No antenatal class availability

[ecantona]

Have just moved to the Barnet area and and first baby due on 10/12/06. Due to bureaucratic struggles of titianic proportions which delayed my referral to Barnet General, I have now been advised that there are no remaining places on the NHS ante-natal classes. Should I be worried about missing out on these? I have registered for NCT but they don't start for another 2 weeks and am slightly (OK frantically) panicking...

If you are booked for the NCT classes you should be fine
Bit crap that the NHS can't find you a space though

Can they put you down for any availabilities? Quite good cahnce of someone having baby early (some poele on my course were 37 weeks on first lesson!) or of them pulling out.

TBH, can't say mine were worth much anyhow, I was too ill for the one on breathing and that was about all that was not easily accessible in any decent text. The rest was 'do you know what an epidural is?' er, yes ta.

Presumably your MW can give you a few breathing exercises and positions sheets? But I learned it midway through an indeuced emergency labour easily enough, and I am sure you'll be able to pick it up too.

You can always get personalised advice here on MN.

Are you booked into the midwifery led centre? It's lovely!

i couldn't attend ours either but went on an excellent course (private) over one weekend wiht a company called bumptobaby. can't recommend it enough - no agenda (unlike NCT or NHS) just lots of good info

That honestly doesnt surprise me! I think you are lucky to get into BGH tbh - its in high demand and they normally refuse referrals.

The NCT ones will be fine, I am sure. Of course, any worries or questions you have you can ask us lot here as well.

You can learn it all by reading and through your midwife tbh

As a Barnet girl I would say that the NCT classes were far superior to the nhs ones.

Thanks, I feel a lot better for hearing your replies! Have now been offered a one-off active birth workshop as an alternative. BG itself looks like a nice hospital and the midwives on the unit have been lovely. Onwards and upwards...