"(parents - you know what I mean, non parents - you can only imagine)"
God I hate people who make those sort of comments!
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Random question... antenatal classes. Are the NCT ones worth it?
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Posted 1 year ago #
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Fast forward a wee-bit. There are some yummy mummy's at nursery
Posted 1 year ago # -
Er, clear as mud then! It would be good to meet some people from the area, as we haven't lived here that long, but it seems like a lot of money for the privilege, at a time when money is about to become more of an issue.
Thank you all for your replies though, very useful.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Funky Dunc - Thanks
Posted 1 year ago # -
Poppa - I imagine in your area there will be baby groups that you can go to after the baby is born which are not NCT related and free.
Mrs FD has made quite a few good friends there. Besides for the first few months you will not have time to leave the house, or the energy
The NCT in our area is apperently a bit, we are richer than you, my babys better than yours.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Finished ours on Monday night and learnt a hell of a lot from it. I really hadn't looked into it all that much, just assumed most things would come naturally or be common sense but I'm very glad we went as I think it was really beneficial. We'll see if it actually makes any difference when we get to the big day but it's definately made the wife a lot more relaxed about the prospect of the birth (she was gettin a wee bit nervous about the mechanics of it) and I now know how I can help with that.
Admittedly some of it was a bit hippy dippy (well the teacher was from Stroud) but everyone left their egos at the door and got involved, we even had a 95% attendance from the guys and that was only due to work commitments in one session. Everyone got on well and the girls have already organised some lunch time stuff for later in the week.
There's nothing like being in a group of people who are all scared of the same thing to generate cameraderie, reminded me of the blitz. ;o)
It's not going to be for everyone but if you're reasonably open minded I'd recommend it.
Gaz
Posted 1 year ago # -
We just went to the standard NHS one and from talking to friends who did go to the NCT ones I don't think we missed anything though we did have to mix with single mothers-to-be and poor people, neither of which did me any lasting damage
Like most of the people who say you should join the NCT to meet people, we did that just fine in our plebs version
Posted 1 year ago # -
I think it depends a lot on the quality of the NCT leader / tutor in your area.
We went to the classes in Swindon and they were a waste of time and money, friends of ours in other areas of the country went to classes with other tutors and thought they were great.
Ours was very much sitting around talking about our hopes and fears with the tutor asking us questions about what we knew already instead of telling us what we needed to know.
We also moved shortly after the birth of the Beamlet so Mrs B now misses out on the whole "Thursday-morning-get-together-at-Starbucks-and-compare-notes" aspect of the NCT which I would imagine would be one of its strongest selling points.
For me it was 2 days of my life that I won't be getting back. (Oh and plus the evening at the Breast Feeding "clinic". Now that was a waste of time.)
Posted 1 year ago # -
We also moved shortly after the birth of the Beamlet so Mrs B now misses out on the whole "Thursday-morning-get-together-at-Starbucks-and-compare-notes" aspect of the NCT which I would imagine would be one of its strongest selling points.
But that happens anyway or at least it did with our NHS group. I think maybe some people think it's the NCT or nothing...
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thought it was brilliant, and as with our other pals who went through them at other times in various parts of the country, we are still very close friends with the other families we met. Our closest friends even moved out to Switzerland at the same time as us, and had their second child within a week of ours also. freaky, and all coincidental, although I fear the women folk may have been manipulating things to a degree we have not yet fully appreciated.
Husband was a kite-buggying mate of mine when we lived in the midlands, and it was a real surprise when he walked into the first NCT class.
Can't recommend highly enough.
Best memory was on the 3rd class playing footy in the hall next door with the other dads and using one of those big bouncy birthing ball things. what a hoot. One guy almost broke his neck heading it. Great goal though, so totally worth it!
Kev
Posted 1 year ago # -
Yeah really good but I think it's a regional thing so experiences tend to differ.
Far from being breast feeding nazis, quite realistic about the statistics and very pro-active about the support network if it's not going well.
Plus ended up with five other couples who we've become friends with.
Our NHS local classes were massively over subscribed (30 plus people rammed into a room) and delivered with about as much energy as a flat Duracell.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Oh yeah two of the dads are quite bikey in our group so that's cool!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Pretty much the same experience as many of the posts above - we found them really useful and a nice informal atmosphere. The leader was a lovely woman and not at all pushy about BF.
We made lots of friends and are still in touch with all the couples 19 months after our twins were born.
We also went to the four week NHS course. Week one got us to the moment of birth, in week two we were told that weeks three and four wouldn't be done because of staff shortages and that session would also be cut short because she was doing it in her own time. I don't think we were actually told anything other than that.
Ohh, and one of the expectant mothers had an ASBO tag. Twas nice.
Posted 1 year ago # -
But that happens anyway or at least it did with our NHS group. I think maybe some people think it's the NCT or nothing...
the nhs classes in our area are 2 sessions in a lecture theater. I don't think anyone is going to come away from that having made friends.Posted 1 year ago # -
Also if you're a relatively shy type like me, baby groups are really hard to make friends in.
It may not be for everyone, but it was absolutely worth it for us (including the BF lesson).
Posted 1 year ago # -
My favourite session was the one where we stood in a circle passing a 'crying baby' and demonstrated ways of stopping it crying.
Posted 1 year ago # -
the nhs classes in our area are 2 sessions in a lecture theater. I don't think anyone is going to come away from that having made friends
Ah, fair enough - ours was about 10 couples in a local NHS centre.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Ah yes, if we'd had that it would have been great. personally I think the money for us was well spent in that with out making the friends I did through NCT I would have just sat in the house after he was born and given myself PND.
Posted 1 year ago # -
MrsFlash but don't you have local baby groups that you take/took baby along to which are free of charge?
Where we live there are free groups just about every single day where you can take baby rather than paying some money over...
Posted 1 year ago # -
NCT, was great and really good for Mrs L as had a mums to meet up with after the birth too.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Funkydunc yes, but if you're the sort of person I am you don't go becasue it's all too much. With the nct meetups I don't get a choice
Posted 1 year ago # -
Not bothered to read the thread. But to answer the original question, I would say our NCT lessons were well worth it. The NHS lessons were almost totally pointless from a male point of view, and my wife is now in touch with a group who have become friends in a similar situation and she feels much less isolated than she might have.
I thoroughly recommend them to anyone who asks.Posted 1 year ago #
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