Antenatal classes: set places, sessions and partners

Create each kind of class as a service, give every class slot a number of places that matches your room, and let each expectant parent book one place. Partners come along without taking a place of their own, so count them when you set the capacity, not in the booking. When a class is full, it disappears from your page. For a course of several sessions, decide whether parents book session by session or whether booking the first session means joining the whole course, and say so in the description.

Formats, places and prices are examples. On Book, each service has a name, an optional description and a price, and each slot has its own capacity. A slot sits within one day, so a six-week course isn't one slot: either the first session's booking stands for the whole course, or parents book each session.

The booking form books one person per booking. If a partner comes to every class, a room that fits twelve people fits six couples: set the capacity to six, one place per expectant parent, and say in the description that partners are welcome. If partners only attend some sessions, such as a birth plan or newborn care class, set a lower capacity on those specific slots.

Ask parents to write in the note whether their partner will attend. You receive an email for each new booking with the note, and can plan chairs, mats and handouts.

Some parents-to-be work during the day, and evening or weekend classes suit them; daytime classes can suit those on leave. Open courses a few months ahead, so parents can pick one that ends before their due date, and say in the description which stage of pregnancy each course is designed for.

The note appears in the booking confirmation's calendar file too, so keep it to practical information; health details belong in your consultations. Individual preparation sessions, for parents who can't join a group, work as a separate service with one place.

Some sessions work well online, for parents who live far away or are advised to rest. Create video classes as a separate service, so the booking tells you who joins remotely. Book doesn't create video links: put a fixed link in the service description, or send it after each booking. Your page shows times in your practice's time zone, which helps parents joining from elsewhere. Keep the capacity of video classes at what you can follow on screen, even if the room isn't the limit.

If you also see parents for antenatal visits, you can book them into a course at the end of a visit, from your calendar: pick a slot of the right class, enter their name and email, and they receive a confirmation with a calendar file. A slot keeps its capacity, so booking a parent yourself uses one place like an online booking.

Plans change during pregnancy. Parents can't move bookings online; ask them to call or email you. Reschedule or cancel from your bookings list and confirm directly, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. If a class has too few participants, cancel it and contact each parent yourself.

Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited bookings and services, no commission, no contract. It doesn't take payments.