The survey of 1,391 mothers by the Royal College of Midwives and Net Mums, found that of those with household incomes of less than £15,000 a year, nearly half had not been offered antenatal classes on the NHS. A further 29 per cent had not attended classes they were offered.
Of the women on low-incomes that were not offered classes, 26 per cent were first-time mums, compared to just 9 per cent of first-time mothers with household incomes of more than £40,000 per year.
The findings also revealed that during pregnancy a third of all mothers surveyed felt that they didn’t see their midwife enough. Around 12 per cent of mums said they had only one visit from a midwife, and over half of all women who responded only had two or three visits. This trend continued after the birth of their child.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here