Attending NHS ante natal classes - Will it make a difference to birth?

[SweetFudge]

I was told by the midwife at my 18th week antenatal check-up that I should only call and book for the NHS antenatal classes around my 30th week.

Roll on 30th week and I called today. I was informed that all classes are full, have been for months and that the midwives have had to turn a lot of couples away. Apart from feeling bloody cross about the information given at 18th week appointment, will it matter significantly that I wouldn't have had the benefit of the classes when I go into labour?

We can't really afford the NCT classes for this first birth and I have been reading up on labour, birth, pain relief from the net and books.

Discovery Health frightened me silly. Hairy women in birthing pools screaming like banshees ooh noooo

The baby doula sounds like a fab idea, bebejam. I went to my antenatal appt earlier and was lucky to see the same midwife from last appointment and I thought she was superb last time round.

She's arranging to see me on one of her off duty days the end of this month and will spend as long as I need going over my questions, etc. I'll get her a food pressie as a thank you.

What everyone's said has reassured me and I am fine about just concentrating on doing the tour now.

NomdePlume, I had to ban myself from watching the births on Discovery Health after a while! I found I was tensing and clenching down there every time a baby was about to be pushed out or the word 'cut' was mentioned. Grew up hearing all the women in my family talk about how they tore during theirs during the births, stitches,etc.

i'm going to be attending my ante-natal classes purely from a social point of view..........i'm not expecting to make any lifelong friends there but i only know one other person due at the same time as me and we will never exactly be 'friends'...

as we have friends with young children/babies my dp has been talking to the daddies and getting advice from them which we have found useful as they actually know my dp.......they know what to tell him and what would be considered TMI (which with my dp is nothing!)

I was told the same 30 weeks nonsense by my MW and I can only get one class a week before my due date. I called about NCT classes 2 months ago and could only just get into those for July (due August) but the cost put me off. Have since found out that you can get them very heavily subsidised but it does seem that the MWs need to advise to book classes around the 20 week mark if not earlier. I will be having a long session with my MW next week to find out all the info that I would hopefully have got from these classes as there is no way I am stressing until a week beforehand to know what I need to be prepared for and what happens if I'm early?! Sometimes I feel we get treated like cattle, does nobody recognise that knowledge is power and would lead to calmer and better managed births? Pah!

I missed mine as they don't start 'til 34 weeks here and my baby came then so I wouldn't worry if I was you.