Antenatal classes in West London

[Kew08]

hello - I'm new to the website so apologies in advance in case I break etiquette. I'm having my first baby in September and I'm struggling to find ANY evening classes. My husband works out of London so day classes aren't an option and I don't want to do the intensive weekend classes. My hospital only offer Monday morning classes which neither of us can make. I'm getting really stressed as I feel I can't even prepare and facing my first failure as a parent. Does anyone know of any classes PLEASE!

Hi Kew, have you contacted the NCT? If you are a first-time parent you should be able to find some NCT evening classes in your local area that you (and your husband) could attend. I have gone down the NCT route for both pregnancies and it is a great help in preparing for birth and motherhood as well as meeting other people who are due around the same time as you.

Sorry - even if you are a second, third or more time parent you can still do NCT (National Childbirth Trust) classes! But I think these ones tend to be for the mother only unless it differs from area to area. I am in West London and this was the case for me.

Hi Kew

I'm in SW London and help out at the local NCT, pretty close to you (Putney & Fulham). I think that all of our courses are in the evenings and all include partners. We're having a new members evening next wednesday at Cupcake in Putney, which is also a good way to meet new people.

However there are lots of problems with the booking arrangements at the moment as a new system has been introduced for London but persevere and keep nagging them and you will get somewhere.

best of luck

star

The only NCT classes available are in Sept when I am due. All earlier ones fully booked!! Am on two waiting lists but am told people not likely to cancel. I tried Richmond, Westminster, Chiswick and Hammersmith.

Thanks star. I'll try and log on to F&P NCT site. This is such a life line (apologies - pregnancy has made me prone to being a tad dramatic).

I'll be honest, I was at an NCT meeting last night and I know that the new bookings system is a mess and it is difficult to get onto a course at the moment - but worth trying anyway. There are at least 3 teachers in Putney and 2 of them run classes up to 4 nights a week so there are normally lots of classes, it's jsut getting throught he booking admin to access them.

Plus give Cupcake a call, it is a new members club for pg women, not cheap but they were thinking of running their own antenatal classes, by NCT teachers (who often work freelance as well).

HTH

star

In case you can't get onto a course, don't feel it's the end of the world, i didn't do any antenatal classes in my first pg (as I was abroad) and it really didn't make a difference in terms of how well prepared I was eg, if you read up you'll know all you need to know. However, the classes are great for meeting other women in the same situation as you and this is where the NCT is crucial. If you can't get a course, see if you can do pregnancy yoga or something similar, which will clearly also be full of pg women and help prepare you for the birth. Plus if the NCT can't get you on the course, you could go along to one of their new mum lunches or new members evenings, or even coffee mornings (I know that P&F run all these) to meet people.

One last thought: may be too far from you, but Kingston NCT has a different bookings system from London and so is more straightforward and might be worth a shot.

Star

Thanks for the information. Star - do you know where the courses are held? Is there a website for cupcake?

cupcake is at www.cupcakemum.com/index.php

it's a venue with a creche and cafe etc so would hold the courses there (Putney Wharf, ie, jsut over Putney Bridge). It's not cheap however.

You could also try the association of independent midwives, they're quite active in London and might be able to help you with classes apart from the NCT

Hi kew. Have you thought about Natal Hypnotherapy? Emma is based in West London.