Preparing for parenthood: the role of antenatal education.

The transition to parenthood is a time of great change for mothers and fathers, and also lays the foundation for the long-term health and wellbeing of the child. This emphasises the importance of preparation for parenthood. A Department of Health-commissioned review found provision and uptake of antenatal education to be variable, and so brought a group of experts together to consider Preparation for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond. This paper provides an overview of the learning from the expert group's work, offering a new framework that professionals may use to plan effective local programmes and services.