ABOUT GRACE
Grace is the founder of Antenatal Co. and is an Auckland-based, registered and practicing midwife of over 12 years.
She started these classes 8 years ago, after firstly listening to countless stories from mums and dads about how boring, biased and judgmental antenatal classes were, and secondly hearing from her obstetrician and midwife colleagues how desperate they were for their patients to get genuine, quality and up-to-date antenatal education.
With a Bachelor of Health Science in Midwifery from Auckland University of Technology, Grace has worked right across the midwifery scope. From a midwife at Birthcare, assisting unmedicated water births and supporting woman postnatally through their recovery and into parenthood, all the way through to working at Auckland Hospital as a c-section midwife - she has supported couples through a wide variety of labour and birth experiences and has a passion for passing that experience on.
Grace loves coming alongside new parents-to-be, and considers it a huge privilege to be a part of such a significant and life-changing event, one she does not take lightly.
OUR GOAL
The goal of Antenatal Co. is to flip the script on the standard antenatal class and provide practical, fun and well-rounded education so parents-to-be feel ready and equipped to take on this new and exciting chapter.
The desire is to ensure parents have access to the very best antenatal education and for Grace to pass on the skills, knowledge and experience she has gained from working with hundreds of families over her years as a midwife.
From natural births, c-sections, and all the pain relief options, to baby feeding, sleeping, and postpartum recovery and mental health, we firstly want parents to know what to expect and secondly have the knowledge and tools to navigate all the unknowns.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We believe that knowledge is power and exploring all the birthing and parenting possibilities means you and your partner go in prepared.
Antenatal Co. will not push any agendas as we do not believe there is a ‘right’ way to birth. We are here to educate you and your partner so that you feel empowered to birth the way that is right for you and your family.
We believe a critical part of antenatal education is being educated by a qualified and practicing health professional. Most antenatal classes are run by “childbirth educators” or “antenatal instructors” who do not have the knowledge, experience or qualifications that a health professional such as a midwife has. A qualified midwife has thousands of hours of real life experiences and is continually updating their practice so you get the most up-to-date information straight from the source.
We believe in preparing both parents. Dads and partners often feel helpless and unsure of what’s going on and what they can do to be supportive. We give tips and advice about how to give practical support for mum through labour, birth and beyond.