Can't get on an ante-natal class...advice?

[spiker]

My friend is due in mid-Feb with her first baby and has just moved to south London, but the NHS ante-natal classes there are all full. I told her to try NCT but am expecting that they will be full too.

Any advice, suggestions?

She has no hope of NCT classes, imo. I mean, she should ask, and get herself put on waiting lists, people do cancel, but still.

She can do antenatal yoga.

She should ask around and try to find a BF class she can go on, or, at worst, a BF dropin to visit. I know our borough has NHS BF classes that are free, and you don't have to book. They only happen once a month, though.

They were a waste of time in my opinion. I learnt more from reading books and the tour of the hospital.

I'm shocked that the hospital wouldn't at least try to fit her in, especially given that she's just moved to the area. Could she push a bit, moan at her midwife about lack of network etc?

She could try Bump to Baby . Run by two NCT-qualified antenatal teachers. I know both of them and trained with one and can vouch for them.

It looks from that webpage they may availability in Feb.

Thanks NQC. I think it's the birth bit they mostly want preparing for...

MissG - knowing her DP I'm sure he's kicked up a fuss already, without success, but I'll ask.

SueW - that looks great, thanks I'll pass that on.

I had this with a couple of the ones I wanted to go to. I rang up and complained and was told to just turn up anyway as there are always people who don't go. I agree though that they're not all that useful - the birth one certainly wasn't. The single most important thing she could do would be to take a tour of the labour/postnatal wards. She would be able to get most of her questions answered there I would have thought.

Tours can be very useful. Loads of parents used to go on them in Nottingham - there would be three groups of around 30-40 parents going round one evening every week.

Then they fell victim to the cuts Now there are no tours unless you manage to book onto the hospital antenatal classes, and there are limited places on these.

Unfortunately this is becoming more common around the country, with hospitals citing varying reasons for stopping e.g. risk of infection, new mums/parents feeling like they are in a goldfish bowl/being disturbed; wards so busy tours can't be shown a room anyway or no midwives available to do tours.

Rant over. Spiker, hope your friend manages to find something.

Really? I didn't realise that - I was lucky then.

Could she ask out of her area slightly. I know she probably doesn't want to travel, but I got onto an NCT class because it was the area next to the one I wanted. Tbh we're a spread out bunch but we still meet each week 3 years later!

Wow, didn't realise that even the tours were being cut. I found the most useful thing that I learnt on mine was where to park.

I did a NCT out-of-area course at the last minute and I found it really helpful. Tours are good for answering questions, like twinklemegan says, but it's not the same as doing a course when you can learn things you didn't even know you didn't know. (sorry went all rumsfeld there but ykwim and hey, it's gone midnight).

not being entirely facetious about parking. with ds2 I'd been living in new city for 4 days when I arrived at hospital in labour at 1am; it took dh 30 mins just to find an unlocked entrance never mind the delivery suite.

Won't help with the specific circumstances of your sister, but.... the website about.com have a pregnancy section with an on-line childbirth class which I though was really good for hard info about labour and choices re different options.

If she doesn't mind paying try calling up one of the private hospitals and speaking to a midwife. They often run classes themselves as a sideline. That's how my husband found us a class after NCT was full.