Classes 

People who have attended our classes told us they feel LESS

• Clueless
• Nervous
• Anxious
• Scared
• Isolated

and MORE

• Confident
• Calm
• Knowledgeable
• Prepared
• Empowered
• Excited
• Equipped
• Supported

about birth and the arrival of their babies, AFTER doing our courses!

“The course was all centred around reducing potential anxiety and increasing confidence through the provision of clear and relevant information and it’s been very effective for us.”

Jess & Chris, Bishopston antenatal course

You can read more customer testimonials here.

We believe knowledge is power. Our job is to give you the knowledge and tools to make informed choices that suit YOUR needs, not our agenda.

To avoid personal and professional bias, we invited a broad range of doctors, midwives, specialists, and other parents to help us develop a well-rounded antenatal course programme. The result is a course that empowers new parents with realistic labour, birth, feeding and parenting expectations.

We ensure

• Our content is evidence-based and regularly updated. 
• It is highly practical, fun and not stuffy!
• Our course leaders teach our curriculum to avoid personal or professional bias. 

Plus, 

• We ask how to best support you (via a private pre-course survey)
• We encourage questions throughout the course
• We welcome different beliefs and opinions in a safe, judgement-free space

“The course was well structured and contained so much useful information. Their no nonsense, empirical-based course meant that we know exactly what does and doesn’t work. Would recommend as the best antenatal class available!”

Dan Tangent, Bishopston antenatal

Our in-person antenatal classes are grouped by location and estimated due date to ensure you have a local set of like-minded friends. The friendships built in the classes will support you through the rest of your pregnancy and the early days as a new parent – if not for many years to come!

Running over seven weeks, the classes give you plenty of time to get to know each other, and the private WhatsApp group helps too.

Many of our groups go to a pub or café for food before class starts or a quick drink after, and we encourage you to do the same.

‘We were paired with other amazing parents, with whom we still maintain a warm relationship, sharing tips, worries and laughs almost on a daily basis.’ 

Ana Simplicio, Bedminster antenatal class

Find a group class in Bristol today.

We hate hearing stories of people feeling like they failed because they weren’t prepared for the twists and turns of labour, feeding or those early sleep-deprived days with a newborn! Or felt out of control because they didn’t understand what was happening.

We set up New Life Classes to STOP this from happening. Our classes empower you with the tools to make informed choices at every step of your pregnancy, birth and parenting journey. We do this by discussing the following:

• ALL types of labour and birth (including medical interventions)
• ALL feeding options (breast, chest and bottle)
• The emotions health and wellbeing of BOTH parents
• AND a wide range of coping strategies for all these scenarios.

We love hearing how this approach has helped our customers! 

“I loved how practical and useful the information we received was. The session on ‘what happens if birth doesn’t go to plan’ was particularly useful.” 

Gem Sly, Bishopston

“Right from the start we were put at ease and the depth of information was second to none…The fact we were able to reference the content, mid labour with plenty of gas and air onboard, goes to show the impressionable mark the course left us with; particularly at a time when we could have and should have easily panicked. Yet, we were actually reassured the decision we were having to make, was one we fully understood, and that we were absolutely making the right decision for us and the baby at that quick thinking moment of time.” 

Nikita Bennett, Westbury

We recognise there is no one-size fits all approach to relationships, beliefs, pregnancy, birth, feeding or parenting and are sensitive to your individual needs. We welcome all families to join our classes:

• Couples and solo parents with birth partners. 
• LGBTQ+ community.
• Whatever your religious, cultural and racial background. 
• Whether it’s your first baby – or your first baby together.
• If you’ve struggled to get pregnant or lost babies on your journey to this pregnancy.
• Having a singleton, twins or more.
• Planning a homebirth, caesarean section or don’t yet know.
• Planning to breast or bottle feed your baby.

We also recognise that each person involved in a pregnancy, birth or parenting journey will have a different experience – birthing parent, birthing partner, mother, father, biological parent, or co-parent. We have information and coping strategies for each of you!

We welcome you, with your differences and your similarities and look forward to getting to know you and supporting you in a friendly and judgement-free space!

This course is suitable for anyone expecting a baby, from total beginners to maternity experts and everyone in between!

If you are starting with little or no knowledge of what to expect, we will guide you every step of the way. We welcome questions throughout the classes. Plus, if anything crops up between sessions, you can ping a message to your course leader, who will be happy to help you out.

If you are a maternity expert, you will still learn plenty from these classes! They’re a great space to let go of your professional hats and focus entirely on your own experience.

We’ve supported everyone from midwives to obstetricians, health visitors to paediatricians, maternity support workers to anaesthetists, GPs, psychologists and physios. Even our course leaders come back with their partners!

PS – We don’t ask people to share what they do for a job unless they want to.

We pride ourselves on being down-to-earth, friendly and approachable. We recognise pregnancy can throw up many different feelings and want to create a safe space for all our parents to come together. We are here to support you every step of the way! Whether to ask questions, explore your choices or get to know others in the group.

But don’t take my word for it. Here’s what some of our customers say about us:

“Not only did we learn all the essentials (and much, much more), we also received genuine care from the entire team. The teachers are amazing and the materials relevant and up-to-date. They are tailored to every type of couple and birth plan.”

Ana Simplicio, Bedminster Zoom

“Iona does an exceptionally professional job running everything smoothly and our midwife Kate who led the teaching was straight talking, thoroughly approachable and great fun.”

Kate H. Bishopston

“My husband and I chose new life after listening to Iona speak at a parent event. Iona’s expertise, professionalism and friendly manner immediately helped us make the decision as we loved the intimate, family vibe we got from the introduction!” 

Alessia Lattuca, Bedminster Zoom

“Hannah is wonderful – made us feel really informed and relaxed. A great course with very easy going advice, not pressing too much in any particular direction but emphasising common sense.”

Suzannah & Edward, Bath

“I was really scared at the thought of becoming a parent but the course has put my mind at ease. Ema was incredibly thorough and patient and we couldn’t have asked for a better coach!”

Kim & Matt, Bishopston

“Really helpful and informative. Lucy was brilliant, friendly and informative and made it easy to ask even basic questions. Thank you so much! ”

Jemma & Ben, Westbury

“We couldn’t recommend these sessions enough. It’s great to meet new people. Carley has been especially brilliant. She is extremely passionate about what she does. We will miss seeing her on Tuesdays.”

Monica & Barney, Bedminster

“Cat, who ran the classes was wonderful, honest and approachable.” 

Emily Mulligan, Bradley Stoke

We believe that antenatal education is an integral investment for you and your family. It is an essential step in preparing you for labour, birth, and the transition to parenthood. We recognise that not everyone can afford the entire group course (whether due to time or money), so we offer a range of options to suit all budgets.

In-person antenatal classes in Bristol:

• Bedminster
• Bishopston
• Downend

In-person baby first aid classes: Bristol

Self-learning classes: digital antenatal courses

• Preparing for labour, birth and parenting (13.5 hours)
• Preparing for labour and birth (6.5 hours)
• Preparing for your baby’s arrival (7 hours)
• Taster antenatal course (free) (1 hour 45 mins)