Did anyone do NCT with pregnancy no.2?

[sebsmummy1]

I did the council run ante natal classes first time round where I lived previously, and whilst some of the girls were friendly it didn't feel as though people were there to make friends particularly. I have kept in touch with one girl but everyone else just went off and did their own thing. I did make a few Mummy friends at various baby classes but since I've moved an hour away I find that I haven't got a crowd of Mummies to go places with and I would love that.

Assuming everything goes to plan with this pregnancy I was thinking of signing up to an NCT group. In my old town we would sometimes meet up with a group of five girls who had met at NCT and they were so close it was lovely.

Anyone done NCT with subsequent pregnancies and not your first?

Idid NCT course with first (still mates with them) and NCT 'breathe And stretch' class with dS2 - and again made friends through that. I would have done NCT course again - there is a special refresher course for second time mums - but I didn't have time around caring for DS1. If you haven't done Nct course first time around I would go for the refresher or the breathe/stretch class (which was brilliant for labour - my second birth was a much better experience than the first as a result of bring better prepared from a 'breathing' point of view.

I don't think that there is a lot of point doing the 'normal' NCT course. From experience, it is really hard to meet up with someone who has just had their first, tiny, baby when you have a baby and a toddler. It just doesn't work. So if it is for friendship, I don't see the point personally. I'd go to toddler groups and things, which is a much cheaper source of friends!

If it's for birth preparation, I'd do an NCT refresher course or, as I did, have a session with a doula (which was to work through some very personal issues I had as a result of the first birth).

Thank you. I kind of suspected it might not work as the dynamic of pfb against toddler and newborn is very very different. I had a doula with my first birth and she was great so I would consider going that again.

At the moment my son goes to my local leisure centre crèche whilst I go to the gym 4x a week which works brilliantly as he gets to socialise and I get to work out. I am also registering him for my preschool that's connected to the primary I'm hoping he will go to, the plan is to use the free 15 hours that's available once they hit three. We don't go to a baby and toddler group though. We did but it was terrible and freezing cold and then I had a miscarriage and couldn't deal with going back to a sea of head tilts

Sorry to hear about your miscarriage.

I would say that 'crowds' of mum friends are totally impractical with the second. You want a couple of friends that you can meet up with in toddler friendly places like playgrounds and their own houses.

I suppose if your elder one will be at pre-school for full days though, you might be able to fit in with a group of first time mums? My DD2 goes mornings only, and no way does a ftm want to meet me at 9.15am!

Have you tried looking on netmums for other local groups, or talking to other mums at the gym, or looking for things at the children's centre or library?

I went to a NCT post-natal course after DC2 which, unfortunately, I found to be a real waste of time. I decided to sign up as I'd had PND the first time around and thought it would be a good way to meet other mums and have some company.
It wasn't the brightest idea really, as I felt like the "wise aunt" of the group and had different challenges (sibling issues, keeping DC1 occupied). My fault entirely, but I was desperate to meet people. As it happened, I met lots of people through baby groups, friends of friends etc.

Lolly that's what I suspect would happen. As I am an older Mum anyway I think id end up feeling like a wise Aunt too.

I don't think DS would go to pre school for full days. I shall have to see how they organise the funded sessions. I really haven't investigated any SureStart things or library stuff. At the moment DS naps in the afternoon so it's crèche in the am, nap in the pm, day gone. I'm not lonely or anything but agree that a few Mums to go to soft play with would be marvellous.