Teddington - NCT ante-natal or just NHS?

[FlirtyThirty]

I am totally undecided as to whether or not to do NCT ante-natal classes.

I live in Teddington and will go to the local NHS ones, but am wondering if it is really worth the £200-275 charged by the NCT to do theirs as well... Will I really learn more to justify the cost?!

I know that people say it's about the others you meet rather than the course content that's really important, but won't I meet people at the NHS ones too...?

Any experience of courses in this area would be great!

I did the NCT classes, more to meet other new mums than for the actual course. I had a really lovely group and we still meet up every week nearly two years later. The NCT breastfeeding support was fantastic after my first baby was born too.

IMO it was worth every penny.

Thanks for replying 2cats...and particularly good to know about the breast feeding support.

Having done both in London, the NHS told me all I needed to know and related it to my hospital. However friend count and things-in-common count = zero, whereas the half-dozen girls and partners I met via NCT have been lovely and supportive and experience encouraged me to make more friends locally generally, which I'd never bothered with pre-DC, it being London and that.

I too don't really know anyone locally...this is good food for thought. Having pretty much decided not to go on financial grounds, I am seriously reconsidering...
Thanks very much for the input!

In Twickenham the health visitors do 4/5 talks with groups, not sure they do that in Teddington, its free and about 10-20 women turn up. I still meet up with 6 girls from that group 2 years on and don't see the NCT group at all - for me NCT big waste of money, got much better information from the NHS run (actually given by a different NCT group) crash one saturday course at west mid than the NCT woman after 6 weeks. I know other women in the area that have had good and bad NCT experiences. Try the HV group and save your money.