When you are pregnant with your second baby you are expected to know what childbirth and motherhood is all about.
I’m pregnant again but having my first baby in Australia and I’ve tried to book a public antenatal class but was told I don’t need one.
I also made my own second-time mums’ group because apparently as a second-time mum, I don’t get much help finding one of those either.
In the UK – where I had my first baby – participants in private antenatal classes are arguably there for the mates. That’s how my lovely London mums’ group was formed.
The antenatal classes also helped me have some confidence about what was coming.
In Australia, there are a host of reasons why a second-time mum might need a refresher antenatal course and a second-time mums' group.
Sarah Tooke, a registered nurse and midwife, offers private antenatal classes for second-time mums and other expecting parents that might want to have some childbirth education without the hippy stuff.
The classes are for everyone and can be tailored to meet specific needs like having multiple babies, mums having caesarean sections, vaginal birth after caesarean mums, LGBT parents, single parents or shorter refresher sessions for second-time parents.
Laura Wilson, 33, booked in a home class ahead of the birth of her second baby, Eric, because she was looking for a more tailored approach that could also fit in with her toddler's night routine.
"We didn't need to know all the information, we just needed specific information," she told Mamamia.
The Sydney mum had experienced a six-hour labour with her first baby, Emily, and was concerned about another fast labour and how to manage a toddler along with a new baby.
"The experience is so different every single time. Just because it's your second or third time doesn't mean it's necessarily any easier or that it's not as overwhelming or that you're not dealing with new things," the mum-of-two said.