To think one's NCT group is a necessary evil?

[analytica]

Honestly, I need them but why?!?! Example of a recent conversation:

Me: how are you both?
Person 1: fine thanks just waiting for bedtime
Person 2: yeah good, you? How was your weekend etc etc
Person 3: we're good. Switched to some formula during the day and now his poo stinks.
Person 4: great! Went to work today for the first time! Weird getting on the tube with a baby etc etc

Person 3 just always talks about her son's bloody nappies. Can we not just have a nice conversation without resorting to talk of shite instantly? There's also a bit of formula snobbery going on too which is annoying.

Can we not just have a nice conversation without resorting to talk of shite instantly

You've read AIBU lately, right?

I've had four kids and never been to one of these classes or felt the need to. I wouldn't even know where to find one.

@FortyFeet Haha! Yeah I have! Seems to be a theme

My NCT whatsapp is really useful actually, particularly with all the newborns and all being FTM. Even just talking about struggles breastfeeding and tips for reflux and things like that is really helpful. We also send messages when we’re up at 3am

I’ve got two children and never went to one NCT class - the lady who scanned me in the hospital told me I could take or leave it - so I left it

Mine was great. Lots of pub lunches and a group holiday or two. Still in touch eleven years later.

Never did NCT either

Still managed to talk about shitty nappies to other mums

I didn’t feel I had anything in common with my NCT group so didn’t stay in touch. Just because I had a baby didn’t mean I suddenly wanted to talk about babies all the time! I found the meet ups v boring!

Still in touch with mine 3 years on

I was very grateful for my NCT ladies when I was on maternity leave. They saved my sanity. Weirdly enough, nearly 4 years on not one of us (5 mums) have had a second child.

I love all the pub lunches and meet ups round houses now they're all crawling. It's just this one person who only talks about shit.

I didn't do NCT group & I never talk about shit if I can possibly avoid.
"Foul nappy" is as specific as I get.

Some groups gel really well together and see each other loads and even do all the baby classes together several times a week, while others like mine didn't (though now some of us are on our second I did meet up a again with one lady on our own and discovered we got on a lot better just the 2 of us )

Mine only ever met about once every 2 weeks for a few weeks then once a month. Not really enough time to make proper friends. We never got past the very polite stage

I remember one girl asking everyone else what they were up to at the weekend after 3 or 4 months and thinking that's the first non baby related question anyone has asked!

7 years on and half of the group still goes on holiday together (the other half were twats😂)

I didn't go to an NCT group but I did see the women from my NHS antenatal classes weekly until we all started drifting back to work. We had nothing at all in common and there was no reason or inclination to remain friends (in fact it all got a bit snippy towards the end) but were invaluable support during that first year or so.

Two of them are total gems whom I really like so NCT was worth it I guess.

How do I say 'please stop updating me on your son's nappy all the time'

I don't even know what NCT stands for

My nct group split up around the six month mark. Two mums in particular were very full on about breastfeeding and made me feel like a shit mother for giving my baby formula. I met two lovely friends through it though so worth it.

Isnt your NCT WhatsApp pretty much the place to discuss things like nappies though?

@PlateOfBiscuits Not after 9 months.

I loved the classes and all the other people except one person. Because she only seems to talk about shit. I'm not getting into an argument over 'class'

I actually really enjoyed mine. And helped me to get to know people in the community and for dc to make longterm friends; they both later went to school with some of their "baby chums" and dd (who is 22) is in touch with at least one of them.

I'm still friends with (and regularly see) 2 out of the 6 in my group, seven years on! Not sure we'd have been so close without the NCT link, so I will be forever grateful to it. Not that I followed half the shit the teacher spouted, though

My NCT group was big but half of them are wonderful and I now consider amongst my best friends. It’s just pot luck who you end up with.