Antenatal Academy, in Bury St Edmunds, helped parents-to-be in Moulton, near Newmarket, ahead of the birth of their second daughter
2025-04-26T07:21:42Z
Antenatal Academy, in Bury St Edmunds, helped parents-to-be in Moulton, near Newmarket, ahead of the birth of their second daughtersuffolknews.co.uk
Leaders of an award-winning antenatal education programme in Bury St Edmunds have shared how they are improving birth outcomes for parents in Suffolk.
Debbie Willis, 49, and Helen Fortes, 41, founded the Antenatal Academy in 2021, hoping to help more families prepare for a ‘positive birth experience’.
One couple supported by the academy were Cicely Davison, 29, and her husband Jamie, 28, who live with their two young daughters in Moulton, near Newmarket.
The Davison family welcomed baby Clementine last month. Picture: Submitted
Their first daughter Peony, now aged four, was born during the Covid-19 pandemic after Cicely had an emergency caesarean section at the Rosie Hospital, in Cambridge.
Cicely said: “Our first birth experience was about two weeks into a national lockdown, the entire pregnancy had been in and out of lockdowns and we had been unable to do any classes, we were unprepared and anxious about the birth.
“We had a very long labour with lots of decisions made for us and in the end had an emergency c-section.”
Mum, Cicely, with Peony and Clementine. Picture: Submitted
After Peony’s birth, Cicely and Jamie said they were left with lots of questions and negative feelings towards the birth and their experience.
It was when Cicely became pregnant again that the couple turned to the Antenatal Academy for help.
“With our second experience we were determined to feel more educated and supported,” said Cicely.
“We really enjoyed our sessions and the entire course made us feel not only more confident, but we also had a better understanding and felt empowered to have the birth we wanted.”
Helen Fortres (left) and Debbie Willis (right) from the Antenatal Academy in Bury St Edmunds. Picture: Submitted
Throughout her second pregnancy Cicely was under consultant-led care and felt pressured towards having a more medicalised birth.
Thanks to what she learned at the academy, Cicely was able to have a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) in the midwife-led birth centre at The Rosie.
The couple’s second daughter, Clementine, was born last month.
“We had the most positive, lovely experience. Both of us felt we had the birth we wanted and couldn’t believe the difference in both of the birth experiences,” said Cicely.
“Our second experience will be something we treasure forever.”
The Antenatal Academy said a recent survey of attendees showed that only seven per cent of mothers had an unplanned caesarean, compared to the national average of 23.7 per cent, in the year 2023 to 2024.
Debbie said with maternity services under ‘increasing pressure’ the results mattered.
She said: “Birth preparation can make a real difference.
“We’re proud to be helping families feel informed, supported and in control of their birth experience.”
The Antenatal Academy won in the customer care award category in the Suffolk Small Business Awards for 2023/2024.
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