One first-time mother was only directed to pre-recorded online antenatal resources by her midwife because face-to-face sessions were not available
Multiple first-time mothers from around the country who arethey were not offered face-to-face antenatal classes via their NHS trusts.
Linda, who only wanted to give her first name, said the experience had made her “feel a little bit lost” and like she had “missed out”.with her first child said it “wasn’t good enough” that NHS Forth Valley was only offering antenatal classes online. But the virtual experience made Linda feel that she would not be prepared enough for the birth of her first child.Linda opted to pay for additional in-person classes privately. It cost her £66 for a block of six private sessions but her partner is not permitted to attend. “It’s not great when you feel like that’s your only option.NHS Forth Valley said: “We currently deliver antenatal education classes online via MS Teams in a live interactive session format.
“Due to infection control guidance, we continue to be restricted in the number of people we can host in our learning spaces for group antenatal classes. We are however, reviewing this continually,” NHS Forth Valley said.