Book your childbirth education classes with Cambridge Parents Centre today!

Our evening Childbirth Education Courses run for 6 weeks.

The venue for the class is the Parents Centre Rooms, which are located in
the Cambridge Health and Community Centre, 22A Taylor Street, Cambridge. Entry is through the door at the
front of the building, closest to the street. Car parking is available roadside and at the rear of the building.

The duration of a weekday class is 2 hours 15 minutes, starting promptly at 6.45pm and aiming to finish by 9pm. Weekend classes run from 9am-3.30pm.

BOOK NOW FOR - please click on the link to book

Tuesdays - 18 January-22 February
Weekend of 19 & 20 March
Tuesdays 12 April-17 May
Weekend of 11 & 12 June
Weekend of 23 & 30 July
Tuesdays - 16 August-20 September
Weekend of 15 & 16 October
Tuesdays - 8 November-13 December

Day of the week may change depending on availability of educators

Classes may be changed to online zoom sessions if no face-to-face meetings are allowed due to the traffic light system restrictions or if no local educator is available.

Courses are run by trained Childbirth Educators and based on the latest research. Content includes information about pregnancy, labour, birth and parenting in those early weeks.

We are really privileged to have funding from Waikato DHB to enable childbirth education classes in Cambridge to be run FREE of charge to everybody. Those classes are valued at $180.

It is critical that all of our participants be prepared to commit to attendance to all sessions for two reasons:
the first is that non-attendance means no funding received from the DHB to cover our fixed costs, and secondly, we have limited spaces available on each course so registration and then failure to attend means we are unable to offer your place to someone else with such short notice.

If people don’t attend, we will lose this funding and be unable to provide this service to other couples in the future.

Cambridge Parents Centre has legal duties and responsibilities to keep its members and those who attend its activities, safe from injuries and infection. The Committee has discussed its duties and also the restrictions imposed because of the current COVID-19 pandemic by the Government and by Parents Centre Aotearoa. Having regard to those duties and restrictions, the Committee has decided that all those who participate in or attend its activities must:

1. Be fully vaccinated

2. Produce on request their vaccine pass and

3. Sign in when arriving at every activity.

If you are not able to attend our face-to-face classes, online classes are offered here

What you will learn at Antenatal Class

Baby’s development

Developmental stages of the baby and the role of the placenta
Risks & effects of drugs, alcohol and smoking to development & health of the baby
Information on available smoking cessation

Prenatal care

‘Routine’ pregnancy tests and their role
‘Special’ pregnancy tests, why they may be offered & their significance
Dental care in pregnancy
Working with your Lead Maternity Carer (LMC)
Covering all aspects of working with your LMC including chosen place for labour & birth, birth plans, and your rights as consumers
Informed choice & consent
Pregnancy complications – signs & symptoms to be aware of
pregnancy discomforts
Posture and back care
Appropriate activities, sports & exercise throughout pregnancy
Emotional, physical, relationship & lifestyle changes of pregnancy & parenting

Nutrition for pregnancy & breastfeeding

The importance of good nutrition,
Your increased nutritional needs
How to achieve this throughout pregnancy & breastfeeding

Pelvic awareness, the pelvic
floor muscles & ‘optimal foetal positioning’

Nifty design features of the pelvis & overview of the pelvic organs
The pelvic floor muscles – what are they, their importance & how to look after them
The importance of perineal massage & it’s usefulness for labour and birth
‘Optimal foetal positioning’ – what is it & how to encourage it?

The purpose of pain in labour & birth
– yes it has a purpose!

The purpose of pain in labour
The body’s amazing design features to combat pain
Common sense strategies & non-medical pain relief options
Medical pain relief – benefits, risks & options

The process of labour

The journey of normal, physiological labour
Signs of impending labour
The three classic stages of labour
Birthing patterns, behaviours and responses
Unexpected outcomes or complications – when a journey detours
Medical interventions explained – benefits, risks, alternatives

All things breastfeeding including

Initiating breastfeeding - skin to skin contact following birth
BFHI & 10 Steps to successful breastfeeding
Benefits of breastfeeding to mother & baby
Positioning of Mother & baby, the latch, demand & supply mechanism of breastfeeding
Potential challenges, conflicting advice, local support & resources

Practical parenting & care of a newborn baby

Realistic expectations
Feeding, safe sleeping, crying, settling,
Newborn communication – cues & signals
Vaccinations, circumcision
Newborn testing
When to call for a doctor
Equipment & baby paraphernalia
Bathing, dressing & changing a baby

Postnatal care & support including

Lochia, third day blues, ‘after pains’, demand feeding, managing interrupted sleep
Contraception
Parenting a baby with special needs
Postnatal distress
Importance of communication & establishing support networks
The importance of support for acknowledging & working through unexpected experiences
The importance of postnatal exercise & links to emotional and psychological wellbeing