anyone see the article criticising 'unrealistic' antenatnal classes in She?

[ZolaPola]

any comments & thoughts??

didn't see it, can you elaborate?

yeah loads LOL
with regard to the NCT, it is heavily associated with natural birth and the like (candle lit at home with a bearskin, home knitted sandals etc, so women seeking out their classes are normally interested in that avenue. So if you end up having a c section can you really blame the pro natural birth organisation that you paid to go to classes with?
I do however think the NHS ones should cover it.

I didn't see it but I was wondering when a suggestion like this was going to come out.

I gave up my Active Birth Centre Yoga classes with when I was PG with DS2 last summer because I couldn't keep my gob shut when they were talking about, ahem, all the natural birth stuff.
It may have been because I am a jaded second time mum with one emergency C section under my belt and felt very likely to have another (I did) but the main reason I became mildy irritated with it all was because of all the focus on those few, vital but few, hours of the long journey you take as a mother. I mean having a labour you feel in control of and knowledgeable about is fantastically important but I do feel these classes can build unrealistic expectations as only one thing is for certain on the day:- the baby's going to come out.

I think if I had seen a jaded old bag antenatla exercise class then I would have signed up for that instead

It took the angle that the classes put pressure on women to be 'natural mothers' by which it obviously meant natural birth followed by breastfeeding. Then interviewed several mums who were on the whole v critical of what they'd been told, esp in NCT classes (to start that debate again! IMO some of these criticisms fair, some v. one-sided)...were quotes also from NCT obviously refuting this. couldn't find it on web or would have posted link but in latest (june) issue

I did pregnancy iyengar yoga - found it brilliant and didn't talk much about labour at all, thank god. But like you now jaded about the natural line, esp re b/f, which is what I mainly found in my (NCT) antenatal classes.

I read it, and I have to say I really liked it. (In fact I wish I'd written it.) Avoided NCT like the plague first time round because I knew I'd want an epidural (and yes, I did). Second time around couldn't face the fresh-faced enthusiasm of the first time mummies (could have done a second-timer course, I now realise) even though I was in fact going for a home birth.

A jaded old bag class would be good, SW. Actually, would anyone read an article on 'second time around...what's different now'?

Haven't read it. But I went to NCT and they covered all types of births including C-section.

Went to Active birth work shop too, good laugh, but in actual labour I was much more comfortable lying on bed!!!

I planned a homebirth. Kind of imagined my self wafting around the flat, cooking fairy cakes for the midwives pausing every now and then to do a couple of light breaths to deal with the contractions.

Reality was - screamed my head off to be put out of my misery. 'You wouldn't let an animal go through this blah blah blah' - 'Kill me now, but save the baby etc' Had to have a c-section due to baby v- distressed and undiagnosed breach.

That was great like being in ER or Casualty.

Loved it.

The best thing about an early diagnosis of complete placenta praevia is that you don't feel you have to go to ANY antenatal classes! More time to go to the cinema and to dinner with your husband.
My friend did tell me that she had to 'role play' having a caesarian, where she lay there and the teacher pretended to be the consultant, and proceded to talk loudly about playing golf! Honestly. It made me laugh but really, how silly.

MI, I liked the article too. And I'd read one on Second Time Round.
I'm a fairly appreciative consumer of classes and courses (too long in local government...) and enjoyed both my NHS Parentcraft and NCT classes first time round, even though aspects of them were a bit daft/alarming.
But I have to say the best one has been the NCT Second-Timers course I did last year. Minimal coverage of updates in birthing issues since 2000-2001-ish, when we all had our first, lot of emphasis on dealing with the realities of another child.

"with regard to the NCT, it is heavily associated with natural birth and the like (candle lit at home with a bearskin, home knitted sandals etc, so women seeking out their classes are normally interested in that avenue"

No knitted sandals in my NCT classes. We covered (and were shown!) forceps, catheters, ventouse and c-section (photos of c-section!). No cr*p about candles and bearskins either . Like all classes, it really depends on the teacher. Both times, my teachers were midwives so perhaps were more realistic than most. The second one was clearly pro-natural birth but was happy to cover everything we wanted, incl c-section. I didn't bother with NHS ones either time.

Totally agree it depends on the teacher. mine was fab with 20 years experience teaching and 2 kids under her belt (not literally). Very positive about relaxation techniques, bf and washable nappies - but also v positive on epidurals, c-sections and just getting on with it generally. Also, most useful of all, gave us the low down on what was good and bad about our local hosp/health system. In fragile state of late pregnancy i just wanted her to be my mum.

sorry she was NCT.

Where I was there were no antenatal classes of any description, no support, no b/f advice, so all I had was a pregnancy and birth book. It was my first time too. I would have loved an kind of class.