Antenatal classes

Maternity: care during pregnancy

Regular antenatal classes

Our weekday, evening and Saturday classes are face-to-face in the antenatal clinic.

Weekday and Saturday classes are 1 session with information about:

labour progress and stages
coping methods at home and in hospital
breastfeeding (baby's needs, colostrum and milk production, benefits, position and attachment)
1st days with your baby

Sets of evening antenatal classes are split into 2 short classes.

Part 1 is about stages of labour and coping methods.

Part 2 is about breastfeeding and 1st days with your baby.

How to book

Some midwifery teams provide their own antenatal classes. Please check with your team before booking a class.

You can book on the Eventbrite website for weekday, evening and Saturday antenatal classes.

We recommend you book a class when you're between 32 and 35 weeks of pregnancy.

Please remember to book a space for your partner too.

We recommend that you open all Eventbrite links in Google Chrome.

Other workshops

There are 2 different physiotherapy antenatal classes. Both are informal and fun.

The aim is to:

improve your ability to manage any back or pelvic pain during pregnancy
educate about the importance of pelvic floor muscle exercises

The classes run on alternate Mondays from 10am to midday. They take place in the antenatal education room at the antenatal clinic, St Thomas' Hospital.

You don't need to have back or pelvic pain to attend. All pregnant women are welcome. You only need to attend these classes once.

Back and pelvic pain class

The class includes a talk and chair-based exercise session led by a specialist physiotherapist.

The talk will cover the changes to your body during pregnancy and how this can cause muscle and joint pain. You'll learn:

the knowledge and skills to manage or prevent back and pelvic pain at home
how to recognise the signs that mean you should see a pelvic health physiotherapist

If you are experiencing severe back and pelvic pain, you are still welcome to attend. Please also ask for a referral to the pelvic health physiotherapy department from your midwife, obstetrician or GP.

You should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for exercise.

Pelvic floor class

This class covers pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy and beyond. The aim is to prevent common pelvic floor problems after the delivery of your baby.

It includes a talk about what pelvic floor muscles are, how they work and the effect on them from pregnancy and delivery.

You'll learn:

how pelvic floor muscle training can help different pelvic floor problems
how to do pelvic floor muscle training
when to start exercising following the delivery of your baby
the signs that mean you should see a pelvic health physiotherapist

If you are experiencing pelvic floor problems, you can still attend the class. Please also ask for a referral to the pelvic health physiotherapy department and named obstetrician.

How to book

Please email antenatalphysiotherapyclass@gstt.nhs.uk to book your place.

If you have any questions, please call 020 7188 5084 for further guidance.

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Pregnant woman in antenatal clinic waiting room talking to maternity support worker

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Last updated: May 2025

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Antenatal classes

Maternity: care during pregnancy

Regular antenatal classes

How to book

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