First-time mothers' and fathers' post-birth views of antenatal classes

Abstract

Antenatal education is not a new phenomenon. It is a health promotion activity which enables parents to understand their own social, emotional, psychological and physical needs during pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood. This study aimed to examine first-time mothers' and fathers' post-birth views of antenatal classes. The achievement of this overall aim was attempted through examining the parents' satisfaction with: the way information was provided and the contents of this information and also through examining the effectiveness of the information received during the classes in preparation for childbirth and the immediate post-partum period. Ethical approval and all other permissions were acquired from all respective authorities. A quantitative approach was adopted. Using a self-administered questionnaire, 20 first-time mothers and 20 first-time fathers, were recruited in this study by means of convenience sampling. The inclusion criteria identified that participants had to be men and women over 20 years of age who became first-time parents in the previous few days and who attended antenatal classes. A 100% response rate was obtained. Data was analysed manually using descriptive statistics and content analysis for the open-ended questions. Findings revealed that, the majority of the first-time parents viewed antenatal classes positively, since they found them a good source of information as a means of preparation for the transition to parenthood. Additionally, overall, first-time parents were very satisfied with the class environment, class educators and contents of the antenatal classes. Moreover, the classes were considered as highly effective in preparation for childbirth. However, parents felt that the classes were not as effective in preparing them for the immediate post-partum period. The study's results cannot be generalised due to the sample size. Recommendations include: the provision of postnatal classes, more participants' involvement in the delivery of antenatal education, a balance between intrapartum and post-partum topics discussed during the classes, the use of modern audiovisual aids and gender-specific antenatal classes.