Courses and support before and after birth
Our antenatal (pregnancy) and postnatal (after birth) courses have been created by our midwives, doctors and physiotherapists to give you and your birth partner the information to support your pregnancy, delivery, recovery and journey as a new parent.
Courses are available to people booked to have their babies at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. We encourage birth partners to join where possible. If you book onto a course but you are not registered to have your baby with our services, we reserve the right to cancel your ticket.
Our courses are offered for free. However, donations to Poppy’s Fund, Imperial Health Charity’s fund for our maternity services, are most welcome. Donations to Poppy’s Fund help us purchase specialist equipment, improve the hospital environment, offer additional support for families, and more. Donate to Poppy’s Fund.
PRISM: Six-week online antenatal course
PRISM (Preparation, Recovery, Inspiration, and Support for Motherhood) is an online course for people who are registered with our maternity services.
The course is made up of six sessions, which are given online over six weeks. It is led by consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Karen Joash and consultant midwife Susan Barry. Each session will cover a different topic related to giving birth, your recovery, caring for your new baby, and supporting your mental wellbeing:
- Session one: Antenatal care
- Session two: Preparation for birth
- Session three: Birth on the labour ward
- Session four: Postnatal care
- Session five: Neonatal care
- Session six: Positive psychology
Sessions are held on Thursdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon. You are welcome to register for a single session, a few, or book into all six.
The webinars are held on Microsoft Teams, which is free to use, and you will be able to ask questions at each event. You will also be given a digital workbook to note down any questions you’d like to ask our midwives before each session.
After each session you’ll be able to watch some videos about the things you’ve learnt in the online session. To get the most from the course, it is best to attend the live sessions and then use the videos to support what you have learnt.
Who can attend?
The PRISM course is for people who are at least 28 weeks pregnant and are registered to our services. Places are limited, to make sure you get a place please register a few weeks in advance.
How to book
Book your place here. Once you’ve registered, you will receive an email with a link that you click on for your first session.
Online workshop: Feeding your baby
'Feeding your baby' is an online session that is led by the infant feeding team, who are experts in providing breastfeeding support.
The two-hour workshop is made up of a range of topics including:
- Benefits of breastfeeding
- How to breastfeed
- Challenges with breastfeeding and how to troubleshoot
- Colostrum harvesting
- How to express
- How to choose appropriate formula milk if you’re wishing to formula feed
How to book
Find out more and book your place here. Once you’ve registered, you will receive an email with a link to access your first session.
Who can attend?
The feeding workshop is for people who are at least 28 weeks pregnant and are registered to have their baby with us.
Information session on screening in pregnancy
Our specialist genetic counsellor, Dr Dagmar Tapon, is available to answer your questions about screening during pregnancy.
The hour-long online workshop will cover:
- Why we offer ultrasound scans and when you will have them
- What a combined screening is, and why we check for chromosome conditions
- What invasive testing involves, and which conditions invasive tests during pregnancy can be used to find
- The new non-invasive blood test (NIPT) that you may receive
Who can attend?
Please register for the antenatal screening session if you have just found out you're pregnant and are registered with our services.
How to book
Find out more and book your place here. Once you’ve registered, you will receive an email with a link to access the session.
Information session on fetal scans and monitoring
This course is delivered by experts in fetal medicine, including fetal medicine consultants. They will help you to understand the role of monitoring in pregnancy and what it means.
Who can attend?
This session will be helpful if you have been told that you may need additional scans and monitoring throughout pregnancy.
How to book
For more information about the workshop, ask the midwives in your next PRISM session.
Preparing for natural childbirth
Join us online to learn about the benefits of a natural birth and how to approach labour in a positive way.
Who can attend?
This session is for anyone who plans to give birth with little medical help.
How to book
Please ask your midwife for more information on how to book this workshop.
Pelvic health antenatal classes
Our dedicated pelvic health team offer classes for people to learn more about the ways to keep your body healthy during and after pregnancy.
Healthy pregnancy class
Our online presentation recommends exercises to try during pregnancy and ways you can make small changes to your lifestyle when pregnant, for the best health benefits.
Who can attend?
This session is for parents who are registered to our maternity services.
How to book
Email imperial.pelvic.physiotherapy@nhs.net to find out more about the classes and how to join.
Physiotherapy care after an elective caesarean
This online session covers how to look after your wound and recover after having a caesarean section (C-section).
Who can attend?
This session is for parents who are having a planned caesarean section (C-section)
How to book
Email imperial.pelvic.physiotherapy@nhs.net to find out more about the classes and how to join.
Other support services we offer, in the form of antenatal clinics, include:
- Smoking cessation: To support pregnant women and birthing people who would like to stop smoking.
- Vaginal birth after a caesarean clinic: An opportunity to speak with a member of staff about your questions regarding having a vaginal birth after a caesarean.
- Listening clinic: A service designed to review your pregnancy experience with a member of staff.
- Birth options clinic: A clinic dedicated to talking through the choices you're making with regards to your birth plan.
- Obstetrics anaesthetic clinic: for pregnant people with a medical challenge that requires specific input from an anaesthetist.
- Bereavement clinic: To support pregnant people that have experienced a miscarriage or still birth.
For more information on how you can access these services, please ask your midwife in your next antenatal appointment, or make a note to ask for more information in your virtual antenatal PRISM sessions.
Further support
Pregnancy Loss Support
The Early Pregnancy Unit at Queen Charlotte’s & Chelsea Hospital has a support group for people and their partners who may wish to talk and connect with others who have had similar experiences. For more information and to register your place contact juanita@miscarriageassociation.org.uk
Maternity Voices Partnership
The Maternity Voices Partnership is a community of people who are either going to give birth or have given birth with our services. We sometimes hold workshops where people can share their experiences with the clinicians, meet others and let our team know how we can improve the quality of our services.
Email the Maternity Voices Partnership team at imperialmaternityvoices@gmail.com to join the next online session.
North west London mum and baby app
The free north west London mum & baby app, created by midwives in our area, offers you the chance to explore local maternity services, track your appointments, and keep your care notes all in one place. It is available for download on Apple and Android devices — just search 'mum & baby' in your app store
eRedbook
Your midwife or care team may mention eRedbook to you while you’re in our care. eRedbook is your child’s first digital health record. Register for eRedbook to start tracking your pregnancy symptoms and making notes about your child’s health. When your baby is born, you’ll be able to use eRedbook to receive copies of your child’s health review, screening and immunisation records. Visit the website to learn more and register. You can also ask your midwife for a hardcopy version of the eRedbook.
Join our Instagram community
Follow @imperialmaternity on Instagram for regular insights and key updates.
About this page
- Last updated
- Author Rachel Watson