NCT classes, are they worth it?

[Strawberrythief87]

Hey
I'm looking for advice as to if people feel that they got that much from NCT classes.
I was all prepared to go for it but am shocked at the price locally (over £320, was expecting about half that really). We're not eligable for any discounts and would need to use the money we're saving for maternity leave to pay for them.
Our local hospital offers 5 two hour sessions on labour, feeding parenting etc and along with apps such as Mush to meet other mums do you think that the NCT classes would be a waste of money?
If they'd honestly be offering us something more than we can get elsewhere then we could use the savings money to pay for it but is it worth it?

Sounds very expensive. Have you looked around at other options? I'm about to start midwife led antenatal classes (basically same thing but you're taught by midwives not NCT approved women). The classes are quite a bit cheaper than that.

NHS ones weren't really an option because, though they're free, I really want to do them in the hope I meet other mothers, and the NHS attracts people from all over, not just locally.

I didn't do NCT classes but wish I had. In the early days of going to baby classes there were so many people who already knew each other from NCT groups. One class that I don't think I'll ever forget was a baby massage class with 8 places. It was a group of 7 NCT friends and me. I was on the outside of every conversation, wasn't invited to the cafe they all went to afterwards. I did once go anyway and I was sat on the next table and they didn't include me in the conversation, I tried. On one hand I think I wouldn't want to be friends with people like that but on the other hand I really wanted friends who were at the exact same stage of parenting as me. I didn't really make any mum friends until dd was 6 months.

Look for a free bumps and babies class instead.

Third baby, never been to antenatal class, made friends in baby groups once baby was born. I'd not be shelling out money I can't afford for an nct class that's for sure.