NCT classes.

[LucyB1]

Are these worth while? How do they differ from general NHS anti natal classes?

I'm just doing the NHS ones and others offered free locally. Im not sure what NCT could have told me that these arent preparing me for.

I wish I'd taken them. One of the mummy friends I've made since having ds did and said that although all of the info and stuff is available in lots of other places, you meet people. She has a little gang of nct friends and I'm a bit jealous!! Also, if you become a member you can get into their nearly new sales early and save the cost of membership on second hand goodies!

You can join the NCT without doing the classes though.

I joined for the social side mainly - 2.5 years on I still see my group and it was lovely to have a group who were going through the exact same struggles as me re sleeping feeding etc. I also learned a huge amount - NCT has this reputation of being anti-formula, anti- labour drugs etc - couldn't be further from the truth.

Round here we only get one 2 hour NHS class and I didn't think I'd learn anything from it.

Well worth the money IMO.

only difference is the social side - we did both (wanted to be v prepared) nct less useful for info but invaluable for moral support, socializing during maternity leave and creating instant play friends for lo

I did NHS classes. Then went to NCT bumps and names groups after DS was born. I did join the NCT but you don't have to, to go to the get togethers.

I am jealous of NCT gangs too. I didn't go wish I did, just for the little group you have and still meet up with well after birth.

Thinking about it (is a little while ago now) the people I was closest too were people I met in the NHS antenatal classes and then an NHS post natal class as well. Some also went to NCT groups but friends can happen in other ways as well.

I've found my NCT classes totally worthwhile, I had done a lot of reading so we covered what I mostly already knew but the discussions were very helpful in reinforcing that knowledge. I'd echo what another poster has said on here in that there is a view that the NCT is anti-painkillers and anti-formula feeding but this was not my experience at all. We had a great leader who gave us lots of helpful balanced information about everything. It was especially good for DH who learned a lot - he had done some reading but says the classes were an excellent eye-opener. And of course the social aspect - we have a fabulous group, we're all in touch and all due around now so the support has been fantastic.

I can't comment on the NHS classes as I never went to them but friends who did said they were useful.

I didn't want to pay £300 to buy some friends so:

• got myself on the local nct mailing list without paying a penny
• found a meet-up that was being arranged on babycentre
• made a huge effort to introduce myself to people at pregnancy yoga and swimming

Babycentre worked brilliantly but between 3 routes I got to know dozens of local people giving birth around the same time.

I have just paid for the 'basic' (Essentials) package. Just for 2 reasons:

1. The NHS course I could go to was 1 day, no dads, which I didn't fancy
2. I have heard they are very good for friends, buying 2nd hand stuff, advice etc' The essentials seemed to cover everything and was much less, plus in a church hall (sounds weird but I prefer that to someone's house? Not sure why!).

I was a bit nervous as a friend had a really bad experience with a militant course leader who 'disowned' her for taking pethadine! But again I heard that my local group is not like that at all and I get the impression NCT gets a bad press from a small number of woo/rogue groups (which they aught to do something about?).

I really enjoyed my NCT class, thought it was well useful beyond the nice people and what you hear from the hospital. Helped me deal with some of the concerns I had about childbirth/child rearing.

I basically bought my best mummy friend by going to NCT :) classes themselves weren't that valuable, especially the breast-feeding one – I'd had such high hopes for it, but the gist was 'it'll come naturally' (it didn't) and keep putting baby to breast and any problems will go away (they didn't).

I made more friends going to post-natal baby groups in my local area and still keep in touch with all of them.