Trentham – Stoke-on-Trent

Me and my husband attended the expecting course run by Sarah (who was also our midwife) in Wolverhampton in July 2019. I cannot recommend her highly enough. Our daughter is... read moreMe and my husband attended the expecting course run by Sarah (who was also our midwife) in Wolverhampton in July 2019. I cannot recommend her highly enough. Our daughter is now 6 months old and we still think back on it very fondly. We felt so much more prepared for birth and the choices available to us through the course. Sarah was an excellent host and we have made great friends with the other couples we did the course with with. Mom's and babies still regularly hang out. If you have a good host it is worth the money, it's great knowing they are trained and practicing midwife's who really know what they are talking about and much cheaper than NCT. I spent ages agonising over which to do but glad we chose Expecting and Sarah. read less

Highly recommend to new mum's and dad"s to be. Gemma is a lovely person very approachable and experienced midwife. This course is definitely worth the money. Great way to expand... read moreHighly recommend to new mum's and dad"s to be. Gemma is a lovely person very approachable and experienced midwife. This course is definitely worth the money. Great way to expand your knowledge on all things baby :). read less

Absolutely fantastic course that really is a must for expectant parents. The classes are divided into easy to follow sections each week and the content is clear and concise.

Nothing... read moreAbsolutely fantastic course that really is a must for expectant parents. The classes are divided into easy to follow sections each week and the content is clear and concise.

Nothing was too much trouble for Gemma who personalised the core content to suit the individuals and provided additional visual aids. Highly recommended! read less

We recently attended the Trentham Expecting classes after lots of recommendations from friends and were not disappointed! Gemma is very knowledgeable, friendly and approachable! We would highly recommend these informative... read moreWe recently attended the Trentham Expecting classes after lots of recommendations from friends and were not disappointed! Gemma is very knowledgeable, friendly and approachable! We would highly recommend these informative classes to others! read less

These classes take you through everything from pain relief options in labour to feeding, bathing and looking after your baby. Gemma is fantastic and there are no awkward role play... read moreThese classes take you through everything from pain relief options in labour to feeding, bathing and looking after your baby. Gemma is fantastic and there are no awkward role play activities. As a first time mum these classes are the only training you get and I’m so glad I decided to enrol! read less

Fully recommend these classes! I've attended with both my pregnancies, hosted by both Freya and Gemma, and can say wholeheartedly that I found the information invaluable. The sessions are comfortable,... read moreFully recommend these classes! I've attended with both my pregnancies, hosted by both Freya and Gemma, and can say wholeheartedly that I found the information invaluable. The sessions are comfortable, laid back and super informative. Whilst you can read all this stuff in your baby books or online, having it collated and explained to you by midwives is so much better! With my first child, I found the information easy to absorb and crucial to how I handled labour and recovery. The support network this last time round has been comforting, too, having the group just a txt away has been really handy.
It's not just a bunch of 'mum stuff' either, the partners are really involved and considered throughout the sessions. And most importantly, there's tea and biscuits! read less

We would highly recommend these classes. We were first time parents and learned so much. Some excellent tips which helped before during and after the birth. We would like to... read moreWe would highly recommend these classes. We were first time parents and learned so much. Some excellent tips which helped before during and after the birth. We would like to thank Gemma who was great nothing was too much trouble!!! read less

The course is amazing. It was so informative and me and my husband got so much out of it- we looked forward to going every week.
Gemma was fabulous, she... read moreThe course is amazing. It was so informative and me and my husband got so much out of it- we looked forward to going every week.
Gemma was fabulous, she was really approachable and you could ask her any question. She is clearly a very experienced midwife with a wealth of knowledge.
It was also really good to meet up with other mums and dads to be and to hear that everyone felt the same!
Me and my husband have much more understanding of the stages of birth and pain meds, which we were struggling with before - this has made us both feel calmer than before the course!
We would recommend this course to anyone, thank you so much! read less

Me and my partner attended the classes at Trentham, at first we were apprehensive but we found the classes really interesting. We also found them useful to meet other new... read moreMe and my partner attended the classes at Trentham, at first we were apprehensive but we found the classes really interesting. We also found them useful to meet other new parents who we have continued speaking to for support and have met up with since the class ended. I would definitely recommend! My partner enjoyed the classes to and met other dads in the same boat as him, I think it prepared us both for labour and what comes after when you are holding your gorgeous baby and suddenly realise you have so much responsibility. read less

My husband and I booked classes with Expecting when I was around 30 weeks pregnant. Due to the pandemic, we were given several options of how we could join the... read moreMy husband and I booked classes with Expecting when I was around 30 weeks pregnant. Due to the pandemic, we were given several options of how we could join the course virtually. For flexibility, we decided to watch all of the videos just the two of us and then have a Skype call with the course leader, Gemma, at the end.We watched the videos over a few weeks when I was around 34 weeks pregnant and we were in contact with Gemma the whole way through. The videos were so informative and engaging we never once felt like we were missing out on the group experience. The labour video in particular was excellent and I felt really relaxed and positive going into labour remembering all of the facts and advice I’d learnt from Expecting and My husband knew exactly how to support me. We also felt a lot more confident with how to tackle the first few weeks with a newborn after the videos. We had feeding issues with our baby initially and if I hadn’t learnt about Antenantal Expression from Expecting then our baby wouldn’t have had the liquid gold colostrum. I will forever be thankful to Expecting for teaching me about that!The Skype call at the end was brilliant. We had made notes of questions all the way through the videos and Gemma answered them thoroughly and never once made us feel like anything was a silly question!I honestly couldn’t recommend Expecting enough, it prepared us (as much as is possible) for our baby’s arrival. read less

The Expecting Classes were incredibly informative and thanks to this knowledge and to the amazing tutor Gemma I had been put more at ease during and after a not so... read moreThe Expecting Classes were incredibly informative and thanks to this knowledge and to the amazing tutor Gemma I had been put more at ease during and after a not so straight forward labor and birth.

I delivered 10 days after my due date. I used my free time before this ensuring I was prepared as can be thanks to the copious notes made and the tips received from the classes. It helped me to manage better in an anxious time uncomfortably waiting for labor to start. Gemma kept in touch via WhatsApp and shared with us, for example, a birthing ball offer to which we ordered straight away. It became very useful as my daughter was in back to back position (initially) which meant extra time required on the ball.

During latent labor, Gemma reminded me of coping methods and that I can go into hospital for extra pain relief even if we were sent home. It transpired that I didn’t have time for extra pain relief as labor progressed very quickly.
I was asked if I wanted to use the birth pool. It had not been on my birth plan initially but again thanks to the information received it became something I wanted to try.

My daughter entered the world naturally weighing 10lbs 2oz and I unfortunately had a third degree tear so I was sent away to theatre for 3 hours. Fortunately, I harvested colostrum which was discussed in the classes. This colostrum became very useful as my husband was able to feed her whilst I was away.

I hope my experience will help when making a decision to book these classes. I am very grateful for what Gemma has done for us and I am not just talking about the tutoring in the classes themselves. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met and was very supportive after birth. I don’t know how we would have coped without her! The WhatsApp group that was set up also helped to boost my confidence and prepare for motherhood interacting with other people in the exact same position. Worth every penny so THANK YOU! xx read less

My husband and I have just finished the classes with Gemma at Trentham.
We were really impressed with the information provided. Gemma added lots of additional information and advice and... read moreMy husband and I have just finished the classes with Gemma at Trentham.
We were really impressed with the information provided. Gemma added lots of additional information and advice and the classes were the right size to over feeling overwhelming.

We both feel prepared and much more confident about labour and the early weeks.

The online downloadable guides are great to print out and keep handy.

If you’re wondering whether to book, we say definitely do! The classes surpassed our expectations and we honestly learnt so much!

Thank you so much Gemma xxx read less

I used both the antenatal classes and the hypnobirthing class before the birth of my first baby in February.
The hypnobirthing session was very practical and with Freya being an experienced... read moreI used both the antenatal classes and the hypnobirthing class before the birth of my first baby in February.
The hypnobirthing session was very practical and with Freya being an experienced midwife, was a great mix of science and nature. She is a captivating presenter, with anecdotes and tips along the way meaning first-timers like me came away with general birth tips as well.
The course itself helped me see birth in a positive light, which changed my whole mindset going into my birth. I had a positive birth experience even though things did not go to me 'plan' (I was induced early) and I think that was largely due to this. The exercises we ran through during the class and can access after were really useful not just during labour but during tough times of pregnancy, appointments and general life! As well as using them during birth and labour I used the visualisations to relax through the induction, and medical appointments. The spoken affirmations, I used before the 'pushing'.. and it put me in a great frame of mind.
Due to Covid-19 we the antenatal classes were virtual. The webinars by Freya which were excellent. They were packed full of information but conveyed in a really fun and friendly manner and I felt so much more confident after them. I watched them several times, which was the nice thing about it being online. We had live sessions with other parents to-be, forming a WhatsApp group for support during pregnancy and after. Gemma ran the Stoke sessions and like Freya is lovely, approachable, passionate midwife. She was very supportive outside of the sessions too.
I felt in very safe hands with Freya and Gemma. Many antenatal classes are not run by midwives so I felt very privileged to have two really experienced, up to date lovely ladies to give us the benefit of their knowledge and support whilst still getting to meet other parents.
I also cannot believe how much experience and resource you get for your money with these courses. They are a bargain. Whether local or not I cannot recommend 'expecting' highly enough. I credit my positive experience largely due to my learnings from them.
Thanks Expecting! 🙂 read less

The course is amazing. It was so informative and me and my husband got so much out of it- we looked forward to going every week. Gemma was fabulous, she... read moreThe course is amazing. It was so informative and me and my husband got so much out of it- we looked forward to going every week. Gemma was fabulous, she was really approachable and you could ask her any question. She is clearly a very experienced midwife with a wealth of knowledge. It was also really good to meet up with other mums and dads to be and to hear that everyone felt the same! Me and my husband have much more understanding of the stages of birth and pain meds, which we were struggling with before - this has made us both feel calmer than before the course!We would recommend this course to anyone, thank you so much! read less

The classes were really useful and informative. Gemma was a brilliant teacher very friendly and knowledgeable and was able to answer any questions or concerns any of the group had.