Question for people who've done NCT classes

[donkey86]

I booked onto NCT quite early in my pregnancy - I always knew it was something I wanted to do, for both the learning and the social aspects. The course is in August and I didn't think I'd miss it for anything. It's spread over one weekday evening, one full Saturday, then two weekday evenings the following week.

Then, this morning, a very good friend of mine has just booked her wedding for the Saturday that has the full session. (Yup, that's right, they didn't just invite people today - they actually booked their wedding today, for 12 August. Who knew it was even possible to book a wedding at two months' notice?!) (It'll be a very small do.)

I really, really don't want to miss her wedding. But I also don't want to miss NCT! So, I guess what I'm asking is, for people who've done it, how much would I be missing out on if I missed the Saturday and just did the three evening classes? The Sat is 6 hours and the evenings are 2.5, so I'd be going to 7.5 and missing 6 - almost half.

It's already paid for, but that doesn't bother me so much. Do you think a lot of group bonding goes on in the day session - might I miss out on making friends if I wasn't there?

There is a third option - I could go to the wedding and leave soon after the ceremony. I could then get to NCT for the last 2 or so hours of the day. But might that be the worst of both worlds?

Incidentally, my husband is also a good friend of the couple, and he thinks we should definitely skip NCT and go to the wedding. But he's not the one who really needs to learn all the stuff they'll teach...

Can you see if you can swap to a different course? Someone on my course was due a month later than everyone else because they couldn't make the dates of the "right" course.

Do you know what they're talking about on the all day sat? Some parts are more useful than others- ime the breastfeeding bit was done by another woman and completely useless ( "just pop baby on, they'll know what to do", "no of course it won't hurt", "you just KNOW when baby is full"etc)

But he's not the one who really needs to learn all the stuff they'll teach don't start parenthood like this.

Go to the wedding and see if you can swap or just do the bits you can. We didn't hugely bond during the session althoufg you start to measure each other up. It was really once babies were here, who was free to meet up etc. 2 years on there's 1 mom who just never kept in touch, 2 who are still on FB but really clicked together and didbt bother keeping in touch with us so 5 of us who meet up periodically. 2 of those I'm really close to and see regularly, the other two I really like but just more complicated as they work. It def took a while for those friendships to grow.

Messenger was our main link

bluechameleon There is another course, but it's a month later, so if they switched me to that one I'd be doing it at 36/37 weeks and would presumably be a month or so ahead of everyone else. Did the person on your course who was a month out still fit in ok? I'd guess it's easier to be a month behind than a month ahead, but there doesn't seem to be an earlier slot available.

boopboopboop No idea! I was hoping people might be able to tell me which bits they had at the day vs the evening. I know it's not the breastfeeding session though as that's got a different tutor.

See if you can change the course. If not, sign up for the free NHS courses which we found the NCT pretty much mirrors, although NHS covers in 2 hours what takes all day at NCT as NCT went into much more detail. At least you'll have the basics for the missing session from NHS. As for social aspect, you'll make friends without the entire Saturday. We made different friends at the local branch coffee group, you can start going before baby is born. Our NCT course was over an hour from home and not with the local branch.

Go to the wedding. Do the NHS antenatal classes or switch the dates on the nct ones.

MommaGee Oh, we're certainly planning on parenting as equally as we can. But I heard NCT classes are more about the birth than everything afterwards, and there's only one of us who can do that bit!

You'll probably miss quite a lot if you miss the whole Saturday. Is there anyway you can do part of it, i.e. go in the morning before the wedding? If not I'd swap to the later class. I was 35 weeks when I did it & one of the ladies was 38 weeks. Her baby was born a month before the rest of them but that has made no difference in terms of meeting up etc.

I'm in a similar situation, there was only one course at the right time and in the right location that I could attend but the very first session is when we will be on holiday in France! Like you, it's not the cost of that missed session that bothers me, but the thought I might miss out on meeting people. There isn't much I can do though, if I were you I definitely wouldn't miss the wedding as that will probably be a lot more fun

DH found our (NHS) antenatal class very helpful to be more aware of the options and how he could support me. It is just as much about partner's role as your own

Definitely go to the wedding. One of our group missed a session and we still se her loads. Also we were first baby born, the last was 10 weeks after and we are all close so wouldn't worry! Good luck!