NCT classes cancelled! Advice?

[newbabyinthestow]

I recently moved to Walthamstow, E17 in London and am due in February 2011. I immediately signed up for the NCT classes in early January mainly as a way to meet people in the local area who are also having babies around the same time as me.

I just got an email from NCT saying there were not enough couples signed up, so they are canceling the classes, and the other classes are all fully booked, so they couldn't offer me an alternative! I am really annoyed and upset, as I was banking on this as a way to get info, a bit of a rite of passage for me and my other half, and to meet people so I wouldn't feel too isolated in the first few months. We are booked on a one day Parent Craft course at the hospital, but I am booked in at the Whittington in Archway (as that was nearer where I used to live, and new birth centre is supposed to be ace!) so even if I meet people there, they won't be local to Walthamstow.

I feel like I'll be missing out on a massive chunk of info and support, and not sure what to do. So many people have said their class was a great way to meet new friends who are also having a baby for the first time, and share the experience. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions for alternatives?

Perhaps contact the NCT and see if there are any classes a little further away that you could join, or ask them to be on a waiting list should someone drop out at the last minute.

Look out for a postnatal group thing once you've had your baby as well - I didn't bother with mine as the first meet was about 3 days after christmas and I really wish I had as loads of my NCT friends met loads of other friends at their postnatal group

hth

Thanks, that is a good idea. I am sure once the baby arrives there will be lots of chances to meet people at post-natal things. Noticed there is an NCT early days course thing so will look at that, but hoping that won't be canceled too due to not enough Feb 2011 mums!

i didn't do nct and met my mum friends at baby and toddler groups in the local area. If you go when your little one is very young they are asleep most of the time of just feeding so you can easily chat to others (much more difficult once they are mobile), it varies from area to area but also the Heath Visiting team in my area work closely with Sure Start and ran a little 4 week course for first time mums and baby yoga and massage and things (bit pointless in my view but useful for meeting other mums!)

You can go along to any of the NCT bumps and babes/coffee mornings without being a member. I did this and made loads of friends within the first 3 weeks after dd was born.

There were 6 week post natal courses where I am via HV.

I am writing CHristmas cards as we speak to some of the ladies I met there years ago.

Do not despair, NCT is definitely not the be all & end all. I couldn't get on a course as they were sold out by the time I tried to book (2 months gone )

I also didn't join NCT, but can honestly say from doing ante-natal aqua aerbics, to all the mother and baby groups I joined, I have made plenty of friends. I suppose I have lived in my area for (rather embarrassingly) all my life, bar one brief episode North of the river, so kind of knew all the places to go. But as for baby preparation classes, we did one day-long course up in Islington, I think. I also went to the classes run by the midwives.

You could always start a group on here and find local first time mums in your area. My sister put feelers out for mums-to-be in her area and its been quite a success I think.

Alos see if there are any NCT "Bumps and Babies" groups nearby and see if your local branch or one near by offers "Early Days" classes.

Don't worry - you will make so many friends at baby groups and, as you won't be in an NCT clique, you'll speak to everyone and anyone so are actually more likely to meet people who have things in common with you other than a baby of a very similar age. Having said that, can you contact the NCT and say that you are happy for your phone no to be given to the other women who were booked onto the course and for them to contact you? Also, is there a rival to the NCT in your area? Where I live some of the NCT teachers apparently got annoyed with the NCT a few years ago and so set up their own courses with the effect that few NCT classes run here, something which all the locals know but which I didn't as I only moved here just before DD was born. Try google or check out notice boards at the GPs, in the newsagents, at the HV clinic and see if there is any info.