The Daisy Foundation Welwyn, Knebworth, Potters Bar and Wheathampstead

Information about The Daisy Foundation Welwyn, Knebworth, Potters Bar and Wheathampstead

Handside Ln 109
AL8 6SP, Welwyn Garden City
+44 7709 446120

Opening hours

  • Monday: 6:00 – 10:00 PM
  • Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
  • Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
  • Thursday: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
  • Friday: Closed
  • Saturday: 12:00 – 6:30 PM
  • Sunday: Closed

Antenatal and Baby classes in Welwyn with Jilly Clarke. Join us at Daisy as you prepare for your confident pregnancy, birth and early motherhood journey.

This question isn’t asked very often, but the question does sometimes come up. With our Daisy Foundation antenatal classes I find that the answer is always very easy. Midwife antenatal class Welwyn

A midwife is absolutely your best friend for your medical antenatal care. They provide amazing care and support to you and your baby. Medical professionals who are highly trained. Highly skilled in ensuring a medically safe arrival of baby. Trained in taking bloods and interpreting results. With special magic powers for knowing baby’s position just by the slightest touch. They can do so much more medically then I could ever write down. Midwives are professionals who will go above and beyond to give you the very best medical care.

Presenting to an audience, guiding a group through an educational journey, taking different learning styles into consideration so that everybody can get the best out of the course. Teaching is not for everyone.

You may find a “midwife led” antenatal class and think it would be a benefit. But having a teacher who is fully up to date with your rights in childbirth would benefit you much more. Anybody can learn about the birthing process. That process has been going on for millions of years and anybody can become an expert.

A midwife antenatal teacher (as with all antenatal teachers!) will be unable to answer personal medical questions relating to your pregnancy. So, having a midwife deliver your antenatal classes will not help you receive medical advice. Your first port of call in that respect is your own midwife. Somebody with access to your own medical history and records.

During my seven years teaching hundreds of clients, there are very few questions that I have been unable to answer. But when it does happen, I always go away and research. I know where to find the evidence and if I ever struggle, I can reach out to the community of 70+ Daisy teachers across the UK.

Somebody knowledgeable, passionate, personable and willing to do the work to make the best experience for their clients is who you want. Somebody who will be there for you throughout pregnancy and through the first year of baby’s life. Continuity. A friendly familiar face.

Your antenatal teacher is highly trained in delivering education and empowering their clients. We do not have to be careful with their employer i.e. the local hospital trust. A non-midwife will only need to consider you, the client. If something feels uncomfortable you do not have to go along with anything just because “it is how it is done” in hospital policy.

As Daisy antenatal and baby teachers, we have gone through a year-long in depth 600-hour learning programme. A year to get us highly qualified to teach you about labour, birth and using your body to help this process. Empowering our clients by instilling confidence and delivering education.

There are several midwives who are Daisy teachers, but you do not need to be a midwife to deliver the classes. The fact that many midwives choose to undertake the 600-hour training programme on top of their own midwifery training speaks volumes.

We must undertake an intense full year of training, assessment and complete several assignments to become a Daisy trained teacher. Always remaining up to date with current research and policy and communicate this to clients in a clear and user-friendly way.

In our Daisy Birthing and our Daisy workshops (Active Birth Workshop or our full Daisy Parent course) we spend some time talking about pain relief in labour. Antenatal course Welwyn.

Breathing and relaxation techniques can bridge that gap from when you decide that you need something extra. And the delay there always will be before working on your body.

Gas and Air, or Entonox is a popular choice for pain relief in labour. It is generally plumbed into the wall giving the labouring person an unlimited supply. In a home birth settings it is provided in large cylinders which can be replaced and refilled as required.

The gas and air is attached to a large pipe, enabling movement during labour and change position with ease. There is a mouthpiece that is put between your lips and the air taken into your body through inhalation (breathing) through the mouth.

Gas and air can be used on individually, or in conjunction with other pain relieving options. Pain relief such as breathing and relaxation techniques, a birthing pool, TENS, pethidine and even with an epidural for any breakthrough discomfort.

The gas is inhaled through a mouthpiece throughout the duration of a contraction. The aim is it reaching peak effectiveness at the peak of the contraction. It takes about 20 seconds to influence your body, taking the edge off contractions. It doesn’t cross the placenta to baby, so it doesn’t have an side effects for them.

Side effects for the birthing person may include – feeling dizzy, nauseous, a change in the sound of your voice, hysteria (laughing), dry mouth and tingly fingers.

All these side effects pass as soon as you stop using the gas and air and breathe fresh air. You will be encouraged to do this in between contractions so plenty of time for fresh air.

1. Breathe in as soon as you start to feel the sensation of a contraction begin. This means that by the time it kicks in (after 20 seconds), you will get the benefit of pain relief at the peak of your contraction.

2. Breathing should be slow, deep and steady – our Centre breath is perfect for this but a slow version of the Escalator breath can be effective too. Timing is essential to enable the gas and air to be effective. So the midwife may talk you through the first couple of contractions until you are confident in using it properly.

3. When you feel that you’ve hit the peak of the contraction and you are starting to relax down the other side, stop using the gas and air. Instead concentrate on relaxing your muscles and focus on long, slow centred breathing. This allows the gas and air to leave your system.

4. Try and keep your jaw, shoulders, arms and hand as relaxed as possible. Tension through your upper body can cause your whole body to tense. This can use adrenaline, and tension in the rest of your body – making contractions seem more difficult!

6. Don’t use it in between contractions otherwise you might find yourself too relaxed – stick with using it for the contractions only.⠀ ⠀ 7. Keep a bottle of water with a straw nearby as you may find your mouth can get very dry. And use your lip balm!

Anyone who has ever watched a film or a television programme depicting birth will likely have heard the term “dilated”. That is, a number in centimetres followed by the word dilated. Even during labour, if you agree to a vaginal examination, you will likely hear that phrase. And it is easy to get distracted by it and focus on the numbers. Antenatal education

Care providers will often tell you that you are not in labour until a magic mark of 4-5cm dilated. If you consent to vaginal examination during labour you will likely hear a number followed by “dilated”.

We know that birth happens best when we are relaxed. Perhaps instead of focusing on the numbers, ask them not to share the details – or even don’t consent (the choice is yours! Although a vaginal examination isn’t just to check how dilated you are. But choice is important! Antenatal education

Your cervix does have an important job during your pregnancy and in birth though. Even in our Daisy Parent and Daisy Birthing antenatal classes we dedicate a whole education section to it. There is so much going on with your cervix when preparing for, and in labour. Things like baby’s positioning, strength and intensity of contractions and how relaxed the birthing person is also play a really important role in birth. It would be very hard for the uterus and the cervix to do their jobs without everything falling into place and working together. Antenatal education

Firstly, it is part of the uterus. It acts a little differently in that it needs to go on a journey before it is ready to dilate, and to birth a baby. But, it really helps to think of the uterus and cervix as part of the same organ. Antenatal education

They need to work together. You could think of it like a champagne bottle and its cork. Without the cork the contents of the bottle is open to the air. Before you can get to the good contents inside, the cork needs to be taken out of the bottle. For birth, the cervix doesn’t so much open, but in fact peels back over baby’s head as they move down and becomes part of the uterus. This allows a bit band of muscle to build at the top of the uterus to help give power to birth baby. Perhaps the champagne and cork analogy isn’t quite correct but it certainly got your attention!?

During pregnancy, your cervix is like thick cartilage (a bit like the end of your nose), closed and plugged with mucus.  It is about two and a half centimetres long, about the distance between the tip of your finger and your second knuckle. It also starts off pointing towards the back wall of your vagina. Antenatal education

As your body starts getting ready for labour and birth, it will release hormones called ‘prostaglandins’.  These will help it begin to soften, ripen, and do its thing!  As this starts, the mucus plug may also start to come away.  Sometimes called a ‘show’, you may notice it in your pants, or when you wipe after going to the toilet.  You may also not notice anything, but it will come away at some point.  Then it begins.  Your cervix has one heck of a journey to go on and it will start before you even realise you are in labour!

Effacement is measured in percentages. We know that the cervix is roughly 2.5cm long during pregnancy. Imagine from your main knuckle on your index finger. You are about 50% effaced if your cervix only reaches from the tip of the finger to the first knuckle, . This process must start to happen before dilation can even occur. In many women, it occurs at the same time or it overlaps dilation. We often see effacement first, then dilation quickly follows. So while you might “still” be 4cm dilated, you may have gone from 50% effaced to 90% effaced!

Touch the tip of your nose. That’s about the texture of a closed, uneffaced cervix. Imagine birthing a baby through something that hard? It has to soften, or “ripen” in order to do its other jobs. This primarily starts before labour begins but continues as you progress. So again, you might “still” be 4cm dilated, but your cervix may have softened from feeling hard to feeling like the inside of your cheek!

To protect your baby, your cervix points towards your tailbone (posterior) during pregnancy and is often too far up for a person to feel during examination. To open and allow the baby to move through it, your cervix must shift its position until it is pointing directly into your vagina (anterior).

Dilation cannot happen unless the cervix is doing all of its other jobs already. The process often starts before contractions begin. But they often happen seemingly in tandem. So, someone may be “stuck at 5cm” for a while. But their cervix is effacing, softening, and moving forward and doing all of the other jobs!

As Maria Pokluda says: “Let me let you in on a secret, your cervix is not a crystal ball.  It cannot predict when labour will start. Nor can it predict if you will deliver before, after or even on your due date.  The cervix can do many wonderful things, but let’s not give the cervix more credit than it is due.  A cervix cannot predict the future.” It cannot say how long labour will last.

Thinking back to the idea that the cervix and uterus are the same organ. They need to work together in tandem. Often all the focus is on the uterus opening the cervix with contractions. What is happening is that the uterus is moving the baby down, whilst bringing tissue from the cervix up into the uterus. This will create a strong band of muscle at the top of the uterus to expel baby into the world, instead of that hard tissue keeping baby inside.

Birth expert Carla Hartley says: “The purpose of labor is NOT the creation of an opening or a hole… The purpose of labor contractions and retractions is to BUILD the fundus, which will, when it is ready, EJECT the baby, like a piston… the cervix does not dilate out….it dilates UP as a result of the effort to pull muscles up into the uterus to push muscles up to the fundus. The cervical dilation is secondary to that. The cervix is pulled up as a result of the building of the fundus.”

So perhaps, instead of thinking how many centimetres there are left to go, you could think how much power is there in the uterus to bring baby out? How can we give power to these contractions and this uterus? To help the cervix move out of the way!

In my antenatal classes I have been talking for years about the importance of creating a birth and a postnatal plan. Preparing for the period after birth is just as important as preparing for the birth of your baby.

The birth of your baby, whether it is your first or seventh, creates an important shift in normality that takes a while to recover from. When thinking of a postnatal plan, firstly you need time to get to know your little one, to understand them. Then you need time to find your groove as a family unit. Going from just meeting your needs, to meeting baby’s ever-changing needs before anything else can get some getting used to. Or if you have more than one, it is the difficult juggle of who needs taking care of first?!

There is also a mental shift. From hormones changing, processing what happened during birth, dealing with sleep deprivation, getting feeding off to the best start…the pressures can be big. A postnatal plan can help you think of these things.

Importantly, there is always a period of physical recovery from pregnancy and birth as well. Physical healing to be done. From pregnancy, from birth. Whether you had a water birth or a c-section there will be bleeding, soreness, and wounds. Sometimes those wounds are purely internal. Often there are stitches, muscles cut and physical weakness to contend with.

When planning ahead to the postnatal period and making a postnatal plan, I always suggest a wonderful acronym created by Catherine Holland and adapted by Sophie Messenger.

This can be hard to come by even when all baby seems to do is sleep! Your body and brain need as much rest as possible to recover from pregnancy, birth, and the pressures of keeping a tiny human alive! Give yourself at least 6 weeks grace to rest as and when you can, as much as possible. Perhaps spend the first week in bed, the second not far from the sofa and gradually upping your activity levels as and when you feel ready. Don’t feel guilty about naps and getting early nights! Keep afternoons from around 2.30-4pm free for napping, which is when most of us are at our sleepiest.

Nutritious, wholesome food should be your go-to during the postnatal period. (Although there should also be an abundance of cake if that is your thing! Anything goes). Protein to aid muscle recovery, fibre, and lots of water to make going to the toilet as easy as possible and plenty of carbs for energy. Preparing meals in pregnancy or adopting a “bring a dish” policy for any visitors can help. It is likely that you won’t want to be thinking of, preparing and spending lots of time cooking breakfasts, lunches and dinners for a while. Stock up on plenty of easy to prepare fresh food. Stack your freezer full of meals – my top tip is freeze individual portions because it is likely that only one person will be able to eat at a time while the other holds baby.

It is likely that the nesting instinct will have kicked in towards the end of pregnancy and your home will be cleaned from top to bottom. But think about who will do the day-to-day chores after baby is born. Can you afford a cleaner, even if just for a few weeks? Perhaps a family member can do your washing for a little while? Can you put up with things being less than perfect? Asking your visitors to throw a load of washing in the machine or take a full bin out when they arrive will be something most people are more than happy to do!

What works best for you? There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to the postnatal period.  Some new parents prefer to stay at home and have visitors, some prefer to go out and see people for example. Being flexible with plans and how you are feeling is also wise. Cancelling plans at the last minute because of a bad night is ok! Do not feel guilty about taking care of your needs. Everyone else can wait.

Take time to consider how do you want visiting to work/not at all? Some new parents prefer to space out visitors over several weeks, with only one or two visiting slots a day. Others prefer to get it all over and done with, having groups of visitors together. Some new parents close themselves away for a few weeks to allow for some bonding time. Others prefer a constant stream of company. There is no right or wrong way. Warn visitors that they will need to bring some food or do a chore before seeing the baby. Consider asking those visitors who would normally sit themselves down and expect to be nourished and entertained to wait until you have found your feet. You do not owe anybody an audience with your baby!

Take it easy, this is a big change, and the first few weeks are usually very chaotic with visits and appointments as well as hormonal changes, sleep deprivation and getting to grips with everything. New parents need solid emotional support. Think “mothering the mother”. Surround yourself with people who will appreciate and honour a new parent’s needs so that you are more easily able to honour baby’s needs. If family and friends are more likely to give unsolicited “advice”, fuelling feeling of inadequacy, then consider professional support. A postnatal doula is there to care for you, allowing you to care for baby.

Support. You will be inundated with people wanting to give gifts and while baby grows are incredibly cute, there are only so many you need (and often gifted baby clothes are entirely unpractical!). How about asking for gifts that look after you as a new parent? Ask for a donation towards a postnatal doula package instead of a gift. Ask for gift cards for your chosen supermarket so you can spend your money on baby items you have chosen for yourself. Request a cleaner for a week rather than another bunch of flowers that you need to keep alive! Make a list of all the possible people that could come to support and help you get some rest after the birth. Explain ahead of time what you will be trying to achieve and ask for specific help from people.

If parenting as a partnership, it is important to stick together and learn to adjust as a partnership. Just like anything in life, things may not go according to plan. Be open and flexible to change. But be understanding each other’s non-negotiables. By thinking ahead during pregnancy you will be going into parenthood with planned support and ideas.

A final point that I like to include in our antenatal classes is that it is very easy to go into survival mode and keep just running through the motions of day-to-day life. Remember that you were a couple, and individual people before baby arrived. Make a promise to yourselves that each day you will make time for a moment of connection. Ending the day on a cuddle. Or reminding partners that they are doing great. An encouraging note by the nappy changing station at 3am.

It can often be a source of concern for new parents. We need to remember that small babies wake when they are hungry and sleep when they are full. It is also important to remember that sleep is a developmental process. All babies will develop at their own rate, in their own way, in their own time.

Please do not stress if (when) your baby is doing something completely different to another. They are all individual with different sleep and feeding needs. Mum group Welwyn

Human babies are biologically evolved to sleep near to their mother’s body during the first months and years of life. In the past, we could not have survived without doing so. So therefore, it is biologically normal, at least in the first few weeks of life for baby to only be happy settling on, or near to a parent. If we think about the fourth trimester and the huge brain development that is going on for baby during this time you can imagine that it would be quite unsettling for a little one. The world is so different from the womb. They need parental support. They need it 24 hours a day.

When researching into infant sleep, circadian rhythms will always come up as important. They are physical, mental, and behavioural rhythms or changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. These natural processes respond primarily to light and dark, but also to hormonal regulation. This is sometimes called your body clock. There are several things you can do to encourage this circadian rhythm to emerge and remain in sync. The natural circadian rhythm does not start to emerge until around two months of age. Establishing good sleep hygiene from the start can make your life easier in the long run.

Newborn babies may sleep up to 18hrs a day at first but only in 1.5-3hr blocks initially. This is just an average though, there are some babies with high sleep needs and others with less sleep requirements. Also, their tummies are tiny and will need filling often, hence they wake, or ask for food often. Mum group Welwyn

When they are small, the general rule to live by is if they are stirring, give them a feed. They will either go back to sleep afterwards or wake for some play time. As they grow, their sleep pressure (that builds the longer they have been awake, essentially forcing sleep) takes a little longer to build. They can tolerate more awake time.

As baby grows, from around 2 months their circadian rhythm starts to emerge, and their sleep will slowly start to consolidate into a longer block at night. This likely creates more periods of awake time during the day. But it is common for babies to wake regularly in the night until age 1, and even completely normal way beyond that too.

When thinking of implementing some sort of routine for your baby (and by routine, I mean a regular pattern of daily activities, not a strict feed, play, sleep pattern), before the two-month mark often everything is a little too unpredictable.

When the evening cluster feeding has settled, you can sense when baby is getting a regular bedtime. At this point bringing a pattern of activities or events as you wind them down for bed creates that sense of familiarity.

It might be that baby is not ready for a stretch of sleep until 10 or 11pm. That is perfect if that works for you. Often you can then get a stretch of sleep at the same time, when if they go to bed at 7pm their longer stretch of sleep happens when you are awake!

You may notice that your baby is more active, playful or even hyper in time that you’d be thinking of starting the bedtime routine. This behaviour is often mistaken for ‘overtiredness’. But it is a natural time of alertness and it will be very difficult to fall asleep during this time. This is called the ‘wake maintenance zone’ (WMZ). You are better off waiting for this wakeful time to pass and then try to put your little one down.

Eventually that familiar routine of nightly activities e.g. bath, massage, pyjamas, story, milk, sleep can be brought earlier if their initial natural sleep time doesn’t work so well for you. Around 3-4 months, as their day time sleep starts to lessen their natural bedtime starts to get earlier. When thinking about a time that would work for you, start with their natural bedtime, and also work with what time is acceptable for you to get up in the morning and work backwards! A regular wake time is much more beneficial for predictability than a regular bedtime.

In our Daisy Baby classes, we often talk about when babies might be “sleeping through” the night. We emphasise the importance of having those realistic expectations in our mind. It can help us through the difficult times to know that baby is acting completely normally!

By the time babies are 3 months old some (but by no means all) begin to start sleeping through and potentially missing a night-time feed. This results in sleeping a stretch of up to 5 hours at a time. By the time they are 5 months old half of babies may have started to sleep for an eight-hour stretch on some nights. Notice the word “some” – there are so many reasons why baby might wake and need help or reassurance. It could be they are too cold, hot, uncomfortable; their dummy fell out and they cannot find it, a breeze, an itchy foot… The list is endless as to the reasons they might wake, and as the trusted adult they often need your help.

Generally, babies do not sleep all night-every night, regularly, until they are close to a year old. One study investigating infant sleep duration found that 27% of babies had not regularly slept from 10pm to 6am by the age of 1 year. That is almost 1/3 of small humans waking frequently by age one. That is incredibly common! We also know that around 13% of babies had not regularly slept through for 5 hours or more by the age of 1 year. That is around one in seven babies; considering that our baby classes hold around 9 babies that is at least one in every class

The key thing to understand is that baby’s sleep cycles are approximately half the length of an adults, at around 45-50 min. So, if something is bothering them when they enter their light stage of sleep (hunger, cold, hot, uncomfortable etc.) then they are more easily disturbed – and that means they could potentially be disturbed more than an adult might be.

It is also worth understanding whether your baby is a ‘self-soother’ or a ‘signaller’ i.e. do they wake in the night and largely get back to sleep with little adult input. Or do they require adult help and support settling back to sleep after every wake? Knowing which temperament your baby has can help your understanding of them and can make dealing with night-time parenting a little easier. Mum group Welwyn

Having a baby is a monumental experience. Pregnancy changes your body beyond belief, and it takes time to feel like yourself again. You devote so much time to your little one, it is easy to feel like you don’t know who you are anymore. Take some time for you. A fed, caffeinated (sometimes!), socialised parent is a good parent. Postnatal group Welwyn

A postnatal doula can be amazing in the early days to help you take time to recover and ease into your new role. I offer Postnatal Doula services around Welwyn (20 mile radius). Click here to find out more.

Here are some postnatal tips on how to help you adjust and recover after having a baby. If you are pregnant then make sure to save this email/list somewhere so you can refer back to it after baby is born!):

Going to a place where you can interact with adults can do wonders for your sanity. Some groups will be classes where you do activities with baby and get to chat to parents. Others will be coffee morning style sessions, where you sit and chat. Others might be an organised walk. Find one (or several) that you like the look of and sign yourself up!

Be careful what group you pick though. Some baby classes that say they are a great place to meet others and make friends run lots of classes close together. If a class is 30-45 minutes with another one starting 15 minutes later, there will not be time for talking and making friends. You will be ushered in and out as quickly as possible so that the room can be re-set for the next class.

Each class is 1 hour long and we make sure that everyone gets to talk. Whether that is sharing their week, sharing milestones, highs, lows. We make the class inclusive. Of course, you can talk to the person sitting next to you; but we get you chatting with people on the other side of the room too. Shared experiences and understanding is what helps people to bond. And we set up a WhatsApp group for each class to and encourage meet ups and chatting outside class.

Sometimes people do not want to ‘bother’ new parents, but if you’re feeling lonely, why not kick-start a conversation with someone that you haven’t spoken to in a while? Ask for a visit, ask for help with something. Often people are desperate to help but don’t want to intrude. Putting yourself out there isn’t easy but it can be so rewarding.

If you have an antenatal or baby class WhatsApp group then send a group message. The people from your Daisy class will be thanking you for trying to arrange a meet up. Every group of “mum friends” has one person who started the conversation. Maybe your group doesn’t have somebody who that comes naturally to, and everyone is feeling weird and awkward. Take a deep breath and ask. And keep asking. One week everyone might be busy, but the next week everyone will be free.

A change can be better than a rest. Going to the park or even sitting in the garden is better than being cooped up inside – especially if the sun makes a return! It might take you an hour or more to gather everything, change multiple nappies and outfits, set up the buggy or put on the sling, feed…But persevere. I promise, it is worth it. If it isn’t, then taking a deep breath, go back home and try again another day.

There are some amazing exercise/dance classes with baby! Just make sure that the instructor is qualified to teach postnatal bodies. Exercising releases endorphins, helping you to feel calmer, happier and more relaxed. Demi from Body Blitz runs buggy fit classes, there’s postnatal yoga or pilates too. Postnatal group Welwyn

Treat yourself to some new clothes and enjoy the new you. John Lewis does a fabulous (free) stylist session where you can have someone select a special outfit or can help you find basics. If you have a new shape and don’t know where to start, then I highly recommend it. There is no obligation to purchase either, and the John Lewis café is great for a pre/post session feed.

Your breasts have changed, especially before, during and after breastfeeding. Life is too short to wear an uncomfortable bra. Check out Boob or Bust to find out about a revolution in bra measurement.

A new haircut, a colour re-fresh, a massage, a manicure…you get the picture! Or even just a facemask and a bubble bath at home. Get someone to watch baby for an hour or two, take some deep breaths and relax. Postnatal group Welwyn

Campus West, Odeon and The Broadway cinemas do mum and baby film showings, where the lights stay on, sound is lowered, and the tickets are cheaper. It’s a great way to spend a morning once the sessions resume.

If you feel comfortable enough to bite the bullet and leave your little one with someone that isn’t your partner, why not go out and spend some time together? Your relationship with your partner is important and deserves attention too. If you aren’t ready to leave baby then plan an evening without phones, to watch a film or enjoy a meal together. You could even get a postnatal doula to sit with baby while you enjoy some time without having to keep an ear out for baby.

If you’re not okay, don’t lie and say that you are. It is perfectly acceptable to feel overwhelmed and lonely. In fact, it is completely normal and SO common. Talking about it means that people can help. Whether it is a friend, a partner, a family member, a class/group leader, a health visitor, a GP. Telling someone how you are feeling can help you lift a weight off your shoulders.

It is so easy to take a million and one photos per day and never get around to doing anything with them. It seems such a shame to keep them in your phone or even backed up on a computer. With baby changing every day it is so easy to forget what they looked like, how small they were.

1) Print a picture per month to display – watch how quickly they grow and change. A picture taken on their month birthdays, or just simply your favourite picture of the month. But display them!

2) Lots of photo apps (Snapfish, Freeprints for example) give you 50 free prints a month.  You just pay for postage. Upload and get them delivered each month and you can put them in baby photo albums.

3) Photobooks – Snapfish, Photo Box, Bonus Print etc. all do photobooks. You can add up to 16 photos per page and get a lovely photobook to mark a year in the life of baby. I do this each year for my two. They love looking back through them as they get older to see what they did when they were small.

5) A newborn, or baby photoshoot – some photographers offer newborn shoots in a studio, others offer them at your home. Some prefer to shoot brand new little ones, others love the magic of when baby is a little more awake and interactive. There are so many wonderful photographers locally, I highly recommend Alannah Hebbert Photography and Fables in Focus for relaxed and less posed photos. Otherwise Newborn Love or Sonya Harrap are amazing for more posed photo.

There are lots of hand casting companies who can create a cast of baby’s hands and/or feet. A forever keepsake to capture just how tiny they were. Locally, Daisy Dream Keepsakes and Ten Teeny Toes offer framed 3D castings.

If you’d like some professional hand/footprints on ceramic items, fired and sealed professionally then Potstop in Knebworth are your go-to, as are Pots of Art at Hatfield House.

There are even DIY kits if you are brave enough to try at home! Alternatively, there are clay kits that create a flat imprint of those tiny hands and feet.

I have used salt dough in the past for my baby foot prints. So easy to make and soft enough to roll out again if the imprint isn’t ideal the first time. You just then pop it in a low oven/microwave until it hardens.

There are lots of companies who make patchwork blankets or teddies from baby’s first clothes and these can be a wonderful memory, putting to use the treasured tiny clothes so you can always have a reminder of them but not having clothes cluttering the place.

This can be a lovely reminder of your journey, whether you have stopped breastfeeding, reached a feeding milestone or once baby has had their first haircut.

How about little hands and feet prints on to jewellery and keepsakes? You’ll find an amazing local business Prints and Bows will take a print and create something amazing to wear.

Even if the traditional baby memory book remains untouched it can be a wonderful idea to keep a journal of day-to-day life with baby so they can look back on it when they are older. Just a sentence or two a day, and as they grow you can add in funny sayings, mispronunciations, moments that made your laugh, their likes/dislikes etc. Write about how much your child beamed on the swings at the park, or how she kept chasing the pigeons.

Not enough attention is paid to the uterus, both in life and in pregnancy classes. Just like Ina May Gaskin says, we should be bragging about this amazing muscle. Instead, because of the media, television, and films, when we think of childbirth we are programmed to be scared.

By weight, the uterus is the strongest muscle in your body! Do you want to know something even more impressive? Other muscles in our bodies work in pairs usually but the uterus is a pair of muscles all built into one! The muscle fibres that do the alternate jobs are interwoven within the uterus itself. Antenatal yoga Welwyn 

The uterus has horizontal and vertical muscle fibres that do the different jobs that a pair of muscles usually do. The outer muscle layer is vertical and runs up and over the uterus. The inner muscle layer is horizontal, and runs like hoops around the baby. Antenatal yoga Welwyn 

Each layer of muscle fibres have different jobs to do. Throughout pregnancy, the inner horizontal layer of muscles holds the cervix closed, keeping your baby safe inside. In labour this inner layer relaxes, while the outer vertical muscles begin to contract upwards. This pulls the horizontal muscle fibres up around baby’s head (e.g. your cervix dilating). It starts to build a thick layer of muscle at the top of your uterus ready to push baby out.

When the cervix is fully dilated, this big band of muscle is ready to push the baby down out of the uterus, and through the cervix and vagina. We call this the second stage of labour.

It is important to remember that your uterus has been preparing for pregnancy and birth since you first got your period. Each month when the inner lining of the uterus breaks down, the uterine muscles contract to allow the tissue to leave your body. Despite it being on a smaller scale, your uterus has had lots of practice of the process.

Also, during pregnancy, the outer layer of muscle practises for the real thing. Your uterus will contract and relax every day. You will not usually feel these practice contractions until later in pregnancy as that uterus is bigger. We call them Braxton Hicks contractions, and they are helpful for birth. They are completely normal and harmless. They do not change the cervix whilst the horizontal layer of muscle is supporting, and there are no hormones at play helping to change the cervix.

Understanding how your amazing uterus works is the first step to an empowering birth experience. Education is important so that you feel confident in the process. It will allow you to understand exactly what is happening with your body. To do this you should attend antenatal classes that get into the details of the labour process, what happens and what you can do to help yourself. Classes like our Daisy Birthing, Daisy Parent or Active Birth Workshops will give you this in-depth education.

Another important way that you can help the progress of the uterus in labour is to bypass your brain. Let your body do the work it is designed to do without your conscious brain getting involved. Mammals require a private space with a feeling of safety to birth effectively. When faced with a bright, busy environment with unfamiliar people the brain releases adrenaline so that it can stay alert.

When this stress response has been activated during labour, the horizontal layer of muscles in your uterus tenses up to protect baby from a potential threat to their safety if they were born. Even if we know that this isn’t the case, your body doesn’t. This then makes it difficult for the vertical muscles to move upwards with each contraction, because the lower vertical layer of muscles is pulling on them. This might result in a more difficult sensation with each contraction as the muscles are working in opposition to each other rather than in partnership. This is more uncomfortable for you and in some cases, this can even slow down or stall your labour.

By educating yourself you can learn to trust that your body is doing the job that it is designed to do. The next step is to let you brain do what it needs to do.

Naturally, the conscious part of the brain, responsible for your awareness and conscious thoughts starts to switch off as your labour progresses. This allows the subconscious part, which is responsible for birth, your breathing, digestion, blinking (the bits that happen without you thinking about it) to take over.

When you can stay relaxed, to allow the conscious part of the brain to slow down and allow the subconscious segment to take over, your birth will seem much easier. There will be little adrenaline, making you aware of your surroundings, and much more oxytocin and endorphins (our wonderful labour hormones). By staying relaxed you will also allow your muscles to relax as well, letting the uterus do its job with as little restriction as possible.

Relaxation in labour can take a surprising amount of effort! Despite knowing the process and what you can do to help yourself it will likely take a lot of reminders and prompting. The more you can prepare your body during pregnancy to allow yourself to stay calm and relaxed. Attending a class or practicing relaxation techniques during pregnancy can really help you during labour. Our Daisy Birthing classes are perfect for that…

Oxygen is one of our favourites at The Daisy Foundation. Not only does conscious breathing help your muscles to relax, and your conscious brain quieten; it also fuels your muscles so that they can work.

We know that when a muscle that is deprived of oxygen it works less efficiently and creates lactic acid. We also know that lactic acid causes cramp and is extremely uncomfortable! When this happens during a workout, we can stop using that muscle, rest and recover, and pump oxygen in, to breakdown the lactic acid before resuming when we feel better.

During labour, whilst the uterus does go through periods of work and recovery, if lactic acid builds up through lack of oxygen you are unable to make your uterus stop working. So, your uterus will continue contracting, just like you cannot use willpower to stop your digestive system from working. And contracting whilst lactic acid is present will be more uncomfortable, producing adrenaline in your body, and undoing or stalling your hard work! Antenatal yoga Welwyn 

Your uterus is an amazing organ that does not need to be taught or told what to do. When you are feeling fear or stress, that power is incredibly intense and can be overwhelming.

Our Daisy Birthing classes provide such an important place to practice techniques that can actively help you in labour. Taking time to prepare, to learn, to understand and to practice can really make your birthing journey more manageable. Less film and television drama, more quiet and unassuming.

With the warmer weather making an appearance it is a wonderful time to get outside and blow the cobwebs away. I have put together below a list of some of the best places to enjoy parks, woodland, or nature in general around Welwyn Garden City, the surrounding villages and even into St Albans.

It can be so easy to stay indoors, especially with a new baby; and we have spent so much of the past year stuck inside it can be easy to fall into habits. But grabbing even 5 minutes of fresh air has so many benefits to your physical and mental health. So, grab your coats/sling/buggy/baby bag/the kitchen sink (!) and head outside.

In addition, venturing outside will also help you produce vitamin D from the sun (when it does come out), which is essential for many bodily functions including supporting our immune system, strengthening our bones, teeth and much more. That powerful vitamin can also help you fight depression as well so get outside and enjoy yourself.

The key is to take a few precautions for young outdoor adventurers, including staying out of direct sunlight and dressing in appropriate layers. You can read more about this in my blog post about baby wearing in different weathers.

Getting out to a park or the woods is a lovely trip out. Whether you are taking exercise in pregnancy, walking to try and get labour going. Perhaps it is baby’s first trip out, or the first trip on the swings. There will come a time when a park is the go-to easy option for an activity to kill a couple of hours. So with that in mind here are my favourite around Welwyn.

You are pregnant and looking for an antenatal class or NCT course in Welwyn. There are a host of options you could choose from. From parents recommending NCT, to others saying there is no need to do antenatal classes at all. What do you do?! NCT course Welwyn.

Firstly, antenatal education is so important. I have written a blog about this that you can check out here. Or just trust me that the birth of your baby will have an impact on you for a long, long time and you deserve to be as prepared as you can be. NCT course Welwyn.

Secondly, let us look at the big player, the NCT. It is the company that everyone has heard about. Because it has been around the longest is the one that most grandparents to be will recommend. But is it any better than alternative providers? NCT course Welwyn.

NCT stands for National Childbirth Trust, they are a charity and they run private antenatal courses across the UK. Often when parents to be attend private (i.e. not NHS) antenatal classes they are combined together under the heading NCT classes. But they could have attended any numbers of private antenatal courses. Daisy Foundation classes and workshops are one such private antenatal option. NCT course Welwyn.

Speaking to most clients who attended NCT, they will say that they booked because people suggested attending an NCT course to make friends in the local area. They did not look for alternative providers because they did not know that NCT is a company, not a genre.

Once clients have attended one of our pregnancy or postnatal baby classes they will say that they wished they had researched more. They wish they had discovered Daisy during pregnancy. We provide a friendly environment to make friends, but the class itself is of top quality. Delivering important education to you at a time when you need it.

Daisy Birthing is a weekly mum-to-be or birthing person only movement-based class designed to be done throughout pregnancy. We combine elements of pregnancy yoga, hypnobirthing and antenatal education to provide a unique class. Classes focus on how the process of labour works and how you can help move things along, and cope really well at the same time.

Daisy Parent is designed to be done in conjunction with Daisy Birthing but can be done alone as well. This is a 15hr workshop for mum-to-be or birthing person plus birth partner/s and is a comprehensive way to prepare for labour, birth, the postnatal period and the first few months with baby.

Or we have Daisy Active Birth Workshops. Can be done in conjunction with Daisy Birthing but can be done alone as well. This is a 4hr workshop for mum-to-be or birthing person plus birth partner/s and is an effective way to prepare for labour.

That is classes for pregnant people and their birth partners. The NCT’s flagship offering are their antenatal courses that typically run over 15-18 hours (that time includes lunches and a 2hr postnatal reunion). Daisy’s flagship offering is our 9-hour movement-based Daisy Birthing class, but our Daisy Parent course is most like the NCT course. Daisy Parent runs over 14-15 hours, but every single moment of that is education. While there is more than likely a postnatal reunion and time for breaks within the course, these will come as additional time added free of charge.

Our Daisy pregnancy and baby programmes have been designed using expertise from clinical hypnotherapists, midwives, health visitors and teachers. Our owner, Mama D (Sian Gilmartin) even won maternity innovator of the year in 2018 – nobody can say we are imitators! We know our classes and workshops deliver the best education, at the right time. We have delivered to thousands of parents over the years.

While the NCT limits to 9 couples, we at Daisy generally limit to 6 couples for our Daisy Parent classes and 12 pregnant women and people for our Daisy Birthing classes. From our experience, limiting to 12 people per class (12 individuals or 6 couples) means a truly individual experience. All questions can be answered and there is time for everybody to explore their own views on every subject. Smaller groups do not mean less friendships either, in fact it means the opposite. Because we extend our classes well beyond pregnancy, those who have joined us in pregnancy will be joined by others who have found a Daisy class after their babies have been born. And so naturally your community extends.

You can book online directly, we do not hide our prices. But we’re available to chat before booking if you’d like to. We do not have separate meet ups hosted by volunteers either. We give our time and energy to supporting our community 100%, and that means hosting free meet up ourselves too. You will be greeted and looked after by me in every class or meet-up you attend. That is amazing if I am your type of person, perhaps not if I rub you up the wrong way! (I try my best to not do that!)

That means we pay to have our own areas and serve the people of that community. It also means we are small players, with little to no marketing budget. We work so hard to get word of mouth recommendations. It also means that we are not necessarily a household name where parents and even grandparents know the name. It does not mean we are not delivering a first-class experience. But it does mean that we rely on every single person that has ever attended a class or a workshop. We need you to sing it loud and proud that they have come to a Daisy class.

Because we are part of a licenced model, we are trained in not only general perinatal (antenatal and postnatal) education, but we’re also trained to deliver the same high-quality classes and workshops. This means that your education will be the same as someone on the other side of the country. You will get evidence based and truly unbiased education so you can make your own parental choices. You will not get education that your specific teacher deems relevant (although you will get added extras because we like to give everyone as much education as possible!).

Plus, we know that there are vital topics that need to be covered that you might not have any idea about. We do not leave the course planning up to you to choose the content. Any questions are always welcomed, they will either be answered in class or individually depending on the support you need.

From our movement-based Daisy Birthing pregnancy yoga and hypnobirthing inspired weekly classes, our 4-hour active birth workshop to our fully comprehensive Daisy Parent course. There is something for everyone as they prepare for birth, no matter what number child it is. Everything is available by every teacher as well, so your teacher will get to know you, and you will get to feel comfortable with them.

You can start our classes from 14 weeks pregnant and continue until your baby is 18 months old. Our Daisy Baby classes are perhaps even more sociable than the pregnancy classes, because those connections are even more important when you have a new baby.

Congratulations, you’ve had a baby! The nights are long, the days are even longer. Once you are past the complete overwhelm that being a new parent can so often bring, the pressure starts to mount to attend a baby class. How do you know which class is going to be the best fit when there are so many to choose from? Baby classes Welwyn Garden

There are a lot of different baby classes in Welwyn and Welwyn Garden City. It is likely that whatever one you attend (or more, the more the merrier in my opinion! Honestly, sign up to them all and go to all the drop-in groups!) will be similar others. You will find signing classes, baby massage, sensory, music, swimming and even messy play. Classes that concentrate on one thing, and others that include a whole variety of elements rolled into one. There are classes that use expensive props to help baby’s development, and there are ones that teach you a skill e.g. swimming or signing.

Firstly, in the early days with a new baby YOU are the most important thing. Any class advertising that you need to attend their class to boost baby’s intelligence or give them something that you cannot give them instinctively is not what you need as a new parent. Find a class that genuinely supports connection; helping to grow the bond between you and baby but also between you and others going through the same thing! A class that can boost your confidence in parenting your child, not tell you how to do something.

Secondly, really look at what you are signing up for. If a class is 30 minutes long and there are 5 classes on that day it is possible that you will sit down, do a bunch of activities, and get ushered out again. Going to a class and not talking to anybody is the worst.

Thirdly, try and get a good idea of the teacher before you sign up. Do they show themselves on social media so you can get an idea of what to expect? There will be teachers or leaders who you naturally warm to and others who you’d rather avoid. It is hard if you’ve signed up for a full 12 week term and you don’t like who is leading. It can be hard to summon the motivation to go after a hard night.

Our Tinies baby classes are for our smallest members of the community. When they are teeny, often 6 weeks or younger and up to around 4.5 months, all they want is you. We nurture that connection. We nurture all connection.

At the start of every class I go around and ask everyone how they are and how their week has been. This starts off so many conversations and allows questions to be asked, and any milestones to be celebrated. It is SO important for new parents to talk so we dedicate a good portion of the class to this. It is likely that baby is feeding or asleep from the journey for the first little while of the class so we use that time to get to know everyone.

You will find that every activity involves you engaging with baby. Cuddling and moving them around, playing tracking games, helping them find your face as you move around. Doing baby massage and yoga soft stretch together, playing movement games and even relaxing together. Nurturing that connection with you.

Everything that we do has a purpose, to help with baby’s development, to aid bonding, or to relieve some common postnatal discomfort. Our baby massage segment even helps to ease some of baby’s discomfort like wind or tight muscles from birth.

You will get a chance to learn some self-relaxation techniques at the end of every class too. Some gentle guided breathing and gentle movements to help you ease tense muscles. You might not be able to lie down and fall asleep. But to get 5 minutes at the end to quieten your mind as you rest and focus on yourself can recharge you amazingly.

The words pregnancy and yoga go together hand in hand. The gentle movements and techniques taught in a calming yoga class benefit the pregnant body and mind tremendously. Attending a pregnancy yoga class is often extremely high up on any list of “must dos” for pregnancy and is therefore something that people feel the need to attend even if they have never tried yoga before. Pregnancy yoga welwyn garden.

When searching for a pregnancy yoga class in Welwyn Garden City you will come across our Daisy Birthing classes. Are Daisy Birthing classes pregnancy yoga? Do they offer the same benefits? What else does Daisy Birthing offer that pregnancy yoga might not?

The short answer is YES! All of the benefits of a pregnancy yoga class, and more, will be found in every Daisy Birthing class. The great thing about Daisy Birthing is that we include so many other elements too, and we do not compromise on quality.

We believe in packing as much benefit into each class as we possibly can. In an extremely busy world, you want to make sure that your choices give you value for time and money – we certainly do that.

A pregnancy yoga class uses physical exercises and breathing techniques to help balance your mind and body. These are usually hour-long classes and focus primarily on movement. Pregnancy yoga classes will focus mainly on an active pregnancy and helping support your muscles during that time. There will likely be an element of relaxation at the end and there will possibly be a chance to talk or ask questions at the beginning or end.

Our Daisy Birthing classes will give you 1.5hrs each week to work on a host of techniques for pregnancy AND birth preparation. That is at least 9 hours of pregnancy and labour preparation each term. Each class dedicates around 40 minutes of movement and helping you feel more comfortable in pregnancy. But importantly you will also learn positions and movements to use during labour to help you through contractions and that aid delivery.

You will benefit from our moves because we understand the pregnant body and what it needs. Our focus is on balancing your body; this can make pregnancy more comfortable but also aid in giving birth. The movements are all flowing, so there is no holding uncomfortable poses for any length of time. There are also no uncomfortable twists, turns or balancing on one foot; we are about gentle movements, support and balance.

Each week in Daisy Birthing we also focus on a topic of antenatal education. We link this with the moments and techniques that you will be getting to know and practicing weekly in class. Our aim is for you to instinctively know what to do, how to move and breathe in labour without having to think about what you are doing. Learning to trust your body comes with understanding the process.

Our classes teach breathing and relaxation techniques that you can use during labour, during pregnancy and in your postnatal recovery too. Thousands of women during birth and hundreds more birth partners in times of stress have used our three breaths. Your muscles will be fuelled correctly as each breathing was carefully designed using hypnobirthing and exercise techniques as the inspiration. They become second nature to you during birth as we practice them each week.

We also spend around 15-20 minutes at the end of each class guiding you through a relaxation. This can send you into a deep relaxation that is often as restorative as a 15-minute nap, but our relaxation scripts also work hard to help release any anxieties around your pregnancy and birth. Our relaxation scripts have been written, and we have been trained by a clinical hypnotherapist so you can be sure of the highest quality.

Classes are a great opportunity to meet other mums-to-be, while finding some time for yourself away from busy lives. We focus heavily on community and ensure that everybody has a space to chat and ask questions if they wish. Equally there is no pressure to share if you’d rather not.

Because our classes run in 6-week terms, you will see the same people for that complete block of classes. There is no need to start from the beginning each week, every week the groups get more familiar and friendly. Plus our Whatsapp groups provide a great chance to arrange meet ups or ask questions in between classes too.

Take a look at our booking page and sign yourself up. You can attend throughout pregnancy from 14 weeks onwards. One term is enough to give you all the tools you need for birth, but each term will allow those techniques to become more ingrained in muscle memory. Daisy Birthing can also be combined with an Active Birth Workshop or our comprehensive Daisy Parent course to really prepare you for birth and caring for baby.

What probably the most used phrase of a pregnant person and/or their birth partner in the run up to birth? That everyone knows that “birth never goes to plan, so I am just going to go with the flow”. Sound familiar? NCT Welwyn Hatfield

Now yes, sometimes birth does not go to plan or to the ideal you have in your head. But that does not mean that is not worth working towards trying to achieve that. Antenatal education is not about achieving the perfect birth. The best antenatal education gives you tools to help give you the best possible chance of your perfect birth. But it should also give you tools to deal with unexpected hiccups, or even medical emergencies.

Our Daisy class offerings give you a perfect choice of finding the antenatal education that works for you, your birth partner and your family.  Daisy Birthing weekly movement based antenatal classes, or Daisy Active Birth labour preparation workshops, or Daisy Parent full antenatal, labour, birth, postnatal recovery, baby care and infant feeding course. NCT Welwyn Hatfield

When I say your perfect birth, remember that I used the word “your” in front. Your ideal birth may be an epidural at the first opportunity or working your way through all the different drugs; or it might be a planned c-section or birth with just gas and air. It could be a water birth, a home birth, or a mixture of many of those things. What your perfect birth looks like is so important. Good antenatal education will help you put tools and techniques into place to make your ideal birth achievable.

To say that as an antenatal teacher that I don’t care what type of birth you want is inaccurate. The best birth is the best one for you. That is what I care about. I am totally on board with everyone’s choices in birth. I care about you making the best decisions you possibly can.

My job is to help you understand that even with an epidural, the biological process of labour doesn’t change, so you need to continue working with your body. To help you understand that it takes 20 minutes for an epidural to take effect and that’s after a 20 minute procedure. That it may take even longer than that to get hold of the anaesthetist. You need tools to see you through that period of time so that you don’t panic and find things really hard. My job is to give you those tools.

Even with a planned c-section there are so many choices you can make. So many techniques you can learn and use to make yourself feel calmer, more relaxed and less anxious and nervous. There are always choices, options and things to consider and antenatal education helps.

Birth, and becoming a parent is such a pivotal moment in your life; you wouldn’t buy a house, sit an exam, get married, or even decorate a room in your house without a little planning and preparation first. But so many go into birth under prepared.

There is often the argument that Doctors know best so I will just do what they say – but are you an estate agent, a teacher, a wedding planner or a decorator? No. But you plan and often undertake those tasks yourself so why is birth any different? Some research, planning and understanding of the particular project is really important – if only so you know what choices you have so you aren’t caught off guard by an unexpected choice!

You will never forget the day, or the way you felt when your child entered the world. So, it is SO important to prepare for it, to understand the process and to feel as confident as you can be. Birth trauma is a real problem and affects so many people. It can happen because of a traumatic birth, but often even when things go smoothly “on paper” (by that I mean, everything was straightforward and there were no worrying complications) people can still experience very real birth trauma. Not understanding what is happening, feeling out of control and unsupported can trigger birth trauma in a lot of cases. Help avoid this by preparing for your birth fully, understanding what happens, how things might crop up and how they are dealt with.

That’s where I come in…Daisy Birthing weekly movement based antenatal classes, or Daisy Active Birth labour preparation workshops, or Daisy Parent full antenatal, labour, birth, postnatal recovery, baby care and infant feeding course.

Often a Daisy Tinies class is described as a baby massage class. Absolutely, a term of classes will deliver all the baby massage benefits that are so widely known about. But probably the most special thing about classes is everything else. Baby massage is what you may sign up for, but the connection with others, the chance to learn a host of movements, techniques, songs, and rhymes to help with bonding and caring for baby, and for helping you to relax is where the value lies.

Do an online search for a first baby class for tiny babies, baby massage is most likely the top answer. Baby massage is a wonderful skill to learn, and a wonderful first baby class to attend with your new baby. You may wonder though, why you need to leave the house when there are so many baby massage tutorials online. You would be forgiven for thinking that at such a young age a baby would not benefit from

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The Daisy Foundation Welwyn, Knebworth, Potters Bar and Wheathampstead: Opinions

4.9/5 (17 Opinions)
Amy Storan 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: My husband and I attended the Daisy Birthing course and it helped us both feel confident with the pregnancy, birthing and post natal journey. I have also attended Tinies and Wrigglers baby classes with my son since he was about 3 months old. It has been a great reason to get out of the house in the early days, give me a chance to meet other mums and help my son learn and meet other babies his age. Thanks Jilly.

Louise Mickleburgh 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: Jilly is absolutely wonderful and her classes are great. Been to both Daisy Tinies and Wrigglers and they are enjoyable, friendly and my son loves them. Great to chat to other mums and get lots of advice too!

Charlotte Himsworth 2 years ago

Positive experience: I joined the Daisy wrigglers class a few weeks ago and have just signed up for my second batch. All of my pregnancy was during covid so I've missed out on meetups and birthing classes so it's been so nice to attend a class with my little girl and watch her develop and enjoy it more as the weeks have gone on

Hannah Hammersley 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: The Daisy birthing classes were so lovely and gave me confidence and positivity going into my birth. I managed a long labour using the breathing techniques which really helped me, and the midwife commented on this too. I'd highly recommend Jilly and these classes!

Nicola Mabbett 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: Jilly delivered the Daisy Parent course in a fun but informative way that has helped us to feel more relaxed about the birth and arrival of our first baby. The sessions were educational and interesting and a great way to meet other parents in the area. I would highly recommend this course.

Cerian Scott 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: Informative, yet relaxed class. I picked up some good tips and it was a good reminder for me, as a second-time mum. I recommend it for mums-to-be.

Elizabeth Troake 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: I can't recommend Jilly's Daisy Parent classes enough. My husband and I both attended and found there was so much useful content covered in friendly, relaxed sessions that really put you at ease as a new parent-to-be. It's a fantastic way to quickly get up to speed on everything from the first 'this is it' moment of labour to changing nappies for the nervous parent! I'd advise any mum/dad to be to book themselves onto this course - for us it was a life saver!

Jammin Holly 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: I attended the Daisy birthing classes throughout my pregnancy, the breathing exercises kept me calm through a fairly eventful labour. The daisy tinies classes are fab for baby and I and a good opportunity to meet other parents and babies.

Cerian Squire 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: I've just completed my first term of Tinies and have loved the chance to learn some baby massage and meet other local mums. Jilly is a great teacher and the classes have a lovely relaxed feel - I would definitely recommend and I'll be returning for more classes.

I L 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: Really can’t recommend Jilly and her classes enough. Jilly creates a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere where mum and baby can thrive. My little one really enjoys the classes in person and online. Jilly has been so helpful and reassuring during these early months of parenthood and during pregnancy. Would recommend her active birthing classes, Tinies, and evening pregnancy classes.

Emily Kate 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: I was recommended to join a Daisy group by a neighbour and was initially a little hesitant as they were going to be held on zoom during the lockdown, but I took a chance and I’m so glad I did. It’s been a great way to meet other people and added some routine to my week. The class teacher Jilly is so friendly, reassuring and knowledgeable and leads the class on webcam, and even via zoom is able to keep an eye on class participants and give us tailored advice and suggestions. She has also emailed us some handy hints and ideas. There is a WhatsApp group for each class group and it’s become a really lovely community. I was new to the group and most have the other mums had completed the antenatal class, but they were very welcoming. I’d definitely recommend signing up during lockdown and I can’t wait to go in person!

A B 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: My husband and I attended Jilly’s one-day Birthing Workshop (when I was 33 weeks pregnant) and found it to be extremely informative, helpful and fun. We were able to take away some very useful breathing and massage techniques, to help us through labour, and it was really nice to meet some fellow mums-to-be who were at the same stage of pregnancy as me, along with their husbands who also attended the workshop. Jilly was very friendly, knowledgeable and welcoming and so I didn’t hesitate in signing up to her baby classes once my son had arrived. Given the situation surrounding Covid-19, these were temporarily moved online, via ZOOM, and Jilly did a fantastic job at making sure we all still felt involved and part of a group and the babies got a close up of one another during class (if they were in the mood!) The massage and relaxation techniques we were taught have been brilliant and I have made sure I’ve continued them each day. One of the other things I benefited from being part of the class was the interaction with other mums via the WhatsApp group Jilly set up for us all. Whilst we couldn't meet in person, it was lovely to have that support network, especially so during lockdown. Thank you Jilly for your time, support and advice and for helping boost our knowledge and confidence for both the birth and parenting x

stephanie koball 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: Jilly, thank you so much for everything you taught during Daisy Birthing & Parent. It honestly made a huge difference to how positive my birth was. My partner was so supportive and prepared thanks to the parent classes. I felt completely in control for the entire 26 hour labour - I just felt so calm, the breaths were incredible and the consultant commented on how she couldn’t believe I’d refused an epidural. I felt confident enough to question and on occasion challenge recommendations of the midwives so that the birth ended up being as natural as possible! A very positive experience to look back on. Thank you!!

Kelly Butler 4 years ago

Fantastic experience: I attended Daisy birthing in both of my pregnancies. Both times I have found the class really relaxing and calming. I had a c section with my first so although i didn't need to use the breathing techniques in labour I found them so useful during my pregnacy and also during my c section. The centered breath that Jilly teaches was great for keeping me calm during the very anxious moments before having the spinal block and also keeping me calm during the section itself. I love that special time It gives me and my baby and really helps me connect and bond. Jilly is a fantastic teacher and easy to learn from. She is so encouraging and teaches her class in a way that is not only relaxing but informative and fun. I would highly recommend any expectant mother to do take part in this course, it really is one of the best things I have done preparing for my baby's arrival. Thank you Jilly

Philippa Li 4 years ago

Fantastic experience: I loved attending Jilly’s active birthing classes in Welwyn Garden City. They gave me a fantastic chance to relax and spend time with bump, while also giving me the confidence and right frame of mind to deal with labour. I got practical tips which I put to good use in labour and Jilly was brilliant! Highly recommended!

Nina Charalambous 4 years ago

Fantastic experience: I attended Daisy birthing, two terms of Tinies (baby massage) and two terms of Wrigglers (baby yoga) with Jilly with my son and I’m so sad that I can’t continue on to Cruisers as I am returning to work. Jilly is so lovely and friendly and also very professional and runs well-paced classes. Jilly is gifted at creating a warm, welcoming environment so that you get to know the other women and/or babies. Unlike other baby classes, these classes allow you time to share milestones, worries and seek support at the same time as having lots of fun with your baby and a laugh with the other parents. I will definitely be back for the whole run of classes with another baby in the future!

Charlotte Townsend 4 years ago

Fantastic experience: I attended Daisy Birthing with Jilly and even went into labour later the same night after a class! I was so relaxed and prepared for birth thanks to Jilly’s teaching. The class is a perfect mix between education, movement and relaxation. I’d throughly recommend and will definitely take the class again if I have another baby. I’ve recently started Jilly’s Tinies class with my 4 month old son and am really enjoying the sessions so far! The class has a really supportive vibe, some lovely content and I can see the benefits for baby. Thanks Jilly, you’re great! ;) xx

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The Daisy Foundation Welwyn, Knebworth, Potters Bar and Wheathampstead appears in the following listings:

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