Peterborough hospital is hosting the first UK antenatal classes just for men
Peterborough City Hospital has launched what's believed to be the first all-male antenatal classes in the UK. If the pilot NHS 'DaddyNatal' courses are a success, they could soon be seen throughout hospitals in Britain.
A qualified antenatal teacher and head of the all male initiative, Dean Beaumont, says the classes look at birth from a different perspective, often using male humour to help men understand and prepare themselves for fatherhood.
‘We can use male humour that perhaps wouldn’t go down so well in a mixed setting,’ says Mr Beaumont. ‘We discuss things that men often won’t talk about in a couples class.’
‘Are we men really going to sit there in front of our partners, and other women, and state that we’re petrified? Probably not,’ he says. The DaddyNatal classes provide an informal, laid back setting for men to discuss their fears and pre-birth anxieties.
Clare Carter, a matron and midwife at Peterborough City Hospital thinks the classes are a great idea: 'Men's roles have developed and they’re very much involved in family life today. They need to have an understanding of what women go through so they can help and support their partners.'
Mr Beaumont says helping men to be supportive during labour would also take some of the pressure of midwives enabling them to do their job more efficiently.
If successful, the men-only antenatal classes could be offered throughout the UK.
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