another NCT question

[aroha77]

Hi,

Sorry another question!

My NCT course was cancelled and I'd decided that was all good cos will get a refund and make friends elsewhere. And we're doing a parentcraft course for free which should teach us everything they would anyway.

But now they've rung and offered me a place on a course that's a bit further away from us but the people who've booked on live all over the city so some are from near us.

I can't decide whether to say yes cos it's a bit late - it'll end when I'm 38 weeks. So I might not feel like going then, and maybe the other ladies will be much earlier on than me too? Also it's on the same night as the yoga classes I've started going to which I'm enjoying and have met nice people at.

On the other hand being lonely and having no friends is the main thing I'm worried about in terms of mat leave so maybe I should just go for it?!

Any opinions to help me make my mind up?

Thanks!!

I did NCT ante natal classes but got a lot more out of the post natal classes, maybe they do those near you? I wouldn't worry about making friends, you will meet people at groups and classes, the library, park etc.

Find out if they post-natal classes near you.
See if they have a bumps and babies club (mother and baby group).
Contact your local Children's Centre and see what they have to offer for new parents.

I wouldn't do this. The real benefit for me in paying for the NCT classes was to get a group of very local friends with babies the same age. It doesn't sound like your course would deliver on that.

Have you done any other antenatal classes (eg NHS)? The information might be useful.

Why don't you look on your NCT branch website to see what else is on offer in terms of meeting people? Ours also runs tea groups which gets local mums together.

Thanks! Our children's centre is really close and has groups. And there's baby/toddler groups near us too. i guess you're right that this group wouldn't be local or have babies close in age necessarily. Maybe I will save the money, I'm just being paranoid about making friends!

I didn't do NCT. I made friends in various other places. There have only been a few moments when I regretted it. When DD was about 12 weeks (i.e. the stage when the novelty wears off) I had a bit of a wobble about my new life and felt like I could have done with the support of an NCT group. I was a bit envious of friends who had their regular weekly NCT meet-up and also a bit sad that I didn't have a core group of mums whose babies were all the same age as mine. But that moment passed quite quickly and I had no shortage of people to meet up with and hang out with on maternity leave - I probably just had to make a bit more effort to do so. That being said, if I did it all again I probably would do NCT...

Not much help I know - but if you do decide not to do it, and even if like me you regret that a bit, you'll still be fine. I made new mum friends the following ways: joined the local NCT email group for people due at the same time and made a massive effort to go to all meet-ups; went to every group going and chatted to anyone who looked vaguely friendly with a baby sameish age as mine; befriended a couple of very local mums I happened to bump in to while pregnant; chatted up other mums at the doctors on immunisation days. Out of that I got a really good handful of mum friends.