Course Feedback

"We were particularly impressed with our course leader’s use of inclusive language when talking about parents and parenting (E.g using 'pregnant women and partners' rather than 'mums and dads')"

"The amount of information provided and opportunities to discuss the new information in small groups to make sense of the content."

"She was an excellent mix of funny, supportive and extremely knowledgeable. Again, she was open minded and inclusive"

"Very friendly course leader. Answered all questions we had."

"Improved my understanding of birth, what to expect and boosted my confidence"

"The sessions were super informative. Madeleine is a highly engaging leader with a clear passion for the topic and a fantastic wealth of knowledge. She trod the line between medical vs natural very well and created a forum we could share questions / issues without feeling judged."

"That each week went through the different stages of pregnancy to labour to aftercare. All very useful and a supportive group to continue with"

"Madeleine was a great leader with the perfect balance of content, interactivity and her approach to teaching was very engaging. She was very knowledgeable and we enjoyed her teaching."

"I found the sessions much more informative than I’d been expecting - I learned so much! The sessions have really helped my partner and I to feel more prepared for the birth and life with a newborn."

"Madeleine was very engaging and knowledgeable - the content was delivered at a good pace and the sessions were interactive"

"No question was silly, everyone was encouraged to participate and everything was dealt with sensitively and enthusiastically!"

"The way in which the sessions were delivered meant that you went in sometimes with next-to-no knowledge about an area or topic, and came out feeling empowered to make decisions."

"Well structured and paced"

"It was very interactive and engaging. Considering they’re quite lengthy classes and there’s a lot to learn, I never felt disengaged. The format helped you interact with other couples too."

"Very lovely, lots of great info, giving lots of options with no judgement just information and empowerment to make our own decisions"

"The tutor was really great . She gave very unbiased views on all sides of birth . I loved the way Madeleine made the birth partners feel really important and valued"

"Everything!! It was such a comprehensive course with lots of additional resources for learning too. Madeleine, our tutor, was exceptional and made the whole course incredibly engaging. I cannot say enough good things to be honest."

"Course leader Madeleine was superb, made the whole experience for us."

"Focus on baby's and mother's wellbeing throughout, based on latest scientific facts. The course leader Madeleine was extremely passionate and knowledgeable, made for very engaging learning. Enjoyed the interactive and smaller group activities. Spreading the course over a few weeks helped to get the information across in small chunks so it hasn't felt overwhelming. The padlets make referring back to information when we need it very easy, no need to write tonnes of notes or keep printouts that would be hard to find information from later. Having the WhatsApp group with the NCT attendees has been great to share information and questions"

"Very informative - really easy to ask questions and made to feel welcome and supported."

"So much to learn, broken down perfectly. Fantastic teacher who was super friendly open to everyone being different and making their own choices."

"Having other people in the same situation to talk to and learn with."

"Improvement of knowledge and support group"

"Madeleine's energy and enthusiasm for teaching these courses is uplifting and helped to engage us in each topic that she covered in the sessions. We really felt nurtured by her way of teaching and she was supportive with our personal challenges. Madeleine demonstrated (in a role-play situation) some of the other ways to give birth (ie c-section) and this helps you to be less averse to these scenarios. Her teaching helped me gain more knowledge and certainty over my birthing preferences and hopefully will help you recognise post-birth sense of self with a readiness to seek help as needed."

"Content taught in a very engaging and fun way. So much content, and opportunity to meet others in same position very welcome."

"It was all presented really well, in a profession manner - but also very friendly and inclusive. I also found the additional padlet information really helpful."

"Knowledgable and enthusiastic course leader."

"Madeleine was excellent she put everyone at ease answered all questions she was open to discussion and very knowledgeable"

"I found these sessions so interesting and am so glad I attended them. My only wish would be that there was one in my local town so that I could meet parents from closer to home rather than being quite a drive away."

"Pictures, props, course leader's enthusiasm"

"Engaging with other pregnant couples, interactive discussions, re-assurance of knowledge from a non NHS/healthcare viewpoint. It was very confidence building, and Madeleine was particularly inspiring :)"

"Madeleine was amazing."

"Lots of detail and pictures used, tasks and interactive group chats to make us think."

"Full of information preparing us for the different stages of having a baby."

"Visual representations of all aspects of childbirth and beyond was really helpful"

"Practical details and information for support, the feeling that you are not alone. The opportunity to meet other parents going through the same thing, with the reassurance of a leader who has been through it all before"

"Madeleine was the most inspiring of course leaders. We cannot rate her highly enough, she guided us through each stage with real enthusiasm and expertise. We totally trust her!"

"The format of each session, the way it was broken up into different formats (eg some listening, demos, group conversations etc) kept it engaging."

"Just really informative."

"It was an extremely informative and supportive course. We came away feeling so much more confident about what’s to come and also loved the ability to meet other soon-to-be parents in the local area to connect with."

"As a first time parent the information was so valuable and also meeting other people in the same situation has gained us a network that we need to navigate this new experience"

"Each topic throughout the course was informative. We had mix of activities so it wasn't just the teacher talking to you so it helped with learning."

"They were delivered with such love and passion for empowering pregnant women and their partners to be informed. Madeleine has an exceptional wealth of knowledge and relays this in a way that never makes you feel inferior for not knowing. There were so many opportunities to talk to each other and to hear the point of view from other parents to be. Madeleine's delivery was clear, to the point and with heaps of research to back it all up."

"How friendly and open it was. We also liked the amount of interactive activities and times to listen."

"Madeleine was very engaging and willing to listen to thoughts/questions. We were skeptical before this course but genuinely surprised by the end of it in how much we took away from it."

"The practical aspect was very helpful and chatting to the other couples was reassuring and nice to get to know everyone."

"I liked that we were encouraged to chat with other couples. I was also surprised at how science-y the sessions were at points, which I loved!"

"Facilitator was very empathetic and enthusiastic. She came across as very knowledgeable and friendly."

"Nice to meet others going through the same thing and share ideas and concerns. Really learnt a lot about what to prepare for and different stages of labour and interventions that might occur."

"Lots of informed information, pros and cons etc so we can draw our own conclusions."

"It was fantastic!! Information delivered in a friendly, accessible, enthusiastic and open way!"

"Trainer was incredibly engaging and knowledgable. Good mix of sitting and talking through things as well as breakout groups"

"The course was great for demystifying birth and getting my mind focused on what was ahead."

"Really informative, engaging facilitator, supportive, empowering."

"Madeleine was very knowledgeable and passionate about the topic. Raised a lot of things we should be aware of. Managing expectations around the hospital birth was particularly helpful."

"Lots of useful information; good practical resources e.g. nappies and slings to try; photos of births and different stages; opportunities to talk to other group members. Course leader was well organised and clearly an expert in her field."

"There were things that I didn't know, or was slightly confused about, and the course was very good at clarifying them. There were many things that my partner didn't know so it was useful for him as now he has more tools to help me through the last weeks of pregnancy and especially the birth"

"Madeleine was absolutely fabulous and I would recommend to anyone I know having children to attend the class. We felt so empowered by what we learnt."

"I was very anxious prior to taking part in the course, but this completely changed that for me. All of the info was presented in an easily digestible, gentle and sensitive format. We loved our course leader and really enjoyed her sessions."

"Our course leader was very enthusiastic, engaging and knowledgeable. The sessions were well structured with a good balance of group work, theory, and more. It was also great to meet other local parents-to-be."

"We liked how friendly the course leader was and that all questions were answered. I learned a lot more about the whole process from being pregnant right through to the after care for your baby. I realised that us men have a very big role during labour, as we need to make sure the mothers wishes are met and we follow it to make sure the woman has as calm and positive a birth as she can."

"It answered questions I would never have thought of asking myself. Highly engaging course leader, very knowledgeable, confident and delivered knowledge very well"