Are antenatal classes worth it?

[Allthesweets]

Wondering whether it's necessary.

Thanks :)

I'd highly recommend them. I think they're especially helpful for your birth partner - you may not be in a position to advocate for yourself in a fully lucid state, so you'll want your partner to know what an episiotomy/delayed cord clamping/pethadine etc is and know how much they are/aren't important to you, should plans need to change. It's also useful for them to have a designated space where they can learn about the stages of labour etc so they won't be so spooked when it all happens. Personally, I didn't want to read loads of books and watch tonnes of youtube videos, and much preferred just having 3 solid sessions where I could learn everything and ask questions as they came up. It also really helped me write my birth plan.

I don't think necessary but I've signed up to meet some mum friends and cover the basics as a first time parent. I think it'll offer a nice social aspect.

Not necessary and a waste of time, you will do what you want to do in labour naturally and I think that is the best way

Waste of time. What will be will be and it's impossible to plan for. The mythical birth plan will go right out of the window anyway so just go with the flow.

For mum friends, definitly. I really missed this with DD2 during covid. For the information, probably not. They are not going to tell you much more than a bit of reading will.

I found the information really useful and they definitely helped me advocate for myself when I was being advised to have an induction that I didn't want. I also found it helpful as there were some things I wanted to ask at the time of finding out the information which if I'd just read a book I would have had to go away and Google it which is always risky! Our "teacher" also had quite good knowledge of how procedures were done differently at different local hospitals which helped me decide which one I wanted to give birth at. Didn't help one bit with making friends though!

I really enjoyed the free antenatal class that is done by The Honest Midwife. She’s down to earth and says it how it is.

I didn't experience any of that. I found out I was pregnant at 30 weeks. I discussed pain relief with my midwife and decided what will be will be, fairly straightforward birth after being induced.

For the content, no. I found the information very limited and very much swayed towards a straightforward birth without intervention. I found much more realistic information on Google. Newborn care also very limited. Feeding information entirely breastfeeding, no mention of formula. I did breastfeed but I'd have been rather pissed off if that wasn't what I wanted to do.

If you gel with your group, it can be worth its weight in gold though. Sadly our group didn't mostly because no one lives local to each other which was a shame. Up to you whether you feel that aspect is worth the gamble.