Birth & Parenting Courses

PLEASE NOTE: Due to COVID-19,

all our Prenatal Courses take place online!

 

These 16-hours courses are carefully designed to give parents-to-be time to explore the many issues and questions that arise around pregnancy, birth and early parenthood as part of a friendly and supportive peer group.

Our aim is to help you make informed decisions during pregnancy and birth, communicate more effectively with health professionals and look forward to birth and early parenthood with confidence.

Each course is tailored to the needs of the individual group and topics typically covered include:

•The process and stages of labour

•Ways to make labour easier

•Relaxation techniques

•Pain-management options

•Belgian birth procedures

•Infant feeding

•Baby care

•Life as a family

The BCT's comprehensive Birth & Parenting course complements both physiotherapy sessions and a hospital class or visit. Sessions involve a mixture of discussion, information and practical activities in a relaxed small-group environment.

A postnatal reunion with all participants will also take place after all the babies have been born, helping you to develop a support and friendship network that continues long after the course ends.

See what past participants say about our courses.

Feel confident with a prenatal course.

When to register

It is recommended to register for a course when you are three to four months pregnant, scheduled to begin at around 28-32 weeks of pregnancy. You can certainly register later in your pregnancy and we will do our best to accommodate you. We do strongly advise you to aim to finish your course by 38 weeks (for singletons) or 34 weeks (for multiples).

If you have any questions about the best course for your situation or can’t find any suitable courses, please first fill in the form and we will get back to you.

How to choose a course

You can choose a course even if it says it’s full, as places can become available at any time. If you can’t make all the dates of any course, choose ones on which you will miss less than four hours. It’s fine for one parent-to-be to attend some sessions alone.

Unfortunately, it’s NOT possible to do some sessions on one course, and other sessions on other courses - each course is run by a different teacher, with a different format, and to meet the individual needs of the participants on that course.

 

Register for a course

Please use our online form to register. Select the course most suitable for your due date.

REGISTER HERE: ONLINE BOOKING FORM

Please note that there is no central office for course bookings. Booking clerks are volunteers working from home, so thank you for being patient and allowing a few days for a response.

Costs

First-time parents' course: €240 (plus €55 first-year membership fee for non-BCT members)

These costs remain the same for either a couple or for a single parent attending.

Find out about the benefits of membership.

E21OG

Spaces

For babies due in August/September
  • Saturday, 5 June   10:30 - 12:30
  • Tuesday,  8 June   18:30 - 20:30
  • Saturday, 12 June  10:30 - 13:00
  • Tuesday,  15 June  18:30 - 20:30
  • Saturday, 19 June  10:30 - 13:00
  • Tuesday,  22 June  18:30 - 20:30
  • Saturday, 26 June  10:30 - 12:30

F21AC 

Spaces

For babies due in September/October
  • Thursday, 1 July 19:00 - 21:00
  • Saturday, 3 July  10:00 - 12:30
  • Thursday, 8 July  19:00 - 21:00
  • Saturday, 10 July 10:00 - 12:30
  • Tuesday, 13 July  19:00 - 21:00
  • Thursday, 15 July 19:00 - 21:00
  • Saturday, 17 July  10:00 - 13:00

G21OG

Spaces

For babies due in October/November
  • Saturday, 7 Aug   10:30 - 12:30
  • Tuesday, 10 Aug 18:30 - 20:30
  • Saturday, 14 Aug 10:30 - 13:00
  • Tuesday, 17 Aug  18:30 - 20:30
  • Saturday, 21 Aug 10:30 - 13:00
  • Tuesday,  24 Aug 18:30 - 20:30
  • Saturday, 28 Aug 10:30 - 12:30

H21OG

Spaces

For babies due in November/December
  • Saturday, 4 Sept 10:30 - 12:30
  • Tuesday,  7 Sept 18:30 - 20:30
  • Saturday, 11 Sept 10:30 - 13:00
  • Tuesday,  14 Sept 18:30 - 20:30
  • Saturday, 18 Sept 10:30 - 13:00
  • Tuesday,  21 Sept 18:30 - 20:30
  • Saturday, 25 Sept 10:30 - 12:30

Future Courses

Our courses are popular and usually fill up quickly.

If you would like to register your interest in a future course that's not yet scheduled, please select the future course option for both your choices on our online form.

We will get in touch with you as soon as a course is published.

The tutors were great and we very much liked their hands-on approach. And we are happy we now have new friends with whom we can share this wonderful journey from bumps to parenthood.
— ER