Antenatal classes second time round?

[thepatchworkcat]

Hi
What do people tend to do for their second pregnancy antenatal class wise? Anything/nothing? Assumed we’d go to NHS ones again although now I gather you only get those once. And not sure I need them as such, I just sort of imagined dutifully turning up. Did NCT last time, good at the time but didn’t stay friends with anyone and it was super expensive, also it all bore no relation to my actual birth experience in the end! So just wondering whether to find something different or not bother and just do a bit of yoga or something. What do other second timers do? Should I look into hypnobirthing?!? Don’t know much about it. Thanks.

Do you feel like you need the information again? I know that the NCT does refresher courses aimed at non-rookies but I don't know anyone who has done any kind of antenatal course for their subsequent babies. I'm doing pregnancy yoga, although I did check beforehand that the teacher would be sympathetic and supportive to the fact that I need a medically indicated ELCS this time.

I think you can go to NHS if you want to, and NCT do refresher courses too. I'm not really doing anything this time. I live in a totally different part of the country this time round so I thought I might head along to a few baby groups to meet folk.

This is our second and we aren't doing any classes. I don't feel there is a need (I know how to have a baby, had a lovely birth last time, and I know what to expect in the early days, again no need to talk about it again!). I did make some lovely friends through NCT last time, but now I feel like I know how to reach out and meet new friends who have babies the same age, so don't need to pay for the experience or sit through a class. Also, frankly, it would be just me because we don't have anyone who could stay with our dd for us to go to an evening or weekend class and I'm drowning in work ahead of maternity leave and working many evenings and weekends anyway. Last thing I need is to try to squeeze a class in on top of it all!

But what I have been doing is thinking a lot about how to reach other and meet other mums, classes and groups to go to with baby, and other ways to get support (like bf support) that I needed last time but didn't quite know where to ask for it. So that way when baby arrives, I know when and where things are and can get out as soon as I'm ready so I have a support network again.

Thanks all. No I probably don’t need the information again but I would like to try and have a better birth experience if possible so perhaps I’ll look into hypnobirthing and then do some yoga etc. Don’t think I want to fork out for NCT again although it was good having that little support group in the very early newborn days.