to lie to the NCT about my household income to get reduced antenatal classes?

[cilo]

DH and I are struggling financially at the moment. He used to work full-time but due to the recession has had to reduce his hours and his monthly wage has gone down by about £200 a month. On top of this our mortgage has gone up(our fixed rate has ended) and we've had a lot of unexpected expenses like the boiler needing to be replaced. I do work part-time but most of my wage goes towards nursery fees for my ds and my £250 a month train fare just to get to work.

I really really want to attend my local NCT antenatal course. I don't know any other mums-to-be and am desperate to build up a network of friends when my baby is born. I've heard the NCT is the best way to do this. Couldn't afford to attend the classes before my ds was born and this is my biggest regret, I feel very isolated at the moment and the thought of being isolate with two children makes me panic. I tried really hard when ds was born to find local playgroups, mother and baby groups, and asked my health visitor repeatedly for details but was told there weren't any in my area I do still scour the local papers, doctor surgeries but never see any playgroups advertised.

I'm normally a very honest person and do everything by the book but am seriously thinking of lying to the NCT about my household income to try and secure a place on their antenatal course at a reduced rate. Their literature says that if you receive any benefits at all, are a single parent and have a household income of less than £25,000 you can get a reduced place. Although DH and I together have an income above £25,00 and seem to be quite comfortable on paper, in reality we are really struggling and I can't find the full money to attend the course .

AIBU to lie?

Porcamisereria - I really hope that your NCT tutor was an exception - none of the NCT tutors I have known have been like that. I would be strongly tempted to complain to the NCT about her. I am very surprised that your class weren't told about the Valley Cushion - a product that the NCT rents out in most of its branches (or did when I was involved). It is, as its name suggests, a cushion with a valley down the middle, to take pressure off painful stitches. It's inflatable, and you can pump up each side individually to your own needs. It was designed to take pressure off stitches without cutting off circulation to them, thus retarding healing, as the hospital 'doughnut' cushion can.

When I supported/booked/attended NCT classes, a presentation on the valley cushion, with contact info etc, was part of one of the classes.

The aim of the NCT classes - at least when I was involved in them - was to ensure that parents had the information that they needed in order to make informed choices for themselves and their baby during labour and afterwards. I was a class supporter, and we looked at the pros and cons of all forms of pain relief, and there was never any judgementalism about the types of pain relief used.

Frankly, if there had been, I wouldn't have been allowed to be a class supporter, because I had gas and air, and pethidine, and ended up with an episiotomy with ds1 - plus I failed to breast feed with all three of them, and had post natal depression three times too!! Hardly an earth mother chatterati type!

One big benefit of the antenatal classes that I attended, supported and booked was that we kept the numbers down to only 6 couples, which meant a smaller group who could get to know eachother more quickly, and were individuals didn't get lost or go unheard, as happened in the NHS antenatal classes I attended with 12 other couples.

STAYING SUNNY

bless you and thanks, I think that rather than higjack threads I shpould send them my complaint letter!!!! Given that DS is 21 months Its tome to get it off my chest

sorry CILO..not v helpful

Not every NCT group is full of loaded chatterati. That sort of person simply doesn't live around here, so consequently would not be joining an NCT group around here. Yet the NCT is very strong in our local community.

If you do want to complain about the NCT. Visit nct.org.uk and go to contact us. There is then a complaint option. All complaints are copied to Belinda Phipps (CEO), action is then taken.
If complaining about a teacher or councillor be as specific as you can about the course you were on and the teacher you are complaining about.