Antenatal education classes

Parents often need a wide range of support and guidance when it comes to preparing for the arrival of their new baby, particularly if it is their first.

29 Aug 2022

As a St John of God Mt Lawley Hospital maternity patient, we are pleased to provide education and support, from preconception through the transition to parenthood.

Our antenatal parent education classes

Preconception and Early Pregnancy

This free information session is offered to all women planning to conceive or who are under 13 weeks gestation. Hosted by our parent education midwives and dietetic team, the session aims to give you and your partner a roadmap to assist with preparing for pregnancy, health and nutrition, care options and insights into our Family Birthing Unit.

You don't have to be booked to birth at our hospital to attend this session, as the information is intended as a general guide to support wellness in early pregnancy.

Labour and birth

This is the most popular class for new parents and those who would like a refresher on labour and birth. The three-hour workshop is available on Saturday mornings or Tuesday evenings and covers many aspects of pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and early parenting, including the final weeks of pregnancy, when to come to hospital, knowledge of the body and birthing process, natural and medical pain relief options, types of birth – vaginal and caesarean and how partners can provide support.

We recommend you and your partner attend this workshop when you are 28 to 35 weeks pregnant.

Postnatal and Parenthood

This three-hour workshop is perfect for first time parents and focuses on the postnatal period and parenting skills. It is available on Saturday mornings or Tuesday evenings.

Topics covered include what to expect in hospital after a vaginal and caesarean birth and when you go home, settling your baby, nappy changes, swaddling and safe sleeping. We recommend you and your partner attend this workshop when you are 28 to 35 weeks pregnant.

Fast Track

Our Fast Track class provides a condensed version of the labour and birth and postnatal and parenthood classes. Fast Track was designed to provide a brief overview of labour, birth and the postnatal period for parents who only have time for one class or have had children before and want a refresher. We recommend you attend this workshop when you are between 28 to 35 weeks pregnant. This class is only as a live webinar on Saturdays.

Breastfeeding workshop

To further support our mums, we provide a dedicated one and a half hour breastfeeding workshop.

This workshop is hosted by an experienced lactation consultant who provides advice and education on feeding cues, correct attachment, positioning and other important information a breastfeeding mother needs to know.

We encourage both you and your partner to attend.

How to book

Please book all antenatal classes through My Admission. For enquiries to our Parent Education Team, please email [email protected] or phone 0428 807 827.