The best online pregnancy support: Prenatal yoga classes, mothers’ groups, midwife webinars and more
Antenatal advice is a click away.
Pregnancy is meant to be a time of joy. A time to be celebrating with your partner, friends and family as you prepare to welcome a new life into the world.
For women who are currently expecting, your pregnancy journey is nothing like you envisaged it to be. You’re self-isolating away from family and friends, you can no longer attend your prenatal yoga studio and that birthing class you were so looking forward to attending is cancelled.
But, don’t despair because companies have quickly adapated to these challenging times and there is now A LOT of online support available for mums-to-be to access from their lounge room.
Here’s a round-up of the best online pregnancy resources to support you during this tough time.
Pre and postnatal health and fitness classes
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, this pre and postnatal female gym has launched an online fitness offering called BUMP@HOME.
BUMP@HOME provides mums and mums-to-be with tailored online workouts ranging from pilates, barre, strength, yoga and HIIT to virtual personal training sessions via ZOOM, as well as Facebook Live sessions and fitness challenges.
Receive free counselling services
Gidget Foundation Australia’s Start Talking program provides free specialist perinatal telehealth psychological counselling services for expectant and new parents nationwide.
Services are provided by psychologists and social workers and are delivered via a video call service, similar to FaceTime or Skype.
The Start Talking program offers the same quality of care available through Gidget Foundation Australia’s face-to-face psychology services at Gidget House, affording quality treatment whilst COVID-19 containment measures are in place.
Support is also provided to people who have experienced a pregnancy or childbirth-related loss, such as stillbirth, miscarriage or termination, within the last 12 months.
Partners are also able to access our specialised services.
Prenatal yoga classes
Download the Down Dog fitness app for Prenatal Yoga classes. Featuring customisable workouts from five to 90 minutes with a new workout every time the app is used – with proper adjustments for every trimester. Due to COVID-19, workouts are free until May 1, 2020.
Midwife hosted antenatal webinars
Midwife Cath, who has delivered the babies of Bec Judd and Tiffany Hall has teamed up with Cell Care to launch free online antenatal education classes, Tummy Talks for expectant parents.
We are pleased to offer these webinars to help you prepare for labour, birth, and the care of your baby. Midwife Cath will host this series to present current and unbiased information to help you make informed decisions.
Hypnobirthing online classes
Hypnobirthing Australia is offering a range of antenatal class options, including:
Live classes with your own practitioner: Many Practitioners are offering their scheduled classes via Zoom/Skype/webinar. You also have the opportunity to have some one-on-one private tuition with your Practitioner, to ensure that you are feeling super confident and calm leading up to your birth.
Join an online course with private session: Combine the online course with personal tuition and support of your own Hypnobirthing Australia certified Practitioner.
Sign up to the the fully online course: Includes comprehensive video tuition, mp3s for pregnancy and birth, an eBook, PDF downloads, birth videos and ongoing online expert & peer support. Cost is $199.
Pregnancy to parenthood online classes
Nourish Baby offer antenatal classes but also parenting classes from mums and dad of little ones aged up to three. The courses available cover topics including pregnancy health and fitness; antenatal and postnatal pelvic health; feeding from birth to age three; emotional health and wellbeing; parenting and relationships; baby and toddler growth and development; sleep and settling from birth to age three.
Join a virtual mothers’ group
While you might not be able to catch up with your mother’s group for a play date at the park, you can join like-minded mums in a virtual space. The Parents Village is an online postnatal support group facilitated by Kirsty Levin (Psychologist)and Lana Sussman (Social Worker).
The site has launched Mums Plugged-In: Virtual Mothers Group and it is accessible to all mums with babies across Australia. The virtual group is delivered online via live calls/ webinars, and a closed Facebook group for ongoing discussion. All you need is a computer or mobile phone.
