Virgil is the most fantastic teacher — warm, knowledgeable, and calm, she instantly put us at ease as new parents-to-be. A big advantage of her approach is that everyone gets individual, personal attention relating to their own circumstances and personalities. Throughout the classes, we felt like no concern or worry was too big or small to be addressed, and no topic was off limits (very important when you feel like you’re the only ones stumbling around in the dark). Virgil is also wonderfully attuned to the needs of both mothers- and fathers-to-be, and the various parenting configurations that different pregnancies might involve. She makes sure to provide a secure, relaxed and welcoming environment for the non-birth partners, which means they are able to explore and understand the parts that they might play at different stages of the parenting journey. It’s a relaxing environment for everyone involved, whatever their gender or role.

 

Another huge advantage of being in Virgil’s classes is her intimate knowledge of what it’s like to have babies and bring up children in the Oxfordshire area: we have gained a wealth of information about local birth facilities and birthing options, breastfeeding clinics, childcare possibilities, etc, that no amount of internet searching could have given us. Virgil’s past experience as a doula has also been invaluable — childbirth is a far less scary prospect after a few hours listening to her sensible, measured advice (both practical and emotional). With Virgil, we never felt like we were on any sort of parenting course ‘conveyer belt’. Rather, we felt as though we had met a highly experienced, wonderfully friendly guide who could help us navigate unfamiliar, exciting new territory on our way to becoming parents.

 

Eleanor and John

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Virgil is very professional, well prepared and knowledgeable. She gave my husband and I the confidence we needed to feel prepared for labour and parenthood. She offered unbiased information about what to expect at every stage of labour, and helped us to understand all of our options along the way and make informed choices. She is respectful of cultural differences and she was open to discuss traditions and  practices from other countries and cultural backgrounds. She was flexible enough to accommodate our questions and needs. 

We would recommend this course to all expectant parents who are looking for straight-forward information in a fun, professional and caring environment.

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Marta and Rafael

I have turned to Virgil for antenatal and post natal advice several times in my life. I saw her first in my 20s, when I had my first baby, and returned to her again in my 30s before the birth of my third child. I now have five children in total, but have spoken to Virgil many times during my child-bearing years for advice and support on many aspects of maternal care. I certainly believe that her support and advice is part of the reason I have had extremely positive experiences of labour.
Before birth, she helped me prepare for labour with very practical, intelligent advice on how to prepare for the challenges of birth. She was incredibly sensitive and kind, as well as great company at what can be a very daunting moment. I have also turned to her for support after the births of several of my  children. She is very wise, with tremendous depth and breadth of understanding about the way childbirth and bringing up a baby can alter a woman’s life. She was a great help and support to me after the births of my third and fourth children, when I experienced post natal depression. Virgil is exceptional, and someone I would always turn to for advice about maternal mental and physical health issues.

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Clover

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We attended ante-natal classes with Virgil earlier this year. As complete ‘beginners’ in every sense of the word, we weren’t sure what to expect... Virgil made us feel incredibly welcome (not only with the copious tea, coffee and biscuits!) but also with her inclusive attitude, making sure everyone felt at ease and where appropriate sharing experiences/extensive knowledge over her years of teaching.

Sometimes ante-natal topics can feel a bit over-whelming but Virgil’s sense of humour and sensitivity ensured we felt more informed without feeling scared/frightened etc. Virgil was also great at sharing other resources/places to find support/information which was really helpful.

A very thoughtful, helpful teacher who’s years of experience help you feel relaxed, informed and excited for what’s to come.

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Emily Wright

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My partner and I attended an antenatal course with Virgil earlier this year in anticipation of our first child. We liked how she had structured the course, allowing people with varying levels of birth/baby-related knowledge to benefit, and in addition she was very open to all questions we and others in the group came up with. As a doctor and a scientist, we were particularly impressed by how she always gave balanced views on all matters and as much as possible pointed out the evidence-basis of current guidelines and recommendations, which were based in part on her own research and also on the close collaborations she has built with NHS doctors. We would highly recommend Virgil's antenatal course.
 

Anna-Lena