Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

NCT classes- Yay or nay?

35 replies

Rosehyd2 · 04/08/2017 20:11

Has anyone been to NCT classes before or signed up to them this time around?

They've been recommended to me by a friend so I've done some research. Locally it's £130 for the Essentials course (there's a more expensive option too, Signature I think). The website says this is "A 14 hour course. This consists of 6 evening sessions. There is also a 2 hour reunion for all course participants with their new baby after the births."

If I'm honest, they mainly appeal because of the chance to meet local mums due the same time as me. But it seems silly to pay a lot of money for that, even though it's priceless really as it would keep me sane.

What do you think?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

AlfieTheRailwayCat · 04/08/2017 20:13

Best £130 I spent. My group are fabulous - definitely got my through the difficult early. Laterally we've met up at each other's houses and we've all become very very firm friends. Maybe I've been lucky but I definitely think it was worth it for me.

That1950sMum · 04/08/2017 20:15

Its a yes from me!

The practical stuff you learn is not that useful, but they support group you make in invaluable. Unless you already have a close group of friends who are due at a similar time, I'd say its invaluable. I honestly don't know how I'd have coped without my NCT friends.

BendydickCuminsnatch · 04/08/2017 20:18

Didn't do it first time round as we were moving when DS 7 weeks old, and lets just cut to the chase, it's for the social aspect Starting a refresher in Sept and I'm excited!! Really really felt I missed out last time as everyone else had NCT friends so weren't bothered with making any more!

BendydickCuminsnatch · 04/08/2017 20:19

Also if you're just doing it for the info sideof things, there's no point as you can do that for free online or via NHS classes. It's all for the friends :)

Original poster

Rosehyd2 · 04/08/2017 20:28

Thanks so much everyone, I'm so glad to hear it's all for the friends - that's the only bit that made me want to go, not the info bit so much.

Would my DH go to?

Its my first baby and I'm 26, and I feel conscious people see that as quite young (probably the result of working in a corporate head office where having a baby now IS young!). Is there a real age range at these classes?

OP posts:

princesseggo · 04/08/2017 20:31

It's a nay from me unfortunately.
A lot of the information in the classes was very focused on essential oils and massage... and only ended up having one lesson on breastfeeding/labour.
Didn't gel very well with the other mums on the course but maybe that's just me.

MommaGee · 04/08/2017 20:32

Your possibly going to be the youngest but not massively and I'm not sure people care. In my group I was 33, there were a few late 20's, there was a 40 yo.

There's was one girl who hasn't bothered keeping in touch, two girls who really clicked with each other but drifted from us and 5 of us who arestill friends two years on. Two of those I messenger at least every few days

AnyFarrahFowler · 04/08/2017 20:33

Wasn't worth the money in my opinion. We were hoping to make friends too, but at 29 and 30, we were the youngest there by far, and felt like the naughty teenagers! No-one else wanted to learn about pain relief options in labour when I brought it up - everything was all about how they could have an intervention-free birth and we just couldn't have been more different. DH & I decided in the car on the way home we weren't going back!

I made friends at a local baby massage group who have been an invaluable source of support - without the price tag! Luck of the draw I guess.

That1950sMum · 04/08/2017 20:33

Yes your DH goes too and my DH is still best mates with one of our NCT Dads ten years on.

Our group ranged in age from 30-40.

Lillygreen · 04/08/2017 20:35

Yes yes yes. Best £130 I spent! Being a young mum myself it was a great way to meet other mums. The age range of our class is quite large but I have found these ladies so helpful throughout my journey of motherhood so far!

welshweasel · 04/08/2017 20:36

Best money I spent too. We had 8 couples in our group, age range 26-40. On mat leave we met up most days for various classes, baby groups, baby cinema etc. We WhatsApp daily (the boys have their own chat) and now the babies are 18 months old and we are all back working, we meet up at weekends for picnics/days out and for play dates during the week when people aren't working. Honestly was a lifesaver for me but we moved when I was pregnant so I didn't have any local friends. Can't comment on the course content as I went to the first one, DS was born on the morning of the second one (5 weeks early) and we took him along the final one when he was 3 weeks old (it was all about baby care but I mainly sat in the corner feeding!).

beargrass · 04/08/2017 20:36

It's pot luck but agree with others about the very early days. On balance I think it's worth it to meet people and no, I didn't think much to the practical stuff they tell you. Most of that you can find out for yourself but the meeting people in the exact same situation can be useful. Ours had a big age range - made no difference though.

ScarletSienna · 04/08/2017 20:37

I'd say no too. Here it is £400 and there is no way I would pay that just to meet people! There are other ways to make a group of friends expecting at a similar time-LLL meetings, bumps and babes groups, cheaper antenatal classes.

If I had paid that, I'd probably think it was worth it as I would have somehow made it so!

I think it is better to go with an independent.

user1471583707 · 04/08/2017 20:38

Hi I wouldn't bother tbh.
I made more friends at local things and as a group whilst most of them were nice enough we just didn't gel or have much in common. There was quite an age difference on mine so maybe that was why but I found that I made better friends at local groups

15MinutesWithYou · 04/08/2017 20:39

It's a yes from me! There was a wide age range at ours- 24 to 44 and we became great friends. Still are 4 years on.

Silverthorn · 04/08/2017 20:39

Didnt really work for me. I'm 3 years in and only see one of them regularly anymore(she's lovely). 2 of them came from the other side of the city to meet a better class of friends however this meant a trip to the park or baby class was a major expedition. I thought i would meet local women. The other one was nice and friendly but never invited me anywhere and offered unsolicited, sanctimonious, parenting advice. One more was a bit snobby and didn't appreciate my lack of flash and teamed up with sanctimonious Doctor. The men never really arranged to meet and dh didn't think he had anything in common. Most of my proper friends still meet regularly with their nct buddies though.
Feel a bit upset about it all really.

Aliveinwanderland · 04/08/2017 20:39

Met a brilliant bunch of people that I would never had survived the last 9 months without. I met up with some of them 3/4 times a week at Baby groups and for coffee while on mat leave.

DonkeyOil · 04/08/2017 20:44

I did a refresher course with dc2 (missed out on NCT with dc1 ), There were four of us, and 21 years later we are still firm friends and meet up frequently. I have such fond memories of when the dc were little and we all used to meet up every week. The older siblings were also similar ages, which was great for them.

TheLegendOfBeans · 04/08/2017 20:50

Personally no.

For me it didn't do what it was meant to: make me feeling clued up, in control and ready for labour.

The breastfeeding support was so rubbish and the teacher was basically not engaged at all.

No follow up, and little gelling between participants. The thing that "united" our group was our joint belief that the teacher was shit.

Friendship outcomes: moderate
Practical use: none (of 5, three were induced and three ended with with a CS).

Save your pennies and go NHS instead.

PM me if in SW London for alternative suggestions x

ellesbellesxxx · 04/08/2017 20:51

We did the essentials course and had a fab practitioner who made sure that the the course was relevant to all of us(we have twins so she made sure it covered twin birth etc)
9 weeks in we are about to meet as a whole group for first time. I have met some of the ladies for coffee already and have gelled with them so fingers x we continue to meet up!

ScarletSienna · 04/08/2017 20:51

I often hear 'meeting friends' as a positive (which can absolutely be done without paying hundreds) but rarely anything else.

sheepflower · 04/08/2017 20:57

We did nct with dd1. It was a bit useless to be honest with too much focus on massage and natural birth. I didn't click with any of the others mainly because we live in a wealthy area and most of the other women didn't have careers. Obviously nothing wrong with that but different to me as I'm quite career focussed (in a male dominated industry). Also they only ever went out as mums only or dads only groups and I found that a bit off-putting as I didn't have much in common with the mums and couldn't bring Dh. Also we were due 1st Jan but dd was 3 weeks early so was a month old before any of the others gave birth which makes a big difference at that stage! You may well be luckier though!! Tbh we only sighed up as we couldn't get on the NHS course due to being 'out of area'.

BendydickCuminsnatch · 04/08/2017 21:08

Oh dear! I'm 27 having my second and I was worried I'd get the 'naughty teenager' vibe! Surrey, so a lot of even first time mums are older than me. I don't care personally but have struggled to make Mum Friends as they're not interested in me - part of the reason I want an NCT group! Agggh. Oh well, at leats refreshers aren't as expensive as first-time courses.

Crispmonster1 · 04/08/2017 21:10

Yes. Go to make friends and expect very little else. It's funny and you learn a little bit about labour which my OH found useful however the real win is ther friendships formed.

fatfingeredfran · 04/08/2017 21:10

Yes! Really glad we done NCT

Flip

1 2