NCT to run classes for the NHS

[Ushy]

I heard this on the news this morning and groaned! I think they are a great organisation for making friends but I certainly would not want them running NHS classes. I have had varying reports from friends who attended courses given by different NCT teachers but mine was definitely 'natural good' 'and 'epidurals and caesareans bad'. Complete nonsense as most of our group ended up with complications. Annoyingly, there was no understanding that some of us don't want natural childbirth - not that we are 'fearful' or 'don't have confidence in our bodies - none of that - we just don't WANT it.

I think classes should be run by midwives in the NHS.
What to MNers think?

I attended both NCT and NHS classes when pregnant with DD. I'd heard lots of bad things about the NHS classes.

I thought the NHS classes were far, far better than the NCT. The classes seemed to be much more factual, giving you the opportunity to make up your own mind. With the NCT classes the doula was just pushing her opinion on to us. She was incredibly rude Shen someone asked a question about bottle feeding.

Seems like it's pure luck and all depends on the attitude of the person running the class. I think they have a lot of freedom in terms of the context of classes as our teacher asked us during the first session to write down what we wanted covered and that';s how she structured the classes.

It varies so much from PCT to PCT. My NHS BF session lasted four hours and was absolutely fantastic.

The NHS classes I had with dd were fantastic but even then there was a course run by the community mw and another at the hospital, I managed to go to both and they covered completely different things.

There should be a set course delivered to every pg woman that wants it

Big Society, innit.

The NCT courses for the NHS have a different syllabus and emphasis to the courses they run privately.

Fwiw, when I was expecting my first baby my NCT class had a long session on pain relief and we did a c section role play. I never felt I was being forced 'natural is bests. There was a bf session too. The hospital classes I also attended on the other hand were all about breathing, hypnobirthing and cloth nappies!

What I was getting round to saying, is surely outsourcing antenatal classes from NHS to NCT is no different to private contractors running social housing, rubbish collections etc?

Exactly BikeRunSki.

The NHS and the state pushes its particular type of parenting down your throat from day one so in many ways it would be nice to get a bit of balance, controlled crying for example was the only suggestion made to me about my children's sleeping habits by 4 separate professionals in three counties.

My NCT teacher went through sections, it wasn't done as a good or bad thing, just what happens, she had a Play Mobil set that she used to explain who would be there and what they do, she also explained if you need a GA what would happen. She did go through the cycle of intervention but again it wasn't as a judgemental thing. I hope to train as an NCT teacher, but need to wait for my children to be in nursery and school as I don't get the time. I've had two sections with GA and a VBAC. My children have all needed formula. I am at heart an AP parent but I also recognise that being "AP" is not about following a rigid type, it's about how you do what you do, I recognise that everything is at some point necessary and nothing is law so if it's what works for you then you have to go with it.

NCT teachers have been teaching for the NHS for years at UCH, at St George's in London and at Birmingham women's hospital. They're not teaching an NCT course - my understanding is that the hospitals set the agenda.

I like the idea of the NCT providing more antenatal teaching in the NHS to free up midwives to deliver babies and provide better care for women in hospital.

As for the variable quality of the teaching - some midwives are bloody awful teachers and very biased, in either direction! Also some NCT teachers.

But the bottom line is that the NCT as an organisation are absolutely no more radical in their attitude to normal birth than the RCM. Check out the RCM's 'Normal Birth' site and you'll see what I mean!

What makes a good antenatal teacher?
g
I think a senses of humour lol