Antenatal Classes a waste of time?

[MummyBear405]

Today I've been looking at the antenatal courses that the hospital where we're going to have baby run and they offer some great free workshops but the actual in depth courses are £275. Then a friend who is currently 30+ weeks mentioned her & her dp have just finished a course with NCT and found it really helpful, the NCT course is around £250.

Both courses offer quite different approaches and me & DH can't decide so I ask my best friend who has a 4 yr old for some advice and she outright said antenatal courses are a waste of money and that I should go along to something like aquanatal instead.

I'm now unsure if doing a course is even worth it although I know that I do want to do one ... any advice?

TIA

I asked the same on here a few months back and started the online positive birthing pack after feedback. I did attend the nhs antenatal class too but that was a pretty full on day so take a notebook if you go! I’ve been really pleased with the online course and it’s so much cheaper! I did also do aquanatal but that’s now stopped for summer holidays and can really recommend it! Was nice to do some gentle exercise and meet other mums but I haven’t made lasting friendships yet

I did NCT and NHS classes in my first pregnancy and then the NHS ones again in my second (because work gave me time off!). They were all a waste of time in some ways because I had a quite unusual first labour, so everything they told me was nowhere near what happened. The second lot of NHS classes were a complete waste of time but I knew they would be.

NCT we paid for and whilst I don't feel like I learned that much, me and DH went to them together and I felt like it was quite a bonding experience in a way. We spent that hour a week focusing on what we thought about labour, birth and childcare and it opened up some useful conversations that we might not have got around to having otherwise. So, overall? Worth the time and money.

I think it comes down to how much £250 odd is to your budget. If you'd have to scrimp and save then there are probably better things to spend it on but if you can easily spend it then the classes can be a nice way to bond and take time out to reflect.

WTF - £250 for antenatal classes!

With DC1 the NHS offered a 4 week, hour per week antenatal course. I missed 2 because I was ill in hospital, and couldn't be bothered with the next 2.

I asked the MW in the ward what have I missed, "I can't remember what they tell you". "Just don't come in here too early. If you are at home you'll watch telly, go for a bath, make tea take your mind off it. If your in here you'll have nothing else to think about so the pain appears more intense"
And a friend said "relax during labour, don't tense up, let your body do it's job"

DC2 I wasn't offered any as a second time mum.

I had fairly straightforward births, DC1 was water birth and gas n air. DC2 was 2 paracetamol and 2 codine. I honestly don't know what I missed.

I went to the nhs ones. There was nothing in the content that you couldn't find online, but the two things about it that made it worth it for me, was being able to stalk through my specific questions and fears with midwives, health visitors and other first time mums, and making some really good new mum friends who I'm still close to now, nearly 2 years on.

I didn't go to any with any of my 3 as I was in the mindset of they are coming out whatever and I really didn't want to think about it.

@Binforky, I'm inclined to agree with that. I actually think the whole coming up with a birth plan can be harmful as it gives the illusion of choice when there often isn't any. All the "I felt robbed of the birth I wanted" threads are really depressing reading.

I think it depends on the contents of the classes. Is there any way you can find out. The free classes I attended in my trust talked about what to expect in labour, trust specific info about the hospital etc, safe sleeping, breastfeeding and some baby first aid. I think there was some other stuff too but that's what sticks in my mind. As a first time mum I found it useful and so did my DH. Lots of people do the paid ones like NCT because it can lead to making mum friends with people who have babies the same age as yours. The NHS ones for me are just information sessions. I guess it depends what you want.

I did the NCT classes this year & for what they are it is very expensive. However we went more to meet people & the social side of NCT has really helped me stay sane whilst on maternity leave as we all meet once a week to socialise. Also one mom lives two roads away from me so it’s likely our children will go to the same primary school etc later on. But I’ve read that others have had different social experiences from NCT - it’s hard to know until it begins.

I found NCT great as a way to make friends. I work in childcare so the info in it wasn’t new to me but it was really useful for DH and it then didn’t feel like it was always me telling him things when DD was born.
For me the birth stuff was useful too; it debunked some of the myths/horror stories I’d heard from people. The only part I wasn’t keen on was the pressure for a “natural” birth when the reality is that it’s not always possible.

The best thing I actually did was pregnancy yoga; it talked a lot about birth, we practiced breathing and stretches that helped me all the way through pregnancy and was a really nice calm part of the week to connect with my baby

I did NCT & free NHS classes. NCT massively overpriced and unnecessary in terms of info but being in touch with the other first time mums from it was invaluable through the first stages of DDs life. (5 of us still keep in touch & meet up now, more than 2.5 years later.)
Found the NHS ones really informative & useful, excellent service for free, but imagine they differ widely from area to area.

The friendship side can make it worth it

I didn’t pay for any. I went to the two offered by by the NHS on feeding and giving birth, that’s it. I don’t feel I missed out on anything - looking after a baby, although scary and new and first is hardly rocket science and there’s plenty of reading material out there to get you going. Some people like the NCT classes for making new mum friends but I made plenty of mum friends through baby groups and activities. I’m definitely happy we didn’t bother, it would have been a huge waste of money for us. If you’ve got the disposable income and are interested then go for it, but I think the money can benefit your baby better in other ways tbh.

We've gone to the NHS classes but there isn't much chat or craic and certainly no WhatsApp groups or plans to meet up. We have friends due at the end of this month and they paid for NCT classes- they felt they were useful but she's already being driven mad by the group chat! I'm quite happy with my MN antenal thread

I've read plenty of threads here over the years about people growing away from NCT friends and awkwardness about wanting to leave the group, or disappointment that they didn't make any lasting friendships. But for every one of those I'm sure there's a few who were glad they did it. I'm lucky that my DH will be off for a lot of my maternity leave (and I'm only taking 6mos) and I have family close by, but can imagine that the structure and social side of even the first year of meet-ups are invaluable for some. Really depends whether or not you have the cash to spare!