To ask if anyone did antenatal classes?

[chxjw]

Just want to know if they are worth it and if people found them really useful?

I've read different experiences - some saying they are worth doing and others who didn't attend any at all.

FTM so would love if you could share your opinions

I went to the nhs ones, they were ok. I don't think I learned anything I didn't know.

I found it useful, we were new to our area and i wanted to essentially build a friends network of mums, luckily my group of ladies are lovely.

The class made me feel a bit more relaxed about the actual birth but I’m not sure it really prepared me for motherhood, but i don’t think any amount of books/classes can prepare you, you just learn as you go along really.

So i think it depends on what you want to sign up for?

Thank you! I really don't know if to do them or not.

What kind of things did you learn from them?

I went to one NHS session and I'm glad I did as I put my phone number on a bit of paper that was circulated in the classroom, and a couple of days later I was added to a WhatsApp group with about 15 other mums with similar due dates. The class itself was a bit cringe (think "let's talk about poo during childbirth!") but the support I got from that group was really helpful, and you could always message people for advice or plan a play date. I've heard of quite a few people doing these mums' WhatsApp groups and I think it's a great idea.

A lot of the mums I met through the group had done proper NCT classes and it seemed that they made close friends through those, so maybe an option if you're looking for mum friends?

Useless in my case.

I found them useful. We mainly did the birth, instruments used, what to expect before during and after, things for the birthing partners to watch for and note, what to pack In hospital bags, swaddling and breastfeeding, and options for where to give birth..we also did a tour of the hospital and my midwives did a breastfeeding class as a trial.

The best thing was that I made 3 friends, one of which has turned into a really good friend. We meet up fairly regularly and can have open and honest conversations

To note I was part of a higher dependency group so there were only 5 mums which I found quite nice.

I did nct and didn't learn anything. I had already done a lot of reading by then. You do them to meet some people to socialise with on maternity leave. If you don't need that I wouldn't bother.

I did the NHS ones. As a PP said didn't teach much we didn't know, but one of my closest "mum" friends was in the same class.

Thanks everyone!!

I think I'm going to go to them, just to meet some other mums etc and socialise

We did both NCT and NHS classes.

The NCT classes were wonderful and also provided us with a social network (still in place 12 years later).

The NHS classes were dreadful by comparison but we kept going for the labour suite tour.

NCT can be a bit hit or miss though, I know people who are still in touch with their groups after 21 years and others whose groups fizzles out after MAT leave.

Good for meeting other parents, and found tour of hospital/labour ward was useful, surroundings not so unfamiliar when labour began. Actual info was generally good but on the whole confirmed what I already knew.

We did nct. We met 5 other couples and 4 years on still see 3 of the couples at least once a month and are very close to one of these. It has provided our DC with wonderful friends and us a wonderful social circle. The classes themselves were pretty pointless but our "buying" of friends very successful.

I didn't go as I was sure I wouldn't have learned anything I didn't already know. In this age of the Internet, you can look up anything and have easy access to any book really! (I can recommend Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth and Kellymom.com!)

As PP said, it can be a good way to meet people who will have babies the same age, but it's not a guarantee of lifelong friends I guess, and you can always meet people at baby groups.

Depending on the course, you could go to one or two and see what they're like?

Worth it to meet other mums, useless in terms of information and didn't help when it came to either the birth or looking after baby! I got more out of attending breastfeeding cafes and wished I had done a BF course before the birth.

My NHS ones didn’t teach me anything I didn’t already know but that was quite reassuring in a way. The tour of the maternity suite was helpful. We did evening ones and made it a rule to get take out/eat out on the way home, another definite bonus. The class leader tried to encourage us to swap numbers but no one seemed keen whereas i think before even attending NCT the expectation is that you will give your contact details and aim to stay in touch.

I did an NCT class. In terms of what you learn there wasn't that much that I didn't already know. However, getting the dads to practice changing dirty nappies on dolls was amusing. I'm so glad I went though because I made 7 new best friends. We all wrote our numbers down and set up a WhatsApp group chat. Throughout my maternity leave we've kept in touch and met up at least once a week with the babies and we try to do a mum's only night out once a month. I'm really sad now I'm back at work and I can't see them as much anymore (im.the only one to go back full time).

I lived in area that was quite affluent and almost everyone did NCT... we didn't because of the cost and did NHS. Our classes were good but we were the only ones who turned up! Fast forward to post-natal days and I found myself regularly missing out on social gatherings as it was an 'NCT Meet-Up' 🙄 I'm quite a sociable person and made local mum friends anyway but there is a little bit of me that regrets not doing NCT, especially for my lovely DH who is not as confident socially... I think it would have really helped him in the early days to have that 'dad network'

Did NCT. Waste of time. Other people in group were bunch of stuck up twats. Nothing on FF or signs of PND. Everything was geared towards perfect bloody birth with no intervention.Absolute shite.

I did and didn't learn anything I didn't already know but I had been researching everything since ttc because I'm like that lol. 3 classes 1 on general birth, anaesthetic choices and such, 1 on breastfeeding and 1 on physio/positions during birth/recovery. We then all had a whatsapp group and met a few times after birth but personally I didn't click with anyone and had different parenting views to most so left after a few months.

Guess it depends what you want from it and luck of the draw if you get on with anyone. You do get paid time off work (if you're working) so might as well.

Now due dc2 and won't bother with those nhs ones again but will do daisy classes again which I also did last time and we still meet up 18m on. 4 of us in the class and we all clicked

I did NCT which was great from a social perspective and it gave the Dads a good idea of their role during birth.

NHS ones were useless in terms of info but good for meeting local people as we'd not lived there long. I did an active birth/yoga/bit hippyish all day couples course with DH and it was fab! Felt so much more prepared for the actual birth and so did DH.

I went to NCT. Learnt stuff mainly due to the people in my group being happy to talk about difficult subjects and sharing knowledge they already had which in some cases was due to their profession. I had an easy birth even though I was induced but the rest of my group didn't. The men clearly stated they were thankful for the NCT classes as when the complications happened as they had an idea of what to do. A couple had done NHS classes but they hadn't talked about things like intervention, consent, mixed feeding etc. Also they were useful during the neonatal stage to get and share info with.

From the sounds of it it really depends on the teacher and the people in your group whether you will get anything out of NCT. In my case I don't expect to meet up with them long term socially as our lives are too different and I have friends' closer.

I had them booked and never got to go as I had mine so prematurely. I didn't think the class sounded useful but I wanted to meet new mums in the area. Sadly I didn't get to!

We attended nhs ones I went to woman’s only and then evening partner classes. The women’s only one I made friends with 4 other mums there as they don’t go over 6 attendees. I ended up in premature labour so we never managed two of the partner classes so I found it so useful for knowing what to expected