1-to-1 antenatal sessions
Tailored to your pregnancy needs
Our sessions are designed to work around you
At your home, your workplace,
online or any other convenient location
At times that fit
around your life.
This allows you to prioritise your pregnancy without impacting on your work or normal day-to-day routine. I am based in Belfast, and can offer face-to-face sessions within the Belfast area. However, I also provide remote video sessions for clients across the UK and abroad.
Why choose CityNatal?
I believe that the best antenatal experience comes from building trust. I am committed to creating a personalised programme of classes that provides all of the information and confidence you need leading up to and after the birth of your baby.
I am an experienced midwife who has worked across a range of areas of midwifery including labour ward, community midwifery and women’s health in several NHS trusts as well as in the independent sector. I have over 10 years of experience working with women before, during and after their pregnancies. Within the last 4 years, I have trained as an obstetric and gynaecological sonographer and I specialise in early pregnancy and fertility ultrasound. My experience in various settings has given me a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the unique worries, questions and problems that women can encounter during their pregnancies.
One-to-one antenatal sessions allow dedicated time to be spent between the midwife and the mother and partner. I have seen first-hand the unnecessary anxiety that many women and their partners feel during pregnancy, and at CityNatal I will ensure that you are fully prepared for the birth of your child with a personal, informed and committed antenatal experience.
Are you early on in your pregnancy?
Just found out you’re pregnant?
Take a look at our Early Midwife Plan
Your Sessions
You will receive a schedule of sessions with a breakdown of topics that can be adjusted to your specific needs. At every session, you will have the opportunity to discuss any worries you may have, and we can focus on specific topics if you feel you need more time. Areas of focus that will be covered in the sessions include:
Late Pregnancy
- Preparing for the birth, both physically and mentally
- Making your birth plan
- Overdue and what to do
Labour and Birth
- Signs of labour and when to call your midwife
- Managing in early and established labour – pain relief, coping strategies
- Different types of birth – elective and emergency Caesarean sections, ventouse and forceps birth, vaginal births and home birth
- When things don’t go to plan
- Role of the birth partner
Immediate Post Birth
- Going home with your baby
- Introducing the new arrival to siblings
- What happens in the first 24 hours
- Caring for yourself
Early Parenthood
- Practical newborn skills – swaddling, bathing, nappy changing, umbilical cord care, soothing etc.
- Your recovery – both physical and mental
- Infant feeding – breastfeeding and bottle feeding, formula feeding, common problems with feeding, establishing a good milk supply and how to tell if your baby is getting enough, positioning and latch technique, recognising your baby’s feeding cues, expressing and storing milk.
Pregnancy Complications (optional extra)
Unfortunately, not every pregnancy is straightforward and if you develop a medical condition such as pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes, I can tailor a class to discuss this.
- Your specific condition
- Impact on pregnancy and birth
- What to expect
Refresher (for parents expecting their next baby)
- Debrief and discussion about previous birth/s,
- Plans for this birth
- Recap of labour
- Birth and newborn care
Postnatal
- Debrief and discussion about your birth
- Discussion with birth partner about your birth
- Recap of practical skills
Support
Throughout the time you are having sessions and up to 4 weeks postnatally, support is available via email, seven days a week for any questions or concerns that you may have.
Information
All the information you are given is straightforward, no nonsense and evidence based.
Aftercare
Upon completion of your antenatal sessions, you will receive a personalised pack containing the main topics of discussion, and also general advice and information regarding labour, birth and early parenthood.
Costs
First time parents
(1hr 30mins per session)
We recommend a minimum of 4 sessions*
Face-to-face Sessions £125
Remote Sessions £90
Refresher Session
(2hrs)
Face-to-face Sessions £195
Remote Sessions £130
*This can be amended and extra sessions can be added if needed.
FAQs
What time/day are the sessions?
Each session is designed to fit around your life. This may mean that you prefer evenings during the week or weekends. You may also want to condense the sessions into a short period (e.g. 2 weeks) or have them weekly/fortnightly over a longer period. During our initial phone call I will discuss what works best for you and book you in.
Can I add more sessions?
You may feel you want more time to focus on a specific subject or area of concern, in which case I will organise a further session to explore this. You may also develop a medical condition in your pregnancy that you would like to understand better, so I would advise booking a ‘Pregnancy complications’ session to look into this.
Can my partner come to the sessions?
Absolutely. I welcome any partner / birth support / family member to our sessions and want them to feel as supported as you.
Can you help if I have a medical problem?
If at any stage you have concerns about you or your baby’s health, I would advise you to speak to your midwife. You will be able to contact us 7 days a week via email until 4 weeks after the birth, and this is for practical information and support.
Can I arrange a group antenatal session for myself and some friends?
Absolutely – I can facilitate a group session for up to 10 women (plus partners) and I normally deliver this over a full day. Each person will receive a 1:1 session with me before the group class to ensure confidentiality and ensure that the group session delivers everything each person needs.
Can I visit you in a clinic?
Unfortunately, you are not able to visit me in a clinic, but as part of both the Early Midwife Plan and the antenatal sessions, you will have email access to me to ask any questions you may have.
Are you available 24/7?
During the course of your antenatal sessions and up to four weeks postnatally, I am available by email 7 days a week. I will answer any email received between 8am and 6pm on the same day, and any received outside of those hours will be answered on the next day. Any urgent queries must be directed to your midwife/maternity care provider.
Ready to start your journey?
Please leave your details below.
From here, I will arrange a 15-minute call – completely free of charge – where we will discuss your own specific needs. I will then email a personalised antenatal programme and costs.