Maternity Nurse Training
Blended London & Online

Gentle, responsive and grounded in developmental science — including the neuroscience of infant brain development, stress regulation and early emotional safety. You'll understand infant sleep at a biological level, which means you can support families with real confidence, not guesswork.

• How infant sleep cycles work and why they differ so fundamentally from adult sleep
• Infant brain development — synapse formation, the limbic brain and the neuroscience of regulation
• Why babies wake frequently — and why that's normal, not a problem to fix
• Newborn sleep patterns, awake windows and the huge range of what's developmentally typical
• Helping families develop realistic expectations — because normal infant sleep is widely misunderstood
• The fourth trimester — why babies are neurologically immature at birth and what they need to feel safe
• Co-regulation vs self-regulation: why babies cannot calm themselves alone, and the caregiver's role
• Stress regulation in infancy — cortisol, oxytocin and the science behind responsive caregiving
• Practical, responsive settling strategies: swaddling, white noise, rocking, babywearing, cluster feeding and more
• Safe sleep, SIDS prevention and bed-sharing guidance — current evidence and how to advise families with confidence

From the first bath to the first steps — the clinical care skills and developmental knowledge that underpin everything you do in a family home.

• Newborn skin, jaundice, cord care and the first days of life
• Bathing, holding, handling and practical newborn care
• Attachment and emotional regulation — why it matters and how to support it
• Reflexes and motor development: what you should see, and what warrants a flag
• Communication and language foundations in the first year
• Cognitive development and play — how to support a baby's growing brain
• Child development milestones 0–12 months — and how to use them in practice

Breastfeeding. Formula. Expressing. Paced feeding. Tongue-tie. The clinical depth to know what's happening — and the professional scope to know your limits.

• Infant feeding cues, winding and responsive feeding — the foundations done properly
• Breastfeeding: positioning, attachment, milk supply, routines and troubleshooting
• Breastfeeding difficulties: cracked nipples, engorgement, mastitis, thrush — clinical knowledge with practical support strategies
• Expressing: when, why, how — methods and the emotional context for parents
• Formula feeding: types, safe preparation, sterilisation, storage and the emotional sensitivity required
• Responsive bottle feeding — paced, baby-led and how to support parents in practice
• Supplementing and mixed feeding — navigating this with families confidently
• Tongue-tie: what it is, how it affects feeding (breast and bottle), what to observe, and how to refer appropriately — without overstepping
• Pumping & expressing: professional awareness, recognising distress and responding within scope

The hardest nights families face — and the knowledge that makes you indispensable when they happen. Clinical depth, evidence-based practice and the judgment to know when to escalate.

• Infantile colic — definition, prevalence, evidence on contributors and what actually helps
• What colic is and is not — cutting through the noise for parents and professionals alike
• Reflux: the spectrum from normal GOR to GORD, silent reflux and serious differentials
• Physiological reflux vs pathological reflux — knowing the difference clinically
• Treatment for reflux and when to refer to a specialist
• Supporting families through relentless crying — professional practice and emotional impact
• Cow's milk protein allergy, lactose intolerance and the role of the maternity nurse
• When to escalate, when to refer, when to reassure

You are often the most qualified person in the room — for the baby and for the mother. This module gives you the clinical knowledge to spot what matters, act with confidence and support the whole family.

• Fevers and temperature management in newborns — what's normal, what's not, what to do
• Common infections: ear, throat, urinary, respiratory and digestive
• Contagious childhood illnesses — recognition, management and parental guidance
• Meningitis — signs, symptoms and emergency response
• Sickle cell disease awareness in newborn care
• Premature, low birth weight and sick babies — corrected age, post-discharge concerns, feeding and development
• When to seek urgent help — clinical red flags and how to communicate them confidently
• Postnatal maternal recovery — physical healing after vaginal birth and caesarean section, bleeding, pelvic floor, diet and rest
• Postnatal mood disorders — baby blues, PND and birth-related PTSD: recognition, support and when to refer

Four additional modules that take your knowledge into territory most maternity nurses — and many healthcare professionals — never reach.

Culture, Birth & Postnatal Recovery

• Islamic, Jewish, African, Chinese, Korean and Eastern European postnatal traditions
• LGBTQ+ families — feeding, recovery and inclusive postnatal care
• Supporting feeding, sleep and recovery across different cultural contexts
• Postnatal mother care: physical recovery, PND, bleeding, diet and practical support

Baby Temperament & Advanced Development

• Temperament types — orchids, dandelions and high-need babies
• How temperament shapes feeding, settling and parental experience
• Developmental milestones and leaps 0–3 months in clinical depth
• Understanding and supporting developmental changes as they happen

Flat Head Syndrome & the Osteopathic Perspective

• Synostotic vs non-synostotic plagiocephaly — clinical distinction, not just labels
• The osteopathic perspective on infant head shape and sleep positioning
• Treatment pathways, referral criteria and how to guide families confidently

Tongue-Tie: Recognition, Understanding & Supporting Families (L4 Deep Dive)

• What tongue-tie is, what causes it and how common it actually is — the evidence, not the myth
• Why tongue-tie is so frequently missed: NIPE gaps, variable professional knowledge, and the maternity nurse's unique position
• The biomechanics of feeding and exactly how tongue function affects latch, seal and milk transfer — breast and bottle
• Observation vs diagnosis: what maternity nurses can and cannot do — and how to be genuinely useful without overstepping
• Recognising patterns over time: what to look for, what to listen for, what to say
• Assessment, frenulotomy and the evidence base — including RCT data and the Cochrane review in plain language
• Safety, risks and realistic outcomes — so you can support informed decision-making, not just refer and retreat
• NHS vs private pathways, referral options, IBCLCs and the Association of Tongue-tie Practitioners
• Supporting families before, during and after treatment — practical and emotional
• Posterior tongue-tie, laser vs scissors, lip tie and wound massage — the controversies, the evidence, and what to tell families