Am I being unreasonable to think that £250 is too expensive for an antenatal class?

[galaxymummy]

Hi what do you think the right price for an antenatal class is?
What are the advantages of doing active birth v spa v NCT?

the NCT classes are ludicrously overpriced IMO. Do the NHS ones. It's the same information. As far as I can tell, the NCT classes are for people wanting to make friends with the Bugaboo set from day1 so they don't have to waste time talking to any scuzzy teenage mothers or poor people at playgroups.

the NCT classes are ludicrously overpriced IMO. Do the NHS ones. It's the same information. As far as I can tell, the NCT classes are for people wanting to make friends with the Bugaboo set from day1 so they don't have to waste time talking to any scuzzy teenage mothers or poor people at playgroups.

My NCT classes gave me local friends I still have now, 5 years later, friends I had from the moment I had a baby, not ones I had to take months visiting playgroups etc to acquire. They also gave my husband a bit of a reality check about what birth etc would be like! (The local NHS ones didn't include fathers, and consisted of around 20+ women sitting in a circle being shown a gas and air machine and that's about it...) Mine were very open minded, no fluffy pink raspberry tea natural birth bias at all. Tho in the end I had an elective section anyway.
For me, it was money well spent.

This time last year I was offered NCT classes for £240, I lost my job day before 12 week scan & MrD is on less money than when I took my mortgage out 10 yrs ago, we were brassick - I got no benefits - so I applied for the reduced fees & was offered a reduced price of £194!!

I replied explaining our situation, giving a brief income / expenditure to show we weren't lashing money on booze & fags - we had less than £200 a month to live on - & obviously had a baby to prepare for. So they offered a short course for £100.

I thought charity, schmarity.
NHS classes, library, internet for learning about birth etc. Children's Centre, mum's & baby groups etc for meeting new mum's.

I did do a few ante-natal yoga classes which were excellent & the teacher really knew her stuff & did birth rehearsals etc - much better for your money.

Good luck

Is it worth it? Well, I think that depends on what you want to get out of the classes, and what else is on offer in your area.

Tbh, If you read all the baby books, I think most of the stuff you cover in class you could probably read in a few good books. When I did mine, I remember knowing most of the stuff she said, as I had read a lot of books. So if you're going purely for knowledge, then probably not. However, if you want chance to discuss ideas and explore feelings, you do get this in class that you won't get elsewhere.

I went because I was advised it was the best way to make friends, and for me I would happily pay the £250 again, and more for the friendships I gained from the class. Over 6 years on, I still meet my NCT friends weekly, our children are like cousins to each other, and it is a tight nit little group. It is lovely. Someone once said to me, that the bonds you make with the NCT class, are quite unlike any others and that is true. Because you go through that journey together, it can make for a very different relationship. It sounds odd, and possibly impossible to understand unless you've been there which I think often explains the divide. I didn't understand it until I'd been there. So for me, the friendships I have got have been worth every penny (if only in the free babysitting I've had since )

But some people don't gel with their groups, so if you're only going for that reason it could be a complete waste of money.

Also, you have got to ask yourself what other opportunities there are to meet other mums? Some doctors surgeries / hospitals offer weekly classes, where you might meet people. Mine did not. The NHS class consisted of 30 couples on a one day course. I don't think I spoke to anyone that day - not bar the pleasantries. It was not conducive to meeting people. Yes, I could have met people post baby, but it was in those early days that I really needed a friend to speak to! It took me months / years to really get pally with other mums and its still not to the same level of friendship that I gained from my NCT class.

So, in all was it worth it? for me, yes. Would I pay again? Definitely. But I can see that it is a gamble - and it will depend on whether you can afford to make that gamble.

I don't think it has to be exclusively NCT where you can make those kinds of bonds ellokitty.
I'm still close friends with the people I met at the NHS classes 9 years later.
And they were free!

But that's my second point, Framey;

"depends on what you want to get out of the classes, and what else is on offer in your area."

and

"Also, you have got to ask yourself what other opportunities there are to meet other mums? Some doctors surgeries / hospitals offer weekly classes, where you might meet people. Mine did not."

If you have got those opportunities to meet other mums, before birth and free - then I fully agree that its probably not worth paying. However, in mine (and a lot of other areas), those facilities are not available (see my first post as to why). Therefore, if you want to use pre-birth classes as a method of making friends, then NCT classes is pretty much your only option!

And of course, it is also worth remembering that not everyone gets on with their NCT / NHS class mates - which makes it an expensive gamble!

Trouble is, NCT classes vary sooo much from one teacher to another.
WE were extremely lucky and had a brilliant teacher - very factualy, relevant and practical - exactly what I wanted.
My sister booked classes on my recommendation and got a lot of airey, fairy waffle - all about feelings and nothing practical. All the men dropped out of hers whereas all the dads enjoyed ours and stayed to the bitter end.
Would suggest trying to find out about the teacher before handing over the sort of money they are asking for these days and check it is the sort of class you actually want.

My NCT class was shoite. If I had my time again there's no way I'd have spent the money on it. But I'm sure it depends on the teacher etc etc

250 for X hours for two people. its high, but may not be ridiculous depending on where you are, how many hours, what course materials you are sent away with and how much venues cost.

IIRC we paid about 120-140 ish for ( 12x2 hours) NCT 4 years ago. And I considered that to be good value for money.
the NHS (3 or 4) free session were badly organised, poorly run and less informative.

Didn't go to ante-natal classes because it seemed extremely unlikely that anyone could prepare someone who has not given birth before for that experience. Three births on, I still think I'm right . I was also not keen on the zealotry of some NCT classes.

If you want to make local friends then just attend some NCT open houses in your neighbourhood once you have given birth (that's where NCT became a lifeline for me) and spend your money on something that will be of use (a babysitter a few months in? Some underwear once all your horrible maternity stuff is a thing of the past?)

i dont think its worth that money unless you are particularly keen to do a lot of antenatal classes or you have money to spare. i just did the nhs ones for my 1st and thats it. you can make friends once they are born, in baby groups etc so its not a disaster if you dont make friend in antenatal class

I had one NHS antenatal class first time but did pg yoga, which was wonderful. I would definitely definitely do something - whether it is active birth, yoga, or NCT. It's wonderful to know a few people before the birth and it is really important to prepare.

I made friends through the NHS/baby group/breastfeeding group, we couldn't affors NCT. I am still good friends with 3 ladies and children 11 years on (weekly meet ups with one friend)

our weekend of nct was £130 - for 2 x 6hrs, well well worth it. They ahve upto 90% discounts available too.
covered everything from home births to planned c secs, then 2 hrs on bf at the end
In contrast NHS - 2 hrs with partners (12 couples, should have been more but people didnt turnup) + 2 hrs women only on sep morning (bout 20 women); very anti epi & sections & ff not mentioned at all - 1 lady asked and it was a big no-no. the bit with partners was farsicle (sp??) with one blocke being asked to leave he was so rude and disruptive , 1 women who spoke NO english (not even my name is etc) and so there was a running commentary from her partner in her language - fine but also disruptive & people continually arriving late (stared at 7pm, latest couple arrive about 8...)

I am uncertain as to point of antenatal classes. The baby is going to come out of your vagina, and if not, will be removed by a surgeon. Both hurt. Baby will then BF and if not, be bottle fed. Nappies need changed when wet or shitty. You'll be fucking knackered for months.

Thats £250 please!

Well our free NHS ones had up to 50 people in the group. You couldn't see what was going on at the front. So I did cough up for NCT and it was OK. 250 seems a bit steep though.

I done the nhs classes and found them really good.

12 couples 6 x 2hrs. First two classes had 1hr with the antenatal physio.

Midwifes also run a baby group which is extremely popular.

I did NCT - the thing I dont like is how its assumed you will always be lifelong friends - out of 7 girls I count one as a good friend, who I would want to be friends with/without babies.

Having said that the others are nice and a good few years later we still meet every month or so for dinner and it WAS invaluable when they were weeks old and we could bore each other about sleep, feeding and who had had sex yet...or rather not

BUT as soon as I was out of the new baby fog I made good, proper friends at groups and feel lucky that the NCT gang weren't my ONLY baby friends IYSWIM?

As for birth, it does hurt but its so well worth it. I wish that was all I had known pre birth, NCT made me worry about scary things that happen to very few people.

I didn't go to any classes at all and me and ds are fine...so far.

Notanumber this made me laugh so much

Lol at northerngobshite. Couldn't agree more.

Went to our free NHS ones - 2 classes of an hour each. Missed the 3rd one, on actually giving birth, as I was...........giving birth I didn't really get much out of it, and there was one chap there who only wanted to discuss all the things that could go wrong.

As others have said, if you read any pregnancy book you will get the same info. My doctor recommended the Dr Miriam Stoppard book. She said that it was now considered a bit old fashioned but that the facts were still the same and I found it informative without being frightening.

But, my OH, still goes on about not being "taught" about breathing techniques and stuff (I think he's watched too much American TV ) and that he got more out of it.

Also, my midwife was brilliant with any/all information we wanted.

From the start of my pregnancy, I took a fairly laid back approach that the baby would come when it was good and ready and that it was going to hurt and there was not much I could do about it, except go with the flow.