NCT and NHS antenatal

[Shefliesonherownwings]

Do NHS antenatal classes exist? Think they used to be called parentcraft? Our local NCT classes are all booked up for when we would want to do them. Other available ones are quite far away from us or too close to due date. We also don't really have £200+ to spend although we would have if the local ones were available.

We've been looking for nhs antenatal classes and they don't really seem to exist. They are available in some places but not in others. Doesn't look like our local hospital trust runs any, they just do viewings of the maternity units. Does anyone know if there is such a thing as national nhs antenatal classes anymore, the equivalent of NCT but free lol!

I’d ask your midwife about them.

Re NCT, we did these and not NHS. The main reason was to meet other parents to be and build a friendship. NCT was very positive for us and several years on we still meet and get on. You could of course end up with a group where friendships may not form, but I think for the most part people have positive outcomes. It might be worth going to sessions slightly further away.

Our area offers free classes (I had DS last year). I think it was 3 meetings that were supposed to last 1.5h each but the midwife just talked through stuff for 30mins-1h. We also did NCT which was professional and thorough + we got to meet with other local parents (and have been hanging out pretty much weekly since).