NCT classes - worth it?

[MrsMcJnr]

Ladies - please help . I am a first timmer and am wondering about NCT classes. How do they differ from the ones the LA do and are they worth it? a lot of people say that they are worth it for the friends you make but I live in the sticks and work in the City and we plan to move abroad when the baby is a couple of months old so I just don't know whether or not to go for them or not? (money's tight too )

I'd say worth every penny for the NCT classes - I was also booked onto the local NHS ones but they were cancelled the week before due to budget cuts and replaced with a single 2hr session which didn't cover much at all - sign of the times I'm afraid. I would have felt very unprepared without the NCT and the contact afterwards with the other mums has been good - we email each other even if we don't still meet up every week (now some are back at work)

Thank you

NCT ante-natal classes are great - but you will lose all your new friends if you dare show your baby a bottle before their 1st birthday!

Definitely worth it. Very good preparation - I had decided on one thing, but things didn't go to plan but I still felt that I could make informed decisions about what to do and why things were happening...

Also bf workshop great - just think of all the money you might be able to save on formula! Of 6 that I kept in touch with that did our course, 5 managed to bf and only 1 was unable despite help - very high bf rates - and some of them were not that confident prior to the class.

That?s interesting Fortyplus ? I was hoping to do it for 6 months but figured it would probably be too hungry after that for milk alone and that that is a good time to stop.

Thanks Mistlethrush

I think one of the things that is really swaying me towards going is that DH will be taught things too ? as someone rightly said earlier, men aren?t the best (generally) at reading up on things and I want him to be involved as possible. I think the birth must be really scary for you both otherwise.

Dear MrsMcJunior,
Feel for you with debt etc. With regards to books etc here are some ideas.

1. Try oxfam bookshop good value and might even have Daphne Metland
2. Contact local NCT branch and see if they have library and will lend a book or from teacher who might
3. Join freecycle (free exchange of goods can post wanted all over uk, I have had garden stuff and a free prom dress for daughter who went to batsmitsvah ps google "freecycle" best wishes for your pregnancy and moving