Best/worst things about your antenatal classes?

[standanddeliver]

....NHS or NCT/Birthlight/private classes
In my case
NHS: (first time around)
Best - I enjoyed it all because I was just so excited about being pregnant and having a baby. I don't think I cared what the midwife did - I just loved having a chance to talk about having a baby.

Worst - Being told 'You can read too much you know' after telling the midwife I'd read that having an epidural made you more likely to need forceps. Made me feel like a complete arse. Guess who went on to have an epidural followed by a forceps birth? Yes - me.

Oh yes - sitting in the dark watching a film of someone giving birth with 10 other couples I didn't know. The midwife teaching the class got called a way and we all sat there in shocked silence after the film finished. It was a very disturbing experience!

NCT: (refresher class)
Best - the midwife who taught the class went on to deliver my second and third babies. She was fab. Also having the chance to debrief my first birth.
Worst - I had nothing in common with the three other couples I did the course with and really didn't want to meet them afterward.

Nhs Antenatal class in 2003:

Midwife saying "and the tailbone flexes backwards to allow for the passage of the baby - unless you have previously broken your tailbone in which case you may notice a snapping sound" erm yes I have previously broken my tailbone - thanks for that!!

and...

The midwife then saying "ladies please, please remember that you are not tied to the bed in labour" and my DP piping up "Thats what got us in this mess in the 1st place"

No-one understood that he was joking!!

Never Went Back!!!!!

sorry that probably wasn't what you had in mind - but whenever anyone says the words antenatal classes I still get this flashback !!

Nhs - far too little information, full of mostly disinterested parents

Nct - not available unless you book months in advance and can drive to the posher area where the classes were held

complete disappointment to me all round tbh

Best: making friends who I still talk to every week, nearly four years on. They're a lovely bunch of women.

Worst: dp being singled out by over-zealous breastfeeding tutor, who wanted to teach her how she could breastfeed, too. (Yes, dp is a woman, and found being the focus of 20 pairs of horrified eyes a completely horrifying experience )

NCT classes last year.

Best: great teacher, lovely bunch of people who have become good friends, info delivered in calm and straightforward manner, all questions answered clearly.

Worst: accidentally describing myself as a toyboy when we were doing the introductions...I meant tomboy!

Best: DS was pre-term so only made it to a couple of classes.

Worst: Class had a higher than average number of loud, attention seeking women. One of them pretended to go into labour at each one. Lots of groans, sighs etc. Her poor downtrodden husband had to keep rushing to the watercooler for her and rubbing her back. Nutter.

I spotted them all at their hospital visit as DS was still in special care at that stage. I ducked into a room until they'd gone.

The best bit was the cake and worst was when I fainted during a graphic description of an epidural needle. I'd barely slept the night before due to leg cramps and just the mw started banging on about getting the needle between two vertebrae and I was starting to think I'd have to leave the room, was when I saw my legs come up (I had them resting on the table edge) and I tipped sideways. I opened my eyes seconds later to see a dozen pairs of eyes staring at me.

The classes were pretty good on the whole as I made one or two friends and learnt about meconium which paid dividends in my labour months later .

NHS antenatal class in 1996 (oh dear, we're getting on)

Best: very good I thought, and I particularly liked the fact that the teachers were experienced midwives who really had seen the lot

Worst: missed most of them because I went into hospital early

NCT
Best: saved me having to read too much (am dyslexic and was taking me ages to understand all jargon) like the fact I could ask questions. Did sessions about first few days with baby, how to change nappy etc

Worst: as mintchoc said seemed to attract loud women, didn't really have anything in common with them, they started having dinner parties together so after couple of weeks felt quite out of group but info was very good
Bit to pro bfeeding, couldn't get any bottle feeding advice (even tho I did exlusively feed for 6 months as intended it would have be good to have balanced info)

NHS
Best: all info is good, taught by experienced midwives and met some of HV team

Worst: very short and not that indepth plus only delievered info on hosp birth