Building a group of mum2 be friends...Should I attend nct classes just to get some mummy friends? Are they worth the cost? Please give your experiences!

[JimmyChoo17]

Hi ladies

In my area only two x 2 hour sessions are offered on the nhs and they are not rated very highly either. Also people have said that they are very busy and you don't get a chance to mix with the other couples.

To do an nct paid class I would be looking at paying between 150-180 for them. Really I am doing them more for the social side of things as I don't have anyone I know to mix with once baby arrives. I guess I'm scared all of a sudden I'm going to be faced with a lovely baby BUT be all alone other than forums! Ok I have hubby but I am sure bouncing experiences, off of a network of ladies in a similar boat would be more useful. Most of my friends dont even have kids or they have older kids.

So wondering what other people did in a similar situation to mine? also worried will fork out that money and either not find a network of mummies or even worse dislike the people I am faced with!

There is of course the added bonus of the course content but still that's not really my motive for contemplating joining these classes.

I'm 29 and a first time mum who is normally very social but this is a whole new ball game!! All seems a bit daunting and can either picture me not having mums to talk to or mums who are in a later and different stage with their kids (judging how they have been with me during pregnancy!)

I have read that some people find that they get an invaluable support group of mums as a result of these courses who they then meet up with, even if just to maintain their sanity as new mums!

Please provide your experiences and opinions ladies! Thanks :-)

Difference between nct and Nhs was people's intentions on joining. My Nhs group was people there for info and people barely spoke to each other. With nct you could tell from the start that people were there to make friend's. And the teacher saw it as one of the purposes if the group too. There were long breaks with plenty of biscuits and two evening sessions with a trip to the pub at the end of one. I got lucky and met very sensible lovely non yummy mummy types. We met up weekly even before babies and established a pattern of coffee at people's house rather than expensive trips so inclusive and unconsciously made a rule of no gossip about people who weren't there that week. Nearly six years on and fifteen children between us we still meet up. Not absolutely every week but very regularly.

I went to NCT classes and like some of the other posters found the people nice enough but didn't form any close friendships. We all used to email each other once a week to give updates and ask each other advice but these emails have dropped off now the babies are a bit older (9 months). We did meet up a few times for coffee and this went well but it was hard to find a time when everyone was free so these didn't happen very often.

I did however meet some very good friends at my local sure start centre where I did things like baby massage and baby yoga for a very heavily subsidised £10/course. I've also found the women at the sure start baby group really friendly as well.

It is nice to know women at exactly the same stage of motherhood as you in the early days but because all babies develop at a different pace it doesn't matter if the mums you meet later have babies at different ages to you. You can either benefit from their experience or pass on your experience to newer mums. :)

I did a course similar to NCT and our babies are now 2-4 months old and we meet up at a persons house once a week, and sometimes do extra stuff in pairs. My MW said I had to go to make friends and I'm glad I did. I've also started to make friends at my BFing group so it can be done else where. Good luck!

I did NCT classes when pregnant with my first - it was the best thing I ever did. I paid a (vastly) reduced rate as I wasn't working due to illness at the time. 5 years on, some of us are having our third babies, we are all still in regular contact and meet up all the time, some of us are godmothers to the others' children, the dads go out together too - it has been a lifesaver as we didn't know anyone with kids. If there's another kind of group locally to you that you can join whilst pregnant and keep going to after the birth then that should fulfil the same function, but honestly if not, try NCT :)

Mmmmmmm well update.....I decided to book them rang and told no problem plenty of space would be put on one with others whose due dates were similar.....but now they have put me on a course with mums who are way ahead of me!

On totally different dates too and can't now get on the course I actually registered for!

Can't comment on the NCT classes (but looks like you have plenty of comments on them now anyway) & I found the NHS classes useless - they were just a good way to make my husband to suffer for a few hours a week :)
However I was determined to make some mummy friends after I had my daughter and joined the local baby massage group, it lasted 6 weeks and I have met some fantastic friends, our children are all 2 now and we still see each other 2-3 times a week, in fact a few of us are expecting our 2nd babies very soon - all planned so that we could be on maternity leave together agaon! Even the dads have got in on it and often go out to the pub or to watch the footie!
I would suggest getting in touch with your local Sure Start centre to see what kind of groups they have on, they are usually free or have a small charge but i'm sure you would make friends and meet others with babies at the same stage as yours.
Good luck - i'm sure you will find some lovely friends whatever you do x

I made some amazing friends through baby massage at my local childrens centre. We are very close even 3 years on. There are loads of different sessions on now so make sure you check out your local ones.

Jimmychoo, We met one couple who we're are still very close to (7.5yrs on) at NHS prenatal group. The rest of my very close friends were met at breastfeeding and post natal baby groups. We still see each other at least once a week with our 2nd and 3rd children.

There's lots of things going on for new mums and babies either at doctors surgery, hospital, children's centres or baby/toddler groups - try them all!

Give yourself 6 weeks and then get out and about and give everywhere a go!!!

Some NCT branches also run post natal NCT groups. My DS decided to come early so I went to one of these - which was really good. Am still friends with the people I met nearly 3 years later. Am now doing a NCT refresher course and the people seem nice so we will see.

Managed to make friends by talking to people and going to lots of groups when DS was born.

As in post natal courses not just bumps and babes - which is good as well.