Antenatal classes for ELCS

[busylady99]

We're TTC at the moment. I have a degenerative spinal condition so will have an ELCS on medical grounds.

From reading threads it seems that NCT don't cater well for those having CS and anecdotally, I've heard that some practitioners are actively anti-CS and really push VB. We would want to attend antenatal classes as I'm sure they have plenty of (non-labour related) useful information that we should know and also to meet people but I don't want to spend money and time to be admonished or snubbed or not receive any CS information at all/have my questions answered.

Are there any other antenatal class organisations that have less of an ethos that might be suitable? Has anyone who has had an ELCS had positive experiences of NCT/found them useful?

TIA

Hi,

I did NCT classes with my fist pregnancy and although we didnt know before starting that I would end up having an ELCS the ?tutor catered well for it and researched information for me. We did part of a session on CSections (who would be there, what you can do to promote bonding i.e. skin to skin etc) and eventually 3 out of the 5 couples had sections 2 ELCS ( one breech) and one EMCS so if they didnt cover it then most of us would have been in the dark.

Perhaps you could provisionally enquire via the NCT if you could contact your local teacher and ask whether they cover it.

I also did local NHS classes and found them also good but our NCT teacher actually covered Csections better.

Now the NCT breastfeeding "workshop" was appalling but she didnt do that one!!

I'm hoping for an ECS for anxiety reasons. Just booked NCT. Before paying I spoke to the lady who will be teaching the classes. She was very supportive actually, I was surprised.
I would suggest if you fancy NCT you pick the one you want and then email/ phone the teacher. She said out of every group she usually has 1/2 cs out of 6. Recently she had 5 out of 6. So they have to cover it. Also info about vb is useful if you go into labour before your cs date.

I did NCT purely to meet other mums in the area. I knew I was having an ELCS but didn't tell anyone at the time (they all know now). The tutor hardly skimmed CS and what she did mention was very anti and as I know now mostly wrong. She also seemed very disappointed at the 'reunion' a month or so after births when I told her I had an ELCS. The friends I met there though are now some of my closest so would definitely recommend for that alone

I think checking out the ethos of your local NCT sounds like a very good idea. My neighbours told me that ours was very anti-CS so I didn't bother booking.

I got a full run-down of what the operation would entail from the consultant and I bought this book www.amazon.co.uk/Caesarean-Birth-Positive-Approach-Preparation/dp/0956848001/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326229926&sr=8-1 Caesarean Birth A Positive Approach And Preparation which I found very helpful. My husband and I are also doing a baby first aid course with an IM (there are also the Red Cross classes which are advertised on Mumsnet).

Rats!

Link to book: Caesarean Birth: A Positive Approach And Preparation

blacktreaclecat that's a very good point about early labour. That would be my worst nightmare as I'd spend the whole time so terrified that I'd permanently damage my back that I would freeze and not relax so the whole thing would not be a postive experience. Still, it is a possibility so it would be good to learn as much as possible, especially about how to deal with it should it happen and what to do (adds that to my list to ask my consultant about).

Thanks ladies. That's really helpful. I'll definitely get in touch with them first so I don't go to someone who will attempt (although will not succeed) to make me think I am a 'failure' or try to persuade me that I should feel disappointed because I can't do what they think I should. All I care about is that my baby arrives safely and has a mother who is able to run round after and pick him/her up.

Thanks ghislaine - a baby first aid course is an excellent idea.

It seems like a self fulfilling prophesy to me; if women are bombarded with the message that CS birth is somehow inferior and by implication that you have failed or missed out if you have one and rather than recognising that 1/5 births are by CS (albeit most EMCS) and provide information accordingly as there is a significant chance that you may have one it's no wonder that women feel they have failed and then have a negative experience, develop depression and perhaps do not bond as well with their baby. Then the news says that "women who have CS don't bond as well" etc.

If women are educated about the things you can do to improve your birth experience - whether VB or CS - like skin to skin then perhaps we'd hear more positive stories?

Steps down from the 'let's not judge, just support all mums to be' soapbox

We had the first aid class last night. It was excellent, if a little terrifying! I definitely recommend doing one.

This might not be the same in all cases, but the IM we saw had previously been a midwife at the hospital where I'm having the ELCS and she spent probably about the first twenty minutes talking about what would happen, right down to the very point in the spine where the injection would be sited (L5, for those of you playing along at home!).

We also did an NHS breastfeeding class and I was very impressed that the tutor interwove information about breastfeeding for CS mums into the course in a factual and non-judgemental way.

I think if you know well beforehand that you're having a CS, you have to put a put more effort into finding courses/information which tailored to or take account of your circumstances but I haven't found it to be too difficult.

I hope you don't mind me hijacking the thread a little - what do you guys think about NCT attitude to bottle feeding? Like the OP I'm likely to have ELCS (twins so good chance one'll be the wrong way round) but more concerned about getting told off for wanting to bottle feed (OH and I decided that with 2 and no prior experience we needed to share the load on feeding). I'd really like to go to an NCT class because I'm not at the local hospital (yep, twins again, I'm at a twins clinic) so I'm not going to meet anyone otherwise.

I attended NHS antenatal classes knowing that my options for birth were very limited - 38week induction, epidural, continous fetal monitoring - or elcs. I didn't find the classes at all helpful, and left the first three in tears at all the negativity about non active births. I hoped the breastfeeding class might be more helpful, but spent an hour being convinced to breastfeed (had already decided to, they were preaching to the converted) and left with no clue HOW to breastfeed.

Sorry, but they were the biggest waste if time ever for me.

It really depends on teacher buonasera- have been on 2 nct courses and both were quite good on c sections (i am having elcs so teacher did really good session on it) and were open to talking about ff. tbh though I think ff (and how you make it up etc) is something you learn from experience .