to be asked if i want to participate in antenatal classes instead of being told...

[hideandseak]

I would just like to get a little niggle off my chest...I recently went to antenatal classes and felt that i was spoken to like a child. Language like ' i want you all too...' was used, called me picky but i prefer the phrase 'i would like you all too...' or even better 'if you would like too... but if you don't, thats ok'.

Whilst i realise we are all in the same boat, DP and i felt very uncomfortable being told to do something in a room full of strangers, regardless that everyone was expected to practise whatever it was that was asked of us.

I view birth as a private time and so for us, would have preferred a handout and the option of participation and for the teacher to demonstrate particular techniques, again with the option of participating perhaps at the end of the class, that way people who feel uncomfortable can leave if they want to. I don't want to see other couples practising massage techniques or labour coping strategies etc on each other and vis versa.

Am i being unreasonable? I guess my real issue is that we felt we weren't given the option

yabu

sounds like you would be better off paying for NCT classes tbh

in our area our antenatal classes at the hspital were axed because of budget cuts so tbh you sound a bit ungrateful to me

obviously if don't want to participate that's fine but it's ok to be asked to, presumably no one forced you?

Message withdrawn

TBH I do think that you are being unreasonable. The bit about the terminology/language used seems rather nit-picky to me.
I think that if you choose (and that really is your option, you either go or you don't) to attend ante-natal classes, then you should expect a certain degree of instruction. I agree that the role-play is rather excruciating, but that seems to be how they're done. And really, you should be concentrating on the practicing yourselves rather than watching the other couples.

I think YABU - or a bit too sensitive.
If you don't want to participate then thats fine, but a class is probably not the right place for you. You don't have to go! I didn't go to any classes and managed to give birth anyway.

You're lucky you had classes on offer! We had one 4 hr class the first time round, a week before ds1 was due, most people were late due to tube strikes,many were on the wrong day(ie not first time parents), and I learnt nothing.

Message withdrawn

YABU.

NHS ante-natal classes are an excellent and necessary preparation for an NHS birth IMO.

They address a wide audience/cross section of the population. It is very hard for the midwives running the classes to pitch them appropriately for every participant.

If all this is too much for you you could pay for private classes, but personally I think you should take ante-natal classes as the great learning opportunity they are, in every sense of the word.

Ok, perhaps i am sensitive. If i had known that i was expected get that involved then i would have declined the place, so another couple could have gone...

Oh well...