Which antenatal class!

[Charlotte2020]

Hi all, has anyone done antenatal classes with NCT? I don't know whether to book with them or a local private one run by midwives. I'm a FTM and feel I need as much info as possible. I've heard mixed reviews for NCT and when I've asked them about course content they've been quite brief which puts me off a bit!
Any reviews of NCT- especially in the Bristol area- would be appreciated!

There was another thread on here by someone saying the online NCT had been pretty awful. I’d go for the midwife led one. I’ve had friends in the past do NCT (in person) and say there is a lot of emphasis on natural and drug free birth whereas the midwife one is more likely to go through all options factually? My hospital is running them for free online and I have attended two so far run by a midwife, they have been brilliant and informative.

I did NCT and the free NHS (pre-covid) as a FTM. So glad I did the NCT because, although yes they do angle towards 'natural' (whatever that means) techniques we did thoroughly cover all the different drugs and options too. We were a cynical group with a very sensible course tutor though so I think that helped- good job as all of us had difficult births requiring various different interventions!
Sad to say that NHS one was crap by comparison but mainly due to the restricted time. One session was led by a midwife who was also an NCT tutor so the difference wasn't down to skill in presentation or anything like that, I'm sure it's just that the NHS ones were very short in duration. They were good for talking about the specific hospital though. I don't think I'd bother with NCT online though as you could just read up based on the course content given in the marketing and save the money!

You can ask to be put in contact with the leader who will be facilitating the NCT class and ask what will be covered. They will cover drugs and interventions etc. Each facilitator does things differently though. They are client driven so the agenda will vary according to what the group asks for. That's why the info is a bit vague.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/4029456-nct-online

We had our first online nct class on saturday and I have to say, it wasn't great. I've done a couple of free midwife led ones and they were good as they were just a couple of hours and nice and succinct. The nct class was hard going on Zoom - 6 hours in total and the same again this saturday. I wanted to do nct for the practical skills element and to meet people, but both of these things were just not the same online, and I honestly didn't learn anything new in 6 hours. The lady told us to get a doll or teddy bear if we had one to practice nappy changing on, but most couples didn't have one - I mean, why would you?! To be fair, if I hadn't already done the birthing courses provided by the local midwives, the nct might have been more useful, and on the positive side we have now got a WhatsApp group with the other people on the course, but I am slightly regretting paying so much money now for the course.

www.letstalkbirthandbaby.co.uk/

I’ve been doing these, only £10 per class (first class is free!) and you book classes individually so you can skip any that you aren’t bothered about. The midwife that leads them, Louise, is fab as well.

If you're going to do an online course, I suggest the Positive Birth Company. But the advantage of the local courses is that you might make friends which is handy during maternity leave. Is there a significant price difference between the two?

I’ve heard NCT can really vary; it depends so much in the tutor.

If you did both of these online courses, I think you’d cover all bases (except the social side. I know that’s what some people pay for NCT for!)

First one is a super practical excellent talk by a Canadian midwife. Bit of waffle to start but she’s brilliant;

Next (and essential in my view) is the Positive Birth Company course. It’s hypnobirthing, but super practical and realistic and will benefit you whatever type of delivery you’re aiming for. Just £39 so a total bargain