NCT costs

[joosiewoosie]

We've just enquired about booking on an NCT antenatal course, and we have a 'reservation' email back from them saying that if we want to take up the place, it will cost £244!!This apparently includes a year's membership of NCT for both of us.
I really wasn't anticipate it costing so much. It seems like a lot of money for what it is 18 hours.
Any opinions/suggestions on whether this is worth the money in your view or not? Is this a standard cost across the board? (Am I in denial about how expensive having a child will be?!!)
Thanks!

It's very expensive! I didn't bother because of the cost, just went to groups after the birth and met people there. I think the main reason to go is to make friends, just an expensive way of doing it!

You can opt out of membership which reduces it slightly. I do think it's worth it but have been lucky with good teachers both times. But if just doing it for
Meeting people factor agree that coffee
Mornings , Mn and other local baby groups can provide that.

NCT is a charity and there is a sliding scale of cost depending on your income, right down to 18 pounds inc membership for those on income based social security

Tbh it's not a huge hourly rate if you break it down although I can see why it causes initial shock especially as it is a 'group' environment which usually lowers costs.

I really can't comment on whether it's worth it but I think next to other options (private midwife/doula sessions) it is fairly reasonable.

It depends on if you've bought all your baby equipment yet. The membership lets you go into the nearly new sales half an hour early and snap up all the best bargains. You could easily save yourself more than £244 by buying there instead of new.

DS is nearly 4 now and I still regularly see most of my NCT friends. They are all lovely and well worth the money (although it cost £180 back then).

Yeah - it's a shock, isn't it! It's even more expensive in my area - it seems there isn't a fixed cost for the course.

We decided to go ahead as so many people I know have said it was a God send, both in terms of feeling more prepared for birth but more especially in having a ready-made 'support group' of people for the first year who are in exactly the same situation as you.

Others who have done the free NHS classes have said there were 40 in the class and they didn't meet anyone - it wasn't really the aim of the group leader and there wasn't the same atmosphere.

It depends on what you want the nct for I suppose. I'm not doing an nct antenatal course because of the cost and also they don't have any that are convenient for me to get to (also having spoken to some people who go and absolutly love it I am not sure it is really my cup of tea).

I'm doing a 6 week active birth class at my local hospital which is only £45 and I am really pleased with. My midwife also told me that they are planning on starting up a free 4 week antenatal class this year but unfortunatly it is a bit too late for me. I think our local nct group even does free classes once a week at a children's centre near me but they are during the day in the week so not great if you work.

So if you are really just wanting an ante-natal class then it might be worth asking your midwife or hospital if they offer any classes there, if you are looking for a group of friends (which I know is the big draw of nct for many people) then you could try coffee mornings of baby and bump groups.

My DH would have hated the NHS classes. The times were most inconvenient and to be brutally honest, he's a bit of a snob and wouldn't have liked the company. I still went to the NHS ones so that i could learn the "party line" for what to expect at hospital.

Paying for the NCT classes broadened our options & to have met a group of similar minded / same situation parents was exceptionally good for us.

Some groups are cliquey. Some don't gel. We were lucky and are still meeting up nearly two years after we first met. But you don't need the classes for that. There are plenty of bumps & babies meets outside of the classes.