Preparation course: where to do it?

Preparation course: where to do it?
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Preparation course

During the first pregnancy, almost all expectant mothers are full of doubts. To try to solve at least some of them, it can be very useful to attend a preparation course or birth accompaniment course. In fact, these courses can help pregnant women to clarify all the thousand questions about pregnancy, labor and childbirth and to prepare them to face the birth of their first child in the best way.





Also, by attending it, you have the opportunity to get in touch with experienced people who can answer any questions. You can know them midwives, doctors and professionals which can clarify many doubts and help us get ready for childbirth. Not all future mothers decide to attend these courses, perhaps due to lack of time or desire. But the prep course, if done well, can be very useful when it comes time to deliver the baby.

In this article

What is done in a preparto course

Preparto courses are not all the same. In general, each structure organizes them in a different way. There are courses that are mainly focused on maternal well-being, on gentle gymnastics to do in recent months, on techniques to deal with the labor and on the first care to be given to the child, and others instead that offer the opportunity to visit the hospital and talk to them hospital specialists (gynecologist, anesthetist and midwives) to learn about the more "technical" aspects of childbirth. Furthermore, some courses are designed to be intended for both parents, while others are exclusively for mothers (and fathers may be invited to only one meeting).



The topics to be addressed are really many and each structure chooses the issues to which to give more space. You will then be able to hear about the stages of labor, the different types of contractions and the methods for having them come, childbirth and any complications, breathing techniques to deal with labor, dell'episiotomy, Dell 'epidural anesthesia. We can talk about the care of the baby, from the change of the diaper to the first bath, from how to understand if he has eaten enough to how to deal with the colic, from the fall of the umbilical cord to the attention he needs in the first months.

How to choose the right preparation course

The first piece of advice is to try to take the course in the hospital or clinic where you want to give birth. In this way, in fact, you will have the opportunity to know the midwives of the structure, which, perhaps, you could find next to you at the time of birth. And in those moments of pain, having a familiar face next to you, who is also an experienced person and knows how to help you, can give you a lot of relief. Not all hospitals, however, organize preparatory courses. And then you can turn to the consultors or alle private associations who organize courses of this type for expectant mothers.



Before choosing where to attend the preparto course, find out about how it will be structured and what issues it will address, to really understand if it is the right course for you. L'main focus of these courses is in fact to help parents ad face birth with awareness, serenity and trust. And it is also useful because it offers the opportunity to discuss with other future mothers, exchanging opinions and advice.

Read also: Stages of labor

How much does the preparation course cost

In hospitals and clinics, in general, the preparation courses are free or you only pay a small fee (a kind of ticket). But there are also hospitals that offer only a limited number of places to attend the course for free, while if you are not part of this group of expectant mothers, the course will be paid. In the private facilities, the course is obviously paid and can cost around 200/250 euros. Maybe there are many thinking about all the expenses that future mothers have to bear every month, but some courses are really well organized and it is worth spending a little more to follow them.

Free preparation courses

If you want to take a prep course, but don't want (or can't) spend, the right solution is to look for a free preparation course. First of all, try the counseling centers, which generally organize these courses just for expectant mothers who cannot afford a paid course. There are also many associations that organize them. The advice is to start inquire from the beginning of pregnancy, in order to have more choice and be able to find the most suitable one.

  • There are many possibilities to follow free city preparation courses. For example, the Tiziano Center or the Villa Pia Clinic organize totally free courses for all future mothers. L'Fatebenefratelli Hospital instead, it organizes free parenting support meetings that can be very useful to future parents.
  • A the city many interesting courses, both pre-birth and post-partum, are organized by many hospitals and clinics. L'AIED the city organizes a Free Pregnancy Group for moms and dads.
  • A Firenze the Careggi University Hospital organizes a program for pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum that can be customized according to your needs.
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Online preparation course

You don't have time to follow one traditional preparation course and maybe, these days, you prefer to avoid courses in the presence and prefer of online business? Preparto online courses they are more and more numerous. If you want to try to follow a course that can offer you the information you need to face the birth and the first times with the baby, you can try to follow a online course. These courses are ideal for those short on time but still want to learn a little more.

  • Corso Preparto offers a video course, created by a mother for mothers.
  • Live midwives organize live video courses and online courses to learn the first care for the baby.
  • BimbiPiù offers a video itinerary designed for expectant mothers and couples.
  • UPPA offers a course with a team consisting of a midwife, two pediatricians and a psychotherapist. The course is not just about pregnancy: you will find sections dedicated to post-partum, breastfeeding and baby care.

When to take a preparation course

Generally the preparation course starts around the 28th week of gestation and it is advisable to book it within the 24th week. If you want to try to get a place free of charge, in facilities with a limited number of places, you should start thinking about it from the very beginning of your pregnancy. 

How long does a preparation course lesson last?

La duration of each single lesson of the preparto course, as well as the list of topics covered, may vary according to the structure that organizes the course. On average, each lesson lasts about 2 hours, so that the midwife (or the professional who is carrying it out) has the time to expose all the useful information on a certain topic and to answer the questions and doubts of pregnant women or their companions.

How long does the preparation course last?

The courses last between 8 and 10 meetings, which can be weekly or biweekly, and therefore will accompany you almost until the end of pregnancy.

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