Should I do NCT ante natal classes (if I can)?

[hopefully]

I can't decide whether to fork out for NCT ante natal classes. Can anyone tell me the pros and cons of paying for them rather than just doing the NHS ones? Everyone seems to say that they made really good friends on the NCT ones, which I don't want to miss out on, but I don't really understand why I can't meet nice people at NHS ones... Or do you meet a better class of people at NCT, dahling?

NCT classes (in most areas) include postnatal support - so you have meetings post baby too - about 6 weeks- you are then encouraged to continue these alone so the people you meet there are more likely to become friends because you have time to chat iyswim. During the actual classes you are trying to take everything in so don't really have time to just chat other than briefly at the start & at the end.

I think the NHS ones might not be as comprehensive. The ones in my area seem to be for a half a day, with really big classes, but it could be much better in your area.
If you miss out on the NCT ones, then there are also post-natal courses which are reasonable (about £60 for 6 weeks or occasionally free) and are a lovely way to meet other mums with small babies in a small and manageable group.

NCT is great for having lots of info about what's going on in the area for mums etc.

Whichever you do, the information you get will be accurate and helpful. If you choose the NHS ones, then you can always, as I say, join a post-natal group or just contact your local NCT person and ask to come to one of their get-togethers. The post-natal NCT stuff will give you a chance to meet mums who live in your more immediate area.

Hmm... It does sound like NCT is quite a good idea. I am slowly being converted to the concept.

Anyone else got an opinion to throw in the ring? Will they be nice to me? A friend of mine said her local NCT class were all scary yummy mummys (although this was in SW London I think, so I can understand the excesses of yumminess) and were quite alarming.

I did a Notting Hill class and astonishingly met a bunch of great and down to earth ladies. Although maybe the yummies round here are a bit high-powered for NCT - you don't really see them around! I found the information very useful. Although very pro-natural birth I felt them to be slightly more independent than the NHS classes and actually pretty useful. It made me understand the whole process much more. Actually I clicked with my postnatal group much better than the antenatal and I think sometimes it's a good idea to join lots of groups as one crowd may not suit you for whatever reason but you may really click with another.

I didn't do NCT ante-natal classes - found my 6 weeks of NHS and two sessions of breastfeeding classes armed me with everything I needed to know.

I did go to a local baby group (again NHS) for babies up to 6 months and found some mummy friends there and ended up joining the NCT when DS was about 3 months old. I enjoyed the Bumps and Babes NCT coffee afternoon type things with him. Also met up on Friday afternoons with a mixture of NCT and not NCT people and babies.

Still in touch with some of the people on the NHS classes - DS is 4.2 now.

DP and I enjoyed our NCT classes and the NHS ones were shockingly poor.

The NCT were very pro choice, had very open discussions, and were very balanced. I also think if we had only attended the NHS classes, dp would have had no idea about labour as he is not one to pick up a book and read about it.

I found with the NCT classes the people who attended were like-minded rather then being from the same set dahling! Whatever class you were, you were there because you wanted to learn more than the NHS could offer.

Also, depending on your local branch, the NCT are great for after the birth. Coffee mornings, breast feeding councillors, Nearly New Sales, Newsletters (if you become a member), summer Tea Partys etc etc.

Can you tell I am a member ?

How does the whole NCT thing work? What if you don't want to do any of their pre or post classes, but would like to go to their coffee mornings, etc to meet people? Would you be able to do that?

You don't have to be a member to join in with the coffee mornings, those it is encouraged!

The NCT website has details of local branches.

I did NCT 5 years ago and made some great friends although after a year I did find it very difficult to keep meeting up in a big group (we'd grown to 8 by then). On Sat eve we went to NCT friends for dinner (just the 4 of us) and joked about the classes (little discussion on pain relief and no mention of c sections which 2 of 5 went on to have). I did do NHS classes which were OK but I didnt create any bonds, but funnily enough since my son started school in Sep 07 I have seen a couple of mums from the class.

Well thanks for all your thoughts. I am a 52 year old granny who has signed up for the Diploma in Ante Natal Teaching, first tutorial tomorrow, so your comments are helpful. I hope it will pay me well to get to know what you child bearing age girls, like and dislike about the NCT classes.

I did both. Made friends more through the NCT one as it was a smaller group. If you can afford it (money and time), do both, is my advice.

I did the NCT classes, and made some lovely friends, I also joined the NCT and go to coffee mornings and Bumps and Babies groups to.
The classes are much better than the NHS one as they are more interactive and the teacher will try to included specific concerns the parents-to-be might have. One of the ladies who attended with me did the NHS ones as well and she said the NCT ones were much better. Only advantage I can see with the NHS ones is they are normally held at the hospital where you are having your baby so you will have to arrange to visit your hospital choice yourself.

we didn't do NCT as the classes were fully booked but our NHS classes were allocated for 3 weeks before the baby was due and I was paranoid about baby arriving and I hadn't done the course so we booked birthlight classes. they were lovely 6 antenatal classes, we then did homebirth course through them, antenatal yoga for 10 weeks baby yoga after baby was born, baby swimming for a short while, and I am hoping to become a birthlight antenatal yoga teacher in the next couple of years.

if you are anywhere near a class I would recommend you go, they are not judgemental about birthing methods they seek to inform about options you have, not make those decisions for you.

We didn't do the NCT classes so can't compare..

I did both NCT and NHS. You asked about why you can't make nice friends on the NHS classess...

I made lovely friends through NCT. I made no friends at the NHS group. The NCT groups are small (7 couples in mine). They go on for weeks and the same seven couples come each week. The NCT teachers constantly reiterate that you must meet-up, it sounds odd but that approach helps if some of you are shy and reticent about suggesting meet-ups. NCT teachers collect the whole group's contact details, phototcopy them and give you a copy, they then arrange your first post-natal meet. So basically the structure of the classes is conducive to making friends and part of the curriculum seems to be arranging meet-ups.

The NHS classes were huge. Our local class was just two seperate meetings. Differnt couples came to each meeting. The couples were a real mix of backgrounds and approaches. The teacher didn't encourage meet-ups and nor did the strucure of the classes.

So all in all, if you want a small group of friends in your area, with babies exactly the same age as yours, then do NCT.

hopefully are you looking for info on birth etc or making contact with other parents?

nhs classes are well meaning but don't cover much. didn't go to nct, i hear they do more. i'd take a doula or independent midwife if have another baby, nothing i could learn about in a few classes matches that experience (unless nct classes really are super!)

i went to nct postnatal (bumps and babies) group. it is a good way to get you out of the house in early days. but if you go to parent & toddler groups may also meet people, or just in street others with prams.

I went to NCT classes, but regret not doing the NHS ones too. The NCT ones were great and I carried on going to postnatal groups (bumps and babies) with NCT. However, although the NCT classes were fantastic at preparing for birth, they focussed mainly (but not exclusively) on a non-medical type delivery, which unfortunately I didn't get. They also didn't provide me with much information about the policies of my local hospital as the teacher was not local (I think this is a problem in some areas where ante-natal teachers are in short supply). As a result I wasn't prepared for the outdated hospital policies e.g. only one hour to push and no food or drink AT ALL not even water . If I had known in advance I would have had the courage to ignore the no water advice at least and might have chosen a different hospital. That said, they were good classes and I enjoyed them.

the classes are fairly expensive - i've been offered a place on one in canary wharf and its £224 for two full day sessions...also as its couples, i really don't want to end up in embarrassing situations with having to do do demos etc - what sort of format are they?

SilverSixpence... that does seem expensive. I paid £90 (covered me and DH, and tasty snacks!) for 4 half-day sessions, it was the same price for 8 evening sessions here. I think it may have just gone up to £110. I would try to get onto the courses that are spread over more weeks if you can as it gets hard to take much in after a couple of hours, plus you'll be havily pregnant when you do them, near me they start the courses once you are 32 weeks +, one lady on mine was 37 weeks when she started and 40+6 on the last session!

The format probably varies but there was some role play with labour positions, only with your own partner though and in the last session once everyone knew each other. You don't have to do it of course, and they did ask at the start how we all preferred the sessions to be structured and what we wanted to be covered so you get some say.

I would strongly recommend NCT ones - I did both. Met nice group of people on NCT ones - same couples at each session, and still occasionally meet up. HOwever, best benefit was that I felt that I could make an informed decision at all times during progress of labour. Things didn't go to plan, but the information I had at the NCT classes meant that I didn't feel totally out of control with it all.

Did NCT classes in Sept/Oct 2006 in a class with 8 couples. While on maternity leave, meeting the other mums every week was a godsend - a reason to get out of the house and find out that everyone else is having the same concerns that you are. We still meet up now (but in bars in the evening without babies) and I'm really glad I met them. I had signed up for the NHS ones but as dd decided to pop out 8 weeks early I didn't get to go, they were very late in pregnancy (I think the breastfeeding workshop was when I should have been 38 or 39 weeks and I was already an old hand by then!)

It's worth it for the friends and support network you get alone.

Middle class people friend introduction agency. If that is your thing then do it. Do the weekly meetings and not the weekend intensive ones.

All info is available on the internet, you already have access to more info than you need.

For us it was good, we have no family network nearby. Friends didn't see it as worthwhile.

I wouldn't; it's not like women haven't been doing this for thousands of years or anything 🙄

Personally we thought the fees could be better spent on things more beneficial for our new baby, and found that parents at baby and toddler groups are always happy to chat if you feel you need a network. Do you not have friends who are having babies now too who you can Talk Baby with?
But mainly, I'd just be apprehensive about joining a network with these other parents who feel they need to pay money to learn how to do the most basic, natural job.
Quit stressing. Keep your £100.