The Village Midwife

Midwife-led antenatal courses across the UK

The Village Midwife is a UK-based provider of antenatal education whose courses are written and taught by practising midwives. The organisation began in 2018 as a solo project and has since expanded into a network of midwives who deliver the programme in their own local communities. Its stated aim is to prepare expectant parents for both labour and the postnatal period, with a syllabus split evenly between birth and life after birth.

The course content is described as evidence-based and non-judgemental, and the organisation presents itself as inclusive and welcoming to all families. A distinctive feature highlighted on the site is that participants know the identity of their teacher before booking, and that birth partners receive specific preparation. The courses also function as a way to build a local peer group of parents with similar due dates.

Course content and approach

The programme is structured around what the organisation calls honest practical guidance, with the stated balance of “50% birth, 50% postnatal, 100% supportive.” Preparation for feeding, recovery and newborn life is treated as being as important as preparation for labour. Sessions are delivered in a relaxed style, and the organisation emphasises that attendees leave with a local support network for the early newborn days and maternity leave.

Beyond the core antenatal course, the site lists additional offerings: an Early Pregnancy Online Course, a Sling Library and Private Midwifery. These are presented alongside the main antenatal classes as part of the wider service range.

Locations and local delivery

Courses are run in multiple communities rather than from a single central venue. The locations listed on the site are Wendover, High Wycombe and Gerrards Cross in Buckinghamshire; Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire; Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire; Wallingford and Bicester in Oxfordshire; Twyford in Berkshire; Worcester in Worcestershire; Basingstoke in North Hampshire; Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk; Colchester in Essex; and Taunton in Somerset. Each location is presented as a local course led by a midwife in that area.

Founder and origins

The Village Midwife was founded by Sophie in 2018, shortly after the birth of her son. According to the founder’s account, the idea emerged from hearing repeated phrases in baby groups such as “I wish I’d known” and “I wasn’t allowed,” which prompted her to redesign antenatal education around informed choice and a sense of community. She wrote the original course while her son napped, with the intention of recreating a “village” of mutually supportive parents.

Participant feedback

The site includes numerous testimonials from participants in different locations, including Oxfordshire, Worcester, Somerset, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Melton Mowbray and North Hampshire. These accounts describe teachers as knowledgeable, approachable and supportive, and refer to interactive sessions, small group sizes, follow-up emails with links and information, and the value of the WhatsApp groups and in-person meet-ups organised around the courses. The testimonials are individual experiences and are presented as such.