An alternative to NCT? We need your vote!

[spoonfulofnutella]

There's been countless threads devoted to this over the years...so we've decided to do something about it and submitted a pitch in Virgin's Pitch to Rich competition.

The pitch is here: www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/pitch-to-rich/new-things/baby-friends/

where there's a concise summary of what we're proposing.

If you want to read the full submission, click on the linkedin profile on that page where there's loads more stats and a document of "what people say about the NCT" containing plenty of quotes from mumsnetters!

So please give us your vote if it's something you support. You just need to give your name and an email address. They'll send a verification email back, you click on the link and your vote is submitted. That's it.

We'd also love to hear any comments, positive AND negativeon this thread. If the pitch/idea takes off in anyway the contribution and support from this community will be crucial so please let us know what you think. Tell us what we've missed or how we could make it better.

ps - please don't take the pitch as an attack on the NCT. We did their courses twice (we moved area in between the births of our two) and got a lot out of it and made some great friends. It's simply about offering an alternative and making them a bit more inclusive. We don't have any links with Virgin whatsoever, we just thought it was a good idea to base them in gyms as an existing infrastructure to build on rather than starting from scratch and of course we hope it appeals too them as they are running the competition.

Thank you

Who would teach and how much would you propose charging

We envisage a research period during which we take on a lot of views about what parents need from these courses and how to present it in an agenda-free way. The teachers would be (almost certainly) mums recruited and trained to deliver the final product. One interesting quote from the NCT's own survey was this:

"During their training, each NCT practitioner develops objectives for the courses and sessions they lead, which must be approved by NCT tutors. There are no standardised aims and as a result there may be considerable variation between courses."

We would want the course to be much more standardised so teachers can't mould it to match their own beliefs...though there would of course be room for parents to raise topics they're interested in.

In terms of cost, obviously it's only at the idea stage but my vision is a class size of no more than 10 couples with an entry price below £100.

I've done nct courses. I like the fact that the nct courses arebt standardised, per se. Why do you think variation is not to be encouraged?

I've never done the free nhs courses which are more standardised. What will be the difference between your courses and the free nhs ines?

That point is that a lot of people feel that many of the teachers take the freedom to launch a heavily pro natural birth stance when in reality that might not be a possibility for many mums no matter how much they want it. Google Kirstie Allsopp NCT for more on that. Also that the courses possibly focus too much on delivery at the expense of other key areas.

Our courses wouldn't compare with NHS, they're more an alternative to NCT for the reasons described above. If you have a look at the pitch it's also about more age, ethnicity and socioeconomic diversity. NCT by their own statistics is tends towards a very white, upper-middle class over 30s environment.

We'll, if you're constituted as a business, you will have an agenda - making a profit and return for investors.

Not criticising this per se, but don't be led into this particular corporate structure simply because of the Virgin opportunity. If you were thinking of becoming a charity, you can't give equity. You could as a social business, if you choose a suitable form.

Got to log off and work for the rest of the day but will revisit this thread regularly to answer any questions etc.

On that last one it will be a private business not a charity.

I don't think that Kirstie also did NCT so I'm not sure she has a valid opinion.
My teacher covered all forms of birth and feeding in a well balanced way having trained for three years to teach NCT. I think this would cost a lot if you're going to offer an equal level of knowledge?

Interesting proposal.

But honestly, I would rather have antenatal provision in a health setting (already provided for with the NHS 'Preparation for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond' course) or from a well-known voluntary organisation such as NCT. The Virgin corporate association is not an attraction.

You also describe it as 'agenda free' - but sometimes the available evidence is quite clear on what leads to the best evidence in the birth and the postnatal period?

Whoops, that should say 'best outcomes'.

So you will have a clear agenda as I said - profit generation. I would wonder, along the lines of MaybeDoctor, whether following what the market wants might lead you to not promote evidence-led information.