferences for every birth

• How to make your labour as comfortable as possible and how to keep active, including using a rebozo scarf and massage techniques for pregnancy and labour - equipping your birth partner as well as you!

• The many choices you will most likely come across during pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period

• The birth partner’s vital role throughout the labour process and the postnatal period

• Postnatal recovery after vaginal and caesarean births and how to prepare for the postnatal period, including writing a postnatal plan

• Different methods of feeding your baby, including how to establish breastfeeding and common issues that can occur. We also discuss formula feeding, how to bottle feed and expressing

• Plus- you get ongoing support via WhatsApp from a midwife as well as a thorough handout with all of the information in to refer back to which is invaluable!

Why is our course different from more mainstream antenatal courses?

• It’s written, developed and taught by a midwife, unlike lots of antenatal courses out there. We believe that it’s important that you know how to navigate the maternity system and what actually helps during labour as most people give birth within the NHS! Someone with experience in the maternity system is best placed to help you with this and can help prepare you for whatever happens.

• It’s 50% focused on giving birth and different birth experiences and 50% focused on postnatal, feeding and baby care as we believe preparation for the postnatal period is equally as important!

• You know who your antenatal teacher is before you sign up! An important part of the course is the support you get from the midwife running your course so this is important! Check out the about me sections for our locations around the UK to get to know who’s in your area!

• The antenatal course helps you know what all of your choices are around birth, the postnatal period and feeding your baby. We believe that decisions should be presented in a non-judgemental way and that you deserve all of the information! All births are different but you deserve to feel in control and supported whatever you decide and whatever happens.

• You get a fab group of friends expecting a baby at the same time as you in your area which is important, especially during maternity leave!

• Our course is super inclusive! All types of family are welcome and there are no old-fashioned patriarchal messages here! Birth partners are prepared just as much for birth and the postnatal period and given important tools to help!

  If you want to find out more about parents’ experience of the antenatal & postnatal course though, check out our reviews over on our Facebook page, ourTrustpilot pageand on Google!

Hi, I’m Sophie! I’m the founder of The Village Midwife Antenatal and Postnatal Courses. 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 sessions!

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 read some reviews below from local parents to see why our antenatal course is so different to others, but you can also have a read on the pages below about what makes it so special!

Our 5 star rated group antenatal courses:

• In Wendover, Buckinghamshire

• In Hughenden, High Wycombe

Our courses for second/third time parents:

• Our Refreshers course in Wendover, Bucks

1-1 Options with Sophie:

• Birth Chat (2 hours: to go over options/birth planning)

• 1-1 Antenatal course (3 × 3 hour sessions)

• 1-1 Refreshers Session (1 or 2 × 3 hour sessions)

• 1-1 Hypnobirthing Course (1/2/3 × 3 hour sessions)

Private Midwifery Care:

• Find out more here

Our 5 star rated Group Postnatal Courses

• For 1st/2nd time parents near Wendover, Bucks

• For 1st/2nd time parents near High Wycombe, Bucks

• Just for 2nd/3rd/4th time parents!

1-1 Postnatal Support:

• Postnatal support with feeding or recovery at your home, with Sophie

• Birth debriefs - at your home or at HQ in Wendover (at any stage)

• Sling/Carrier support - at home or at HQ in Wendover (at any age)

For when they’re a bit bigger:

• Introducing Solids Workshops

• TVM Sling & Nappy library - for support with your own carrier or a chance to try out one of ours

• The Grandparents Club - for grandparents-to-be and new grandparents

• Baby Massage at HQ in Wendover

• Solo Parents Meet ups

• Twins Club

“I’m so happy we picked this course!

I can’t begin to say how amazing this course was, for both me and my husband. We both came away from the first session feeling 100 times more knowledgeable and empowered in making the decisions that are right for us and having finished the antenatal course now, actually feel excited as we go through our baby’s birth and beyond.
Sophie is incredible, and Rebecca was so lovely too as our guest teacher. Our group was fantastic and we’ve already got so much support from everyone from the whatsapp groups. I feel so lucky to have done the course and already signed up for the post natal course after my baby is born.” - Devon

“Excellent and empowering antenatal classes

My husband and I took the antenatal course back in November and it was so refreshing to be on a course that prepared us for pregnancy, birth and beyond with empowerment and compassion. Sophie’s genuine and realistic approach gave us the confidence to challenge our caregivers where necessary and this helped us feel more in control of our path.
Whilst we didn’t have the birth we hoped for, we felt that because of the village midwife antenatal course, we were able to make informed choices and ask questions as needed. When it came to “crunch time” we knew we could ask to speak to the consultant midwife on shift, who helped us make our choices.
Thanks to Sophie, we also knew we could request a birth reflections session and make a SAR, so that we can understand and process our experiences in hindsight.
Pregnancy and beyond seem//ed so much less stressful with Sophie’s information pack” which is now well loved and covered in breast milk 😂
Thankyou so much Sophie, I can’t wait to join the postnatal course in a couple of weeks.” - Laura

“Brilliant from start to finish

Can’t recommend The Village midwife enough. The course was just brilliant for us becoming new parents and exactly what my husband and I needed. At The Village midwife they make you feel so comfortable and deliver the course with a relaxed and friendly approach. Sophie is very professional and extremely supportive. I was so impressed that I’ve booked onto the postnatal course and already can’t wait!” - Rochelle

“Absolutely amazing

Would highly recommend, Sophie’s knowledge is fantastic and evidence based/current, taught in a way which really sticks and is relatable to everyday life. The other guest speakers were brilliant as well. In general reassuring and always felt like you could ask anything. The time goes so quickly and already booked the postnatal course as feel like it will be a life saver.” - Aimee

Drop us an email at admin@thevillagemidwife.co.uk or use our contact form. Alternatively if Instagram is easier - reach out to Sophie here!