Any free antenatal classes at weekend and evening

[TheFruitWhisperer]

Really disappointed as I see that the Chase Farm ones are only on during week days.

Categorically cannot get time off for anything other than doctor/midwife/hospital appointments, and DH is a teacher so absolutely will never be able to attend these classes - and Ive had a quote from NCT for weekend classes of £300?!?!?!?!

Is there anything free in enfield that anyone knows of, that working parents can go to?

I had this problem too - the lack of choice is rubbish isn't it?

The Ridgeway birth centre - the midwife led unit at chase farm - run weekend antenatal classes on active birth and waterbirth.

You have to be booked in for the centre though before you can attend these.

If you want any further info let me know - in the end I didnt do any antenatal classes as DD arrived early and before I got to do the classes!

and in the end didn't attend the nhs ones

Ah, unfortunately Im too fat to be booked into the Ridgeway Birthing Centre! How stupid they dont let all mums attend the classes, and Im sure I wont be too fat for those!

They've said they can book me in for ladies only, with DP attending the last one on a saturday.

Im wondering if I even need them, surely Wikipedia will sort me out?!

Well I didn't attend any and to be honest it was fine. Although I do wonder if attending some sort of class might have been less of a shock for DP but he gets a bit panicky at the slightest thing so maybe not...

I read loads of books and online stuff beforehand and I found all the tips and stuff on here much more useful

I think the ladies only session is a breastfeeding session, which I did attend as I was on maternity leave then.

I was all excited about it but it was rubbish. The woman who took the class didn't seem to know what she was talking about - she had to follow a script - and was really offhand and dismissive of people's questions and concerns.

Much of the session consisted of getting into groups to write the benefits of b/f on a flipchart and then she wouldn't let us leave the room until we'd practiced and been assessed with a knitted breast and doll...all in all I left more confused than I arrived...the midwives and support services I used post birth were much better, more informative and more helpful.