Kirstie Allsopp in twitter row with NCT

[DuelingFanjo]

Sorry for the DM link.

what do you think about this?

Personally I think my NCT class covered C-sections very well, though there was an emphasis on 'natural' birth through-out the course. I was glad of the C-Section info when I was signing papers for the possibility, though in the end didn't need one.

Sadly my experience (Midwives not checkinghow dilated I was, No gas and Air for ages, Having waters broken, Spinal at 10 cm dilated, episiotomy and so on) has made me wonder if I would want to attempt a more natural birth next time - I am worried that I will be too scared to try.

Do you think she is right though, are women who have C-sections being made to feel like failures?

"If it was the best thing for us and our babies then surely we should feel pride."

Yes - very much agree. I've never had a section but the idea really scares me, I really admire anyone who goes through that for their child's safety. I feel nothing but admiration for my friends underwent one - the idea that you can somehow "will" yourself a vaginal birth if you only believe strongly enough is utter crap.

It's one step away from people who believe that a positive mindset is the only thing you need to recover from cancer.

I have never seen the point of the NCT or what is wrong with pain relief, caesarians or any of the other medical interventions which have gone a long way to reduce infant nd maternal mortality or generally to make the whole experience less ghastly.

I also loathe the whole "giving birth as an achievement" approach. It is just something which happens as nature dictates and whether one does it "well" or "badly" is largely down to ones physique, position of baby etc etc.

NCT attitude has spread into the NHS. Stupid HV asked after my emcs how I was coping with the "trauma" of not having been alble to have "the full birthing experience". I said that I found it rather easier than I would have found the trauma of losing my baby and/or being dead. This was clearly not the "correct" answer.

Exactly theyoungvisitor - it's magical thinking.

"Stupid HV asked after my emcs how I was coping with the "trauma" of not having been alble to have "the full birthing experience"."

Have to say, this remark strikes me as really spectacularly unhelpful.

Very glad you weren't traumatised by your section Pointissima - but a lot of women are. It's major emergency surgery which carries with it risks for the mother and her future births.

Why on earth is it "stupid" for the NHS to recognise that, and recognise that a number of women DO feel trauma? Good for the HV for asking the question rather than just assuming you were ok.

Absolutely youngvisiter. Many people are traumatised by cs and suffer prolonged pain and difficulties and can't hold/feed their babies the way they would like to or look after their other dc etc etc. I would have been very disappointed, but obviously grateful if the cs had been truly necessary as a life-saving intervention. I was very disappointed not to have the homebirth I wanted and the midwives acknowledged this.

i dont giev a fuck about her
and her blardy ring she bleats on about.
shes just bitter its not a wedding ring.

I've never seen the point of NCT classes either.At the end of the day I follow my consultant's advice thankyou not a class leader who will have never even done a medical examination on anybody let alone me.

My sister did NCT and enjoyed the social side(which any health visitor could organise) but she and her dp were mighty hacked off when pg with twins and they asked for some info on bottle feeding just incase. They were simply met with a steely glare and the subject changed. Considering the amount they payed I think being given half the information on a subject is not on.

oh god any fule know you only do NCT to meet naice posh people

in ours there was a reunion afterwards and ONE freaky woman revealed that her H breastfed to "help with her let down reflex"

we all nodded in an organic way while inside our very core was thinkign NUTTER ALERT

and my mates h got serious giggles during relaxation exercises and was asked to step outside.

we had to visualise pain. i had never ever evr had pain before so i thought about tea.

Not a big fan of Tory Allsop and don't use Twitter or read the Mail, so no idea what's going on, but I do think the NCT are absolutely shite on c-sections.

I trained as a NCT antenatal teacher a few years ago, and one of the reasons I eventually left the organisation was because of their woeful attitude towards c-section (and interventions in childbirth). Talk about gazing at things through rose-tinted glasses. It was all geared towards 'natural birth = success, anything else =failure' and in the end I just couldn't square it with my own values and beliefs.

It's a shame. I think the NCT is an important organisation (in it's lobbying, 'pressure group' capacity) but I also think it is hideously out of touch and could be so much more than it is.

its not it's

I only did an NHS class but the midwife didn't talk about c-sections at all. In fact when anyone even asked about interventions she kept saying "we only have time to cover the normal course of labour and birth"

I thought the whole point of NCT classes was for middle class mummies to meet other middle class mummies to occupy themselves during maternity leave anyway. Anything else you need you can surely get from a book?

I'm bloody glad I had a CS. A hundred years ago, both my baby and I would have died.

There's a really good reason why there are so many more CS births now, which noone ever seems to mention - we're all having our first babies at older and older ages. Nothing to do with too posh to push - I tried for four hideous days.

slattern
hi fio btw

That is true MoonUnitAlpha. Hand over your £150 £200 £250 £300 and take 5 local mummy friends with similar properties, values and outlooks for coffee, GSOH, passive-aggressive competitive parenting and more...

Yes, I know you might have to have one at any age, I'm talking statistics here.

Is this the same Kirstie Allsopp who did a promo film for SMA a while back, whilst talking about how wonderful bfing was for her?

Oh, yes, I rather think it is.

(The link's been taken down, but you'll get the gist from that thread.)

Overall percentage compared over time. It's not me saying this, it's the professor of obstetrics at our local world-renowned research hospital.

I recon I am the oldest and poorest person in my NCT group. Plus I have the smallest house.