Antenatal classes near Streatham

[sara75]

Hi everyone, I am desperately trying to find some antenatal classes around Streatham; I am due in January and would like to get some classes with my partner. Had a look at the NCT ones but they look very pricy....
and the ones run by Bump2Bubba are a bit far for us(although not impossible so still considering them).
And if you also know of any actvities for mums to be in the area I would really appreciate the information !!!!
Thankssssssssssssssss

Hi Sara. I did NCT ones with Maria in Brixton. You're right, they are pricey, but the mums I met through it were wonderful and I'm still really close to them nearly six years on. In terms of what they taught, they weren't a patch on the NHS free ones at St Thomas's where I had dd1. Whichever hospital you're booked in at is likely to do free or v cheap classes and you might well meet people through that.

I don't know specific antenatal activities in Streatham but am in Furzedown so will ask around. It might be worth contacting the yoga studio on Bickersteth Road in Tooting as I think they do a special pregnany yoga class and if they don't they should be able to put you in touch with someone who does. I was a bit further away then so did my other antenatal stuff in central town.

Once you've popped there are lots of lovely playgroups and mums and tots things round here. It's a nice area to have a baby in

Thanks a lot Furzella, I will keep in touch to get an hint of mums and tots things in the area! Sara

there is a wonderful doula here who does antenatal classes, i am not in london and am crap at geogoraphy, so don;t know if she is near streatham

here is her link

the babymoon

hey, i'm in streatham hill and found a fantastic looking alternative pregnancy centre on brixton hill on google. full schedule of preg yoga, couples birth prep classes, baby massage, baby & mum pilates etc etc

but since have not found the site again ;-(

same people also run ante natal classes at st thomas' and keep meaning to resume hunt. will let you know if i find it, if you find it sooner - let me know!

Hi there

I am living in Streatham and looking for any recommendations on pregnancy yoga classes and also NCT antenatal classed. I am not due until late November but would like to get myself organised

thanks.

Justine

Hello, I live in Streatham and have just attended NCT classes in Streatham run by Sophie Dekker - they've been very good and not just 'hippyish "painrelief is bad"' as some other NCT classes apparently are.

She knows her stuff - lots of reference to evidence from 'randomised controlled trials', 'small uncontrolled studies' and 'complete made-up baloney'!

Apparently the antenatal classes at St Georges are also run by NCT tutors and cover the same stuff just in larger groups, but I think you have to book when you conceive - could be worth phoning them though.

just wanted to say hello that I'm another streatham mum to be, if anyone is around - I don't know any other pregnant ladies and only have one friend who's a mum so would be great to know about things going on in the area.

I go to Sitaram Yoga which does all the pregnancy yoga/postnatal/birth rehearsals and is pretty good, but they've closed their streatham branch which means going to brockwell park or St Thomas's.

We're not doing NCT either - just can't justiy the £300 sadly, but will hopefully get on board their bumps and babies stuff

Hi Mousey, I'm also in Streatham!

We're undecided about NCT, £300 is such a lot, and the class times I was given were 10am on a Monday morning which is far from ideal.

I keep meaning to get in touch with Sitaram and start doing classes, are there not classes nr Brixton Hill/Streatham Hill?

hi crazycatlady how far along are you? Sitaram is great but they've literally just closed their main place iin Streatham Hill - this is the 1st week they're not there and we don't know why, they've not even updated the website yet. There's another woman who runs pregnancy yoga classes in streatham a friend's getting the number for me - will post it for you when I get it if you like?

are you with St Thomas's by any chance? the antenatal classes run by the Valley midwives at Garcefield Gardens look good so I've decided against NCT - bit of an expesnive way to make friends, especially if it means losing a day of work too

Justine1, try looking on www.birthlight.com for pregnancy yoga classes.

[[http://www.expecting.info/ Not a million miles from Streatham] and I can highly recommend the birth preparation classes if you want something to do with your partner. Also the ante-natal yoga classes are good. There is a yoga class for expectant mothers somewhere in Clapham South, I think, which I've heard good things about.

Really should remember to preview before I post...

Try this!

Yes Mousey we're with St Thomas's and under the care of the Valley team. Gracefield Gardens is literally 5 minutes walk away so I think we'll just go with what they offer there.

This is our first baby, due 26 December, what about you?

Shame about Sitaram, I had my heart set on doing classes there! I'd love to find out about the other classes, do please post the number when you get it!

lucky you with Valley! I'm with the Streatham team at the moment, hoping to transfer because Valley offer homebirths and we're seriously considering it - our first baby too due october 21st.

I have a number for Kathleen, will send you a private message with it on when I work out how to do that!

I'm going to St Thomas's on Thursday for the sitaram class, will let you know how it is. I'm not sure if they're looking to find a new place around streatham to hold the other classes, think they've just lost the hosue they were based at very suddenly...we're booked in for birth rehearsal with them in september and I really want to do their postnatal and baby yoga afterwards so hope they get it sorted! They are still running their classes at Tommies, KCL and Brockwell Lido though - and NHS Centre Soho

ugh - i haven't subscribed...send me an email to an account I send spam stuff to, then I'll email you back from my proper account (just trying to reduce chances of getting spam attacked by posting an email address!)

[email protected]

sorry - [email protected]

Yes we're aiming for a homebirth too. The Valley team are really supportive, and they're lovely.

Let me know how the yoga goes, I'm going to try to get to their class at Brockwell on Sundays I think as it's not too far.

p.s. I've emailed you!

If you're employed you may be able to take paid time off work (not annual leave) to do antenatal classes, in the same way as antental appointments. It's worth looking into anyway.

ah sadly as a temp I don't get such a luxury...

hiya
am due end of November, have twins who will be 18 months then eek eek!
not doing nct cos of money, but perhaps anyone due around that time may want to form a little group if we keep in touch now?
Am in Streatham Hill.
You do tend to meet people along the way I find, but it's nice to have people going hrough the early days at same time as you...

I'm really up for that squeezebox...good luck with your twins too! there are tons of twin mummies wandering round streatham - one of my best friends is one of them! am constantly a bit jealous I'm only having one. She's my only friend who's had babies and she's away from september til Jan so will be very up for having some friendly mum faces in the area (even if it's just to grab a coffee in perfect blend when I've been stuck in the house all day!)

I'm kinda mid-streatham, by st leonard's church

I'm in Streatham too, but a bit behind you ladies. I'm not due until mid March 09, and haven't even had my first scan yet (week today at St George's).

Am hoping to have a home birth, as GWTMH knows as we've seen each other on the home birth thread - hello! I'm a bit confused by all the classes you are talking about. I have been recommended a preg yoga class in Earlsfield but other than that, I haven't really got up to speed with all the classes I should be enrolling in. I'm assuming my MW will tell me more about what I should be attending at my first appointment with her next week?

What are the Streatham and Valley teams? Do I need to be on them?!

A

Boobz, ask your midwife at the appointment about whether the hospital offers any antenatal classes, I found doing that at my booking in appointment this time was much better than waiting until later on, as I did in my first pregnancy, when it was a struggle to get on to anything.

NCT classes are run by a voluntary organisation which charges for classes and also arranges social networks and campaigns for better antenatal/postnatal services etc, and the midwife won't necessarily tell you about stuff like that as it's separate from the hospital. You need to find out what's most likely to help you, and decide whether you can afford it.

Boobz - if you're at St George's the NHS antenatal classes will be different (didn't realsie you were a streatham lass like notcitrus too - tons of us wanting HB's!), I'm with Streatham Midwives because I'm booked with St Thomas's and they operate from Gracefield Gardens new health centre, alongside Valley (who are also St Thomas's based community midwife team).

I have a number for a great yoga teacher in Streatham - though she's not doing anything over the summer and starts again in September, give her a call then. drop me an email at above address and I'll pass on her details