Welcome to the World is an 8-week antenatal programme, which aims to support expectant parents by improving parental wellbeing, increasing attunement and bonding to their baby, and developing knowledge and skills in breastfeeding and practical care.
This paper, published in the British Journal of Midwifery, explores mothers and fathers differing expectations of antenatal education, using data from the Welcome to the World programme.
The authors found that women’s expectations fell into 3 areas, relationships (with the baby, friends and family), emotional wellbeing and practical aspects, while expectant fathers were less clear about their learning needs, indicating different learning needs at different times for the two groups.
The authors concluded that understanding expectations of antenatal classes, and exploring the value of classes among attendees has the potential to result in improved attendance, reduced dropout rates and overall greater satisfaction.
If you would like to find out more about the Welcome to the World training for this programme, click here.
Authors: Catriona Jones (Senior Research Fellow), Franziska Wadephul (Postdoctoral Research Assistant) & Julie Jomeen (Professor of Midwifery) Department of Midwifery and Child Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Hull.