We are excited to partner with you on your journey into parenthood, through childbirth education.
Here at South West Healthcare we provide free childbirth education classes. These are face-to-face classes are held Mondays and Wednesdays (note: sometimes the days will change due to public holidays) and run from 6:30pm-8:30pm in the evenings. There are 4 sessions within one round of classes and it is expected that participants will attend all 4 sessions over a fortnight, so Monday and Wednesday one week, then Monday and Wednesday the following week. We also offer Sunday classes 1:00-5:00pm. These are also run over a fortnight, two sessions in a day.
To attend face-to-face classes, you will need to be COVID vaccinated and prepared to show your vaccination status to the presenting midwife.
You will be booked into classes by a midwife, and should expect to attend face-to-face classes when you are around 32-34weeks pregnant. Your partner or one birth support person are invited to attend with you. If you are 25 weeks pregnant and have not been booked into classes, please speak to a midwife to organise, or email childbirtheducators@swh.net.au and we will contact you.
If you are booked for face-to-face classes but find you cannot attend, then please email childbirtheducators@swh.net.au to let us know as places are limited.
Day: Monday and Wednesday evenings
Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm, please arrive 5 minutes early
Booking: Use our TryBooking link to book your place.
OR
Day: Sunday afternoon
Time: 1.00 – 5.00pm, please arrive 5 minutes early
Booking: Use our TryBooking link to book your place.
COVID requirements:
Gestation: 32-34weeks pregnant
Venue: Frank Lodge room, Level 1 Warrnambool Base Hospital
Wear: comfortable clothing
BYO: water bottle
*Please note there is no supper provided, however you may bring snacks.
Session 1: Birthing Your Baby Part 1
In this class, we take you through normal labour and birth and non-medical forms of pain relief. A physio will join us for this class.
Session 2: Birthing Your Baby Part 2
This class flows on from the previous session but delves into medical forms of pain relief as well as common interventions such as inductions. We also discuss caesarean births in this class.
Session 3: Breastfeeding
Learn all about the amazing benefits of breastfeeding for mum and baby and what to expect with feeding your newborn.
Session 4: Life with a Newborn
The class focuses on parenting in the early days, working through some of the challenges you are likely to face.
Yes! We love partners to attend. If you don’t have a partner, you can bring another support person with you.
No, please put into your calendar or diary and set your own reminder
You can contact the Childbirth Educators or watch the videos of the session you missed.
The best way is via email: childbirtheducators@swh.net.au
Classes are free.
We encourage you to attend classes at South West Healthcare as well as hypnobirthing, as the classes are more specific to this hospital and we include breastfeeding and parenting classes.
It is still great to attend all classes as you will meet other expectant couples and learn interesting information along the way, but it is up to you. The final two sessions focus on information to support you with feeding etc once baby arrives and information for post-birth.
Despite the class focusing on breastfeeding, there is lots of information covered in this session that is relevant to bottle feeding as well, such as the importance of bonding, expressing and a little bit on artificially feeding, so we do recommend that you attend this class.
Absolutely! Classes are for expectant parents and the information provided will be relevant to every parent.
Yes! Your booking-in midwife will be able to guide you.