to think NCT antenatal courses are pretty much a load of crap???!

[Gateau]

What a waste of money. Yes, you meet some good friends from it, but IMO that's one of the only positives.
They draw over about six weeks what could be said in one or two classes. All the members of our course said that.
The course is almost all about the woman's 'birth experience' which I found just makes women obsess about the birth itself. So many women I knew were "disappointed" with the birth, when surely it's not all about teh birth, but more about the wonderful reward you get at the end?And they barely touch on having a C-section - which is what I had.
And there's all this rubbish about "challenging" the medical staff when they suggest you have a C-section- with what energy, after 14 hours in labour? And when they say either have a c-section or risk endangering you and the baby, what choice is there?
our NCT teacher asked me to do a talk to her new group post-baby - or rather I was the only one who said I would. She very much disliked that fact that I was telling them I bottle-fed (because we are breaking the breastfeeding law, of course)and that I DIDN'T advocate sitting around the house in pjs after the baby was born - it doesn't suit everyone's state of mind. The NCT IMO is dogmatic.
I think the NCT course would be much more productive if it focused a little more on the early parenting side of things - that's where me and most of my NCT friends could have done with the advice!!

Treeny, you've hit the nail on the head.Same types who send their babies to numerous "classes" because they can afford it - and because they are so afraid they are not doing the right thing for their child if they don't. Elitist - and following the herd, in other words.
The children of poorer people who can't afford these classes must really be dragged up without these staples of society. As we must have been too.

Pruners - I think a lot of people on this thread have been careful to distinguish between the campaigning work of the NCT and the attitude of SOME of the teachers.

And I don't think it is fair Treeny to say people pay so that they can meet the 'right' kind of people. In many areas there isn't much in the way of NHS classes (none at all in my area when I had my daughter). Lots of people don't really know much about the ethos of the NCT when they book - just get the free magazine in the bounty pack and decide to sign up for classes.

Actually cost shouldn't be an issue as if you genuinely can't afford it they reduce the cost. DOn't know how this is done but remember being told about it. The NCT is a charity

Precisely, Treeny. I agree with all your points here.

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well if it's a charity why is it not more publicised that you don't have to pay the full whack for the course, why don't they say it can be reduced for people who don't have a huge income??
this is really the thing that really gets to me.

Do NCT teachers get paid then? I thought they were volunteers, didn't really think about where the money goes..

can i just say, that for those of you in north london , you should get in touch with marslady, and her www.thebabymoon.co.uk for non-biased and informative and supportive antenatal classes... and i must reiterate, it is always worth contacting local doulas wherever you are in teh country for childbirth preparation classes..

what interests me is that the NCT provokes such strong reactions.. it is a real love it or hate it.. and i think that is something that Head office could do with looking it.. even people involved in it, myself included, have isshooooos with it.

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i totally agree with pruners BTW

they are not volunteers, they will have spent 3 years doing their teaching diploma and working extremely hard, doing assignments, residentail weekends, weekly classes etc. so they are qualified and therefore remunerated

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Oh I'm not knocking them getting paid Lulu, I just thought that they were volunteers, that's all.

I believe everything you say, Pruners, I really do. But when you have trainees like Linden (I think she is a trainee anyway) intimating that people like my friend are jaundiced by their own 'sense of failure' at choosing not to breastfeed...(I'm still and note she hasn't come back to explain what she meant by that) it will reinforce the image of the NCT as a bunch of smug, inflexible whatnots who can't or won't encompass certain aspects of childbirth or postnatal issues such as feeding. I really don't doubt that there are some smashing NCT groups and representatives out there, it's just a real shame that a particular contingent give it a bad name and frankly, put many people off.

no, i know backgammon

i think it is interesting, that you thought they were volunteers. whereas they are teachers. and i wonder how many other people have misconceptions about the NCT

i looked into the AN teacher training and decided not to do it. for many of the reasons outlined on this thread

i do one to one birth prep and people can ask me about bottle feeding, c.section , active birth, home birth etc etc and i don;t have to stick to an agenda

with c.s rates being around 25 % in some areas, it is remiss for c.s not to be given more attention

Knowing that they get paid now though does make me feel a little bit as though I wish I'd been more pushy. I just assumed (clearly naively) that they did it as charity work and therefore that we should just accept what we were given teaching-wise.

If I'd had more of a consumer head on me then I think I would have voiced my unhappiness a bit.

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LasyThomson, Linden is an ass. I just ignored her.

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But the cost of NCT classes must be prohibitive to most people - that's a serious amount of money when you're pregnant and already contemplating numerous other expenses.

I'm so glad I've just stumbled across this thread as it has helped me make a decision.

We only get offered a single "active birth" class by my PCT and was worried that this wouldn't be enough to get through the pregnancy/labour and thought the NCT was a must even though I had my doubts. Was supposed to return my application form and money 2 days ago but have been in turmoil whether I can justify the expense when there is so much else to buy, and didn't think I would 'fit in' socially either.

Was also put off by the fact that the basic info I got (inc the chat with the co-ordinator over the phone) seemed to revolve around breast feeding which I have already been told I can't do under strict Drs orders - finding this out was REALLY hard for me to deal with and I cried for days. It has taken over 4 weeks to get my head round this so I do not need salt adding to the wounds. I think I would feel even more ostracised if I was the only one in the group who wasn't breast feeding when it is all I really want to do.

I am fortunate enough to have several friends close by who are new mums or are themselves expecting and who are more than happy to share their horror stories about our local hospital over tea and cakes so I don't think I will need to spend £170 on an NCT post-natal social life. Hopefully I will get enough advice and support from my friends, family and my MW to get me through.

I have committed the cardinal sin of reading the OP and skimming the rest I'm afraid, so apologies if I repeating!

I'm sorry some of you hadn't had good teachers, they do seem to vary in the quality of the classes!

I was lucky, I have very good AN classes with the NCT, it was done over a weekend, 5 hours each day with a break for lunch (which was delish both days!).

We talked about the run up to the birth, symptons, methods of encouraging labour, inductions and we did talk about caesarians as well.

We also talked a lot about early parenting in look group discussions, we talked about baby blues and PND which I thought was good and how having a baby can change your relationship using role play.

We also had a visit from a couple with their 17 week old who was bottle fed, didn't seem to be a problem and she mainly talked about the birth and days afterwards and her recovery.

Breastfeeding was covered by a separate class by the local BFC.

I think the problem is there is no standard curriculum or method to these classes - I understand costs can differ too, as we paid £120 for our classes and it looks as though other s have paid differing amounts. I can totally understand people's frustration at paying out all that money and not getting much out of it, but you need to be clear on what you what discussed - we were invited on the registration form to put down any particular concerns that you had, one lady asked to discuss CS as she had placenta previa and was likely to need one.

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