NCT classes

[Clemmie83]

Just wondering if many people have done a NCT course and if you think it was worth it?

I've signed up for it. Not till later this year though.

I'm not due until November so wouldn't do the course until Sept/Oct but heard you need to book up early...

I'm also due in Nov and booked ours today. We opted for online given the situation. It's disappointing as it won't be the same as F2F and the group it's for isn't local to us..there was only one online course so unlikely to make local friends

I suppose it's better than nothing 😔

We’ve just finished ours, it was over zoom with the current circumstances but hopefully by the time you can do it they’ll be face to face again. None of the information was unexpected or stuff you couldn’t find out elsewhere but there were interesting tidbits which will be useful and we seem to have been lucky with a really engaging feeding consultant. For me it was more about finding a local network of mums expecting at the same time and even though we haven’t been able to meet face to face it seems to have achieved that.

Also trying to decide between the essential course (12hours) or signature (18hours)

I've had a similar question and i think the answer depends on what is your expectation fron the course? If it is making an online network of friends and it's worth paying for it but if it's info you are after then there are other places to find it much cheaper.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/3920957-NCT-Essentials-antenatal-course-121-55-Is-it-worth-paying

I'm doing the Signature course mid September. In my area they are saying that they hope the courses will be F2F by this point, with the measures gradually relaxing now - I feel a little more hopeful! I decided to do it firstly to encourage my DH to learn more about what to expect (he has read a book but I think going on a course will help), to hopefully learn some new things myself (I've done a lot of reading and research already but the breastfeeding session will help a lot I think) and make friends with other mums!

I think my husband found NCT useful but I found it all a bit pointless.
Just be aware that the intructors are all very positive and don't like to talk about 'issues' with breast feeding or emergency inductions/post birth complications etc..... The classes were all very 'nice' and unrealistic unless you are in the minority and have a lovely, pain free natural birth and you are able to breastfeed immediately.

The social side was useful in the first few weeks after the babies were all born - someone to talk to at 3am, and we all laughed about none of us having the birthing experience that NCT said we would have.
But we only met up twice since the classes finished and have all drifted apart.

I found my own support through baby sensory/massage groups when my DD was tiny.

I've got mixed feelings on if I'd find it useful or not, I think the social side could be good but then I suppose it massively depends on if you click with those in your group...

I used it with first & found it useful as have made a great group of friends. The information tho was pretty crap, made u feel like anything other than a natural birth was a disaster & the breastfeeding advise was airy fairy. Breastfeeding blinking hard, I did manage it but through sweat & tears not as described by nct hehe.hospital class although jam packed much more realistic & didn’t give u silly expectations

The content itself wasn't massively great, but it's a good chance to meet other people. I know sometimes a group doesn't click, but pretty much all of my friends who did NCT courses are still in touch with their groups years later, as am I. Our course leader was very much anti c-section and our whole class ended up having an emergency one 🤷‍♀️

We really enjoyed ours about 3 and a half years ago, signature course. The lady who ran it was fab - she absolutely did not shy away from issues like painkillers, instrumental intervention, c sections, birth injuries....she was very honest and open. DH found it very valuable and actually said that he had referred to his notes more than once during the initial newborn days (he is usually more of a 'wing it' kind of guy, so I was pleased/surprised when he told me that). He also appreciated the heads up wrt how women often behave in labour - he was totally prepared when I hit the "nope, can't do it, I'm going home now" stage just before the pushing and was really supportive while stopping me ripping out the drip and trying to leave the room! The worst bit of the course was the breastfeeding bit - totally mechanical (e.g. this is how baby latches), nothing about how to establish/build supply, typical behaviour at the breast or common issues/problems. It was a different lady to the usual one for the breastfeeding session and she was a bit crap. Also still in touch with most of the people I met on the course, which is nice. It was worth it for us.

I've got mine starting online in July! They have offered a small refund as it definitely won't be F2F by then but friends have told me that one of the main things is to connect with other mums, as others have said.

I'm also glad I had it booked, because all of the free local council classes - which are meant to be amazing - have been completely cancelled, so we would have had nothing otherwise. Just something to think about if measures aren't completely eased/councils are on their knees by the time of your classes! x

We did it a few years ago, DH learned a lot, I was genuinely surprised at what I thought were basics that he had no clue about. Our teacher was great and went through all types of feeding and covered every possible birth option or intervention. We had zero pushiness on feeding options and she went through all pain relief available so it was really judgement free. I didn't learn a huge amount personally but the group of friends we made have been invaluable, we're mostly on our second babies now and all still in touch weekly (the dada go out for curry nights ).
People quickly forget what each baby stage is like so to have 6 other women going through exactly that stage at the same time as you is a huge support

It sounds like it's definitely worth it, even just to develop a bit of a support network, I suppose I'm worried that it would be more difficult to bond as a group if it's online?