What is Antenatal?
Antenatal care promotes not only an expectant mother's health but also her developing baby's. It covers good nutrition, relaxation exercises, pregnancy exercises, emotional health, proper hygiene and disease prevention, among many others. Antenatal classes are an effective way of helping families make informed decisions about their birthing preference, to ensure the arrival of their bundle of joy will be an unforgettable moment.
Popular antenatal programs that can help manage pain, discomfort, and negative emotions resulting from the physiological changes a woman experiences during pregnancy, include hypnobirthing, prenatal yoga, Lamaze technique and Calmbirth. Antenatal classes also allow couples to meet other people who can relate to their situation, gain new insights about childbirth and prepare for labour.
Why Study Antenatal?
Antenatal care is a special kind of service you can offer your clients as it focuses on inspiring and nurturing life. Studying it will provide you with the tools to effectively support and educate expectant mums and couples who might need your assistance one day.
Antenatal care is becoming increasingly popular among Australian families, so mastering its components will lead to a rewarding career. In fact, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare says 74% of women who gave birth in 2018 received this type of care in the first trimester of their pregnancy, with 95% attending five or more sessions.
What Does It Take to Study Antenatal or Become a Practitioner of It?
As long as you are passionate about helping expectant families deliver healthy babies in a manner which they are comfortable with, you won't struggle with success as an antenatal practitioner. Empathy, compassion and good listening skills are the top qualities of an aspiring antenatal coach. With these valuable traits, you can empower expectant parents to deal positively with labour and childbirth.
Before you embark on your journey to becoming a qualified antenatal educator, it would be wise to map out your career goal. As antenatal care covers a wide range of programs, knowing which area to specialise in will help you find the appropriate course.
Course and Study Options for Antenatal
Some antenatal practitioner training courses are short and can be completed in three to five days, while others take six months to a year. The length of your study depends on the certification program that you choose to take. A hypnobirthing course, for instance, can be completed in three days if you study it full-time. If you're aspiring to become a Calmbirth educator, the corresponding course for this should take only five days to complete.
A prenatal yoga teacher training course is another certification program to consider, which requires 50 hours of study. To gain entry into this course, you must have at least one year of yoga teaching experience. The Lamaze technique is similar to hypnobirthing as it prepares expectant couples for labour and shifts negative feelings about pregnancy to positive ones. A course on this antenatal program can take nine months to a year to complete, but the rewards are profound.
Some antenatal courses are delivered face-to-face, while others through distance education, with the help of online learning management tools. If you want to enjoy both worlds, find a school that offers a blended learning approach.
How to Choose a School or Course in Antenatal
Research is key to finding the best provider of antenatal courses. You want to study with a registered training organisation in Australia that can provide you with a professional qualification recognised by potential employers and clients, as well as peak bodies for certified childbirth educators.
To assist you in finding a reputable school for antenatal courses, we have supplied a comprehensive list of the country's best institutions at the top of this page. Apart from their syllabus, course fees and delivery platforms, check their accreditation as well as the qualifications of their trainers to ensure you get the best education and training.
