Need more info in Cardiff, Pontprennau- Due early April

[Bleuravin]

Hello all I'm looking for info about antenatal birthing classes in the area. I'm not exactly sure how these things work with having to sign up or things because I'm American and things are a little different over here. I've found the NCT site and found they offer an intensive course which costs about £144. Is this normal to have to pay for such things? I'm less worried about classes about caring for babies as I've had lots of experience with siblings, nieces, nephews, and the like. My main desire is to have a class/course dealing with the actual birth and getting to understand more of the many options about how I can have the baby (besides laying in bed in the hospital as is typical in the States)... I have my next appointment with the midwife at the local surgery in a week and I was going to ask her also; I just get the feeling from what people are saying to me that I should perhaps have already have found a class to be in... makes me a bit anxious...

hiya you sound really anxious. are you at the pontprennau surgery. thats where i am. im not in your situation. i have a daughter 6 and alittle boy 3 but if you fancy a chat let me know. from my experience listening to real mums is the best xx

I am at Pontprennau surgery, yes. I'm mostly anxious because everyone around me keeps saying that I should have signed up for classes already and I may not get in any... in some ways I don't mind not being in a 'class' per se I just need to understand better what my options are/what to expect. If I only had the single option of giving birth on my back I'd not be as 'weird' about it...it's just all these options one seems to have over here. So many decisions to make.

I live not far from Pontprennau and from memory I think the ante-natal (they were called parenting classes if I remember correctly) classes were held either at my local surgery or at Pontprennau for 2 weeks only. The first week was held in the surgery and in the second, we were shown around the maternity ward at UHW. That was it... The classes weren't held that regularly - I think I attended in June and was due at the end of July. NHS classes are free but I do believe that you will have to pay for classes run by the NCT (I didn't do any of theirs). Speak to your midwife - I'm sure she will be able to advise you on where to look if you want more intense classes, but I wouldn't worry too much that you haven't booked anything yet - I think those that have are more in the minority.

Right. No panicking ;) My DH said that I was letting my fears of other people's expectations run away with me too. He talked me through (again) what I had said I wanted in the first place and how I said I was going to approach things and then reminded me that there need not be rush or worry about these things. Despite not having ever dealt with pregnancy before he's doing a fine job of it. ;)

Very sensible! I had little or no contact with anyone other than my midwife to discuss anything related to my one and only (so far!)pregnancy so luckily didn't feel any pressure. As I said before my ante-natal class experience totalled less than 2 hours and I did OK. From what I understand, giving birth in the US is more medicalised - here you should have the option of giving birth at a Midwife Led Unit unless you are under consultant care (I was) or even giving birth at home should you wish. You can be as active as you wish or you can give birth on your back if that is what you want.

Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

Yeah it is more medicalized...in the States I'd pretty much just be deciding if I want an epidural or not. I'm pleased in many ways that it doesn't have to be...but at the same time the options make me more uncertain because I've never really imagined it any other way. I always did think it a little strange to put a woman on her back to give birth considering that gravity could certainly help the process along. So I'm looking forward in some ways to trying my theory out (not that I have a 'control' to compare it to). I was just getting panicky because people were saying things like 'oh you should have signed up for things by now' and 'oh isn't it a bit late to get into a class? They usually fill up...'
I've only seen a midwife twice (and been to the hospital twice too for the scans); my '25 week' appointment is actually going to be at 28 weeks because of the holidays and so I was nervous that I had 'missed out' somehow on the information. Strange how the anxiousness of school comes back...I had dreams of missing tests last night.

Thank you very much, I'll look into it. I have to say that of all the choices waterbirth seems most foreign to me. Everyone talks of it with high reguard though I have to say.

I got what you meant

I'm certainly not opposed to no doctors..in some ways the fewer people and more intimate experience I can have, I think will make me more comfortable. It was one of the things that always made me a bit nervous about hearing birth stories back home.

I attended a 'parentcraft' class run by the NHS up in Llandough hospital. your Midwife should put you in touch. Think they happen every month or so on a Saturday. I was 32 weeks when I attended mine. I didn't much like it but it seems to be EXACTLY what you want - info on birth, meds, choices etc., and can understand why you want to go, not being from 'round these parts' . I expect it is very different for you.

Oooo. That does sound ideal. I'll make sure I ask about it. Thank yu very much.

NCT is a really good way to meet other people who are having a baby at teh same time as you, though.

I did the NCT course in Cardiff before I had DD. She was due in May, and the course was one evening every 6 weeks from, I think, mid February.

It covered lots of things about the different types of delivery you may have, pain relief, breast feeding etc, and not much about what to do once teh baby is actually here!

I found that the best thing about it, though, was meeting the other mums, as we then met up every week after teh babies were born, to share advice, birth stories etc.

It's not free, but is much more in-depth than anything at the hospital-although you should probably still take a look around the birthing unit. Have you decided where to have your baby yet? Llandough is wonderful-I had DD in the water there- but there are no doctors, no hard-core drugs, no c-sections!

The contact for NCT courses in Cardiff is
Zoe Smith-Doe
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.nct.org.uk
Telephone: 0844 2436974

Getting a choice as to where to have the baby... that's a bit strange for me too. I really must look into these things...

I've just finished reading a book on active birth which was mildly encouraging for me seeing as it parroted many of the ideas I was having about what I wanted. I need to do more research on the water births. I'll have a look on the birth annoucement threads.

Thanks so much.

Hi there, I hope you have managed to find the information you were looking for regarding giving birth. I did NCT classes and found them valuable but agree that the best aspect was getting to know other mums in the same situation. The NCT generally offer lots of opportunities to do this with young babies as well.
Once your baby is born you may want to consider taking him/her to some groups to get to know other mums locally as well. I run Tots Play, baby and toddler activity classes in Pontprennau on a Monday. We are about to launch Baby Massage classes as well which are great for new mums and babes. If you would like to find out more visit www.TotsPlay.co.uk or email me at [email protected].
I hope you have the birth you want (if you have not already had baby!) and maybe see you at the Church Centre with your little one.