Search the journal articles


Choose a journal by date and volume:

Browse all journal articles

Journal Vol. 38, No. 1 — Antenatal Education: What is there to learn? Different perspectives on preparing for birth

ISSN 2516-5852 (Online)

Antenatal Education: What is there to learn? Different perspectives on preparing for birth

Alex Smith explains why today's antenatal education is failing women and introduces experts from within the world of antenatal education who share their perspectives on preparing for birth.

What do women learn about birth and where? Extending the concept of antenatal education to ‘the birthroom’

AIMS volunteer, Jo Dagustun, explains why, for many women, education about birth comes in the form of their lived experience in the birth room.

Antenatal Education: A pedagogy of the oppressed

Professor Mary Nolan shares her belief that good antenatal education can and should aspire to help women to challenge the system.

Out of Sync: Antenatal Education and the Present-Day Maternity System. Eight takeaways for more effective birth preparation

AIMS Trustee, Hannah Northern Thakur, reflects on her personal experience of attending antenatal classes.

Antenatal education: What is the point?

Alex Smith, AIMS journal editor and (almost) lifelong childbirth educator, explores the purpose of antenatal education and suggests that parents consider this too.

Teaching consent: A conversation with Rachael Bickley

Rachael Bickley, antenatal educator and Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnerships representative, explains the necessity and importance of teaching parents and care providers about consent in maternity care.

What is good antenatal education?

Naomi Glass explores the answer to 'What is good antenatal education?' through the thoughts of midwife, birth educator and artist, Pam England.

Antenatal practitioners’ experiences and opinions on online antenatal education

Terri Harman believes that the knowledge and experience of practitioners should be the foundation of best practice guidelines in antenatal education.

Why, as a neurodiverse antenatal teacher, I understand the needs of neurodiverse parents, and the benefit of face-to-face education

Antenatal educator Rebecca Cumming, shares her first-hand understanding of the challenges neurodiverse people face in healthcare and education.

What makes for good antenatal education in the current birth climate, and why?

Janet Balaskas, renowned antenatal teacher and the founder of Active Birth, believes that antenatal education should start as early in pregnancy as possible. In this article, she explains why.

Uncomfortable learning: Bitter roots; sweet fruit. Why we need to understand cultural constructs, hegemony, phantasms and transhumanism.

Alex Smith explains why good antenatal education can and should be challenging for us as a society.

Antenatal Education in Imaginary Hindsight.

Kath Revell, AIMS volunteer and one time active birth teacher and doula, imagines how a societal change to a better way of birth in the futre, may have unfolded.

Heart health in pregnancy study needs your help

Rebecca Jarman tells us about an important new study.

A personal reflection on the Amos Review Update, December 2025

AIMS, volunteer Jo Dagustun, shares her poetic reflections on this important review of the maternity services.

What has Campaigns Team been up to?

A look at all of the things that the AIMS Campaigns Team have been up to since December.

Latest Content

Journal

« »

What has the AIMS Campaigns Team be…

AIMS Journal, 2026, Vol 38, No 1 By The AIMS Campaigns Team Published written outputs: 8th November: AIMS Response to the NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan Consultation 11th Nov…

Read more

Antenatal Education in Imaginary Hi…

AIMS Journal, 2026, Vol 38, No 1 An Editorial foreword: As an antenatal educator I would often invite the expectant parents to imagine that their baby had safely arrived…

Read more

Editorial: What is there to learn?…

AIMS Journal, 2026, Vol 38, No 1 By Alex Smith Welcome to the March edition of the AIMS journal. This issue explores the question of antenatal education. Antenatal educat…

Read more

Events

« »

2nd Migrant Maternal Health and Ear…

The Maternity Stream Research Network invites academics, activists, practitioners, policymakers and those with lived experience to share examples of good practice of init…

Read more

AIMS Workshop: Understanding Twin T…

Stephanie Ernst, founder of the TAPS Support Foundation, will be explaining the issues that can arise in different types of twin pregnancies, and what twins parents need…

Read more

ARM Conference 2026

Midwifery Must Matter! Honouring our past to shape our future ARM’s 50th anniversary conference At a time when UK maternity services face ongoing pressures, including mid…

Read more

Latest Campaigns

« »

AIMS Submission to the National Mat…

Thank you for inviting organisations to offer evidence to the investigation. AIMS has welcomed this investigation, and we stand ready to support it, drawing on our partic…

Read more

Continuity of Carer - Speaking note…

London, Wednesday 4th March 2026 A key component of ensuring maternity service provision that is safe, personalised and equitable, is the provision of a robust and sustai…

Read more

Rebirth Festival, Athens, April 202…

Background: AIMS is a member of ENCA - the European Network of Childbirth Associations 1 . Each year, one of the member associations hosts a two day gathering of birth ac…

Read more