Antenatal classes - are they really necessary?

[Dani_Ldn]

As the title says, are they really necessary?

This is our first baby, but I do not feel like we need to go to classes & in our area they are either at really inconvenient times (week days during the day when hubby & I work), too expensive, or a crappy 2 hour course at our local doctors office (which we couldn't make it to anyway as during the day).

How many people have actually gone to these, I feel like with all the information out there online, in books & on tv, that you can already find out everything you need to know..

 

[xx~Lor~xx]

We weren't going to go but ended up booking very late to an evening one that ran over an hour or so, one evening a week, for a few weeks. I found it reassuring tbh, we were able to have questions answered and other parents to be asked questions we hadn't even thought of. I am glad we went to be honest. Yes you can read about things, but I actually found it was useful in keeping me calm when I did finally go into labour.

 

[lj2245]

I didn't go to any this time around as I didn't find them particularly helpful when I was having my first. The only thing I would have went for was the hospital tour but didn't think it was worth travelling for.

 

[Bun87]

I've been to the active birth and Breast feeding workshops which I found useful - these I went to on my own.

The classes that were for both hubby and I were awful - four 2 hour sessions sat on uncomfortable chairs in a stuffy room talking about emotions! Haha. They did talk about labour and birth, but I didn't learn anything new - I had read everything before. We skipped the final session because we were bored of it and couldn't handle another second! I have heard though that NCT classes are really good, but you have to pay for these - We decided to save our money for the baby though x

 

[Lady H]

I learnt more from bnb than I did my classes!

 

[MomPepperdine]

Went with my first one. I was on assistance and they like cramed it my face to go it was boring I hated it the only thing I liked was being able to tore the maternity area. Honestly if your not worried about much I would say skip it.
(I was 19 with a friend in a room of late 20s early 30s cupples getting glared at!)

 

[mnonie]

I really enjoyed ours put alot of my questions to rest , almost meet some fantastic women, who I see regularly. There's the benefit of being able to talk to a midwife if you have any questions between visits. X

 

[MrsCeder]

Ive booked in for classes at my local children's centre which are in the evening. I feel like it definitely worth going as they talk about pain relief and labour etc Hopefully I will meet other mums to be in my local area.

 

[doggylover]

This is my first and we didn't bother going. My SIL told me the classes provided at my hospital are rubbish and not worth it. There were only two, and she didn't go back for the second as she was so put off by the first, so we didn't bother. I figure that anything I struggle with...I got me an overly eager mummy to help me, a SIL with one here and one baking, and ready Internet access!

In terms of their usefulness for pain relief, my hospital sends out a pain relief DVD, but I consider myself pretty well informed of my choices on that subject anyway.

 

[Julesillini8]

With my first, I went to a childbirth one and a breastfeeding one. I think the childbirth one was a waste of time. The breastfeeding one was somewhat useful, but I don't think it was necessary. I personally would've saved my money and skipped both classes....

 

[pebbie1]

I never went to any classes and never regretted it. I've got plenty of friends so didn't need to go for that either. If you feel confident then there's no need I'd say

 

[Cupcake.Star]

The only thing I found good was the baby CPR we were taught. The rest was rubbish. We had no hospital tour and there was barely any talk on the labour and pain relief.

 

[misslissa]

I'm thinking the same, I've just completed a 6 week (12hrs) hypnobirthing class and the lady running it is a midwife so she went through quite a lot of stuff with us as extras. To be honest my main reason for not wanting to go is they I don't want to undo the positivity I've got from hypnobirthing. Couple of friends have been and said they came out stressed about birth and complications - I don't want that.

 

[LynseyPynsey]

I didn't go to any and I'm managing fine

 

[amjon]

I think we're going to skip them. With my first I was induced at 27 weeks (after she died), so hadn't had a class before and I did fine. The only class the hospital offers is lamaze and I'm not all that into the quick, heavy breath method (think I would probably pass out from hyperventilating). If I don't need a c-section I'll just go with what worked last time (slow, controlled breaths when pain hit and moving however felt best).

 

[Bitsysarah]

Ive booked in for classes at my local children's centre which are in the evening. I feel like it definitely worth going as they talk about pain relief and labour etc Hopefully I will meet other mums to be in my local area.

Hey, I am also from the wirral, I did not find the four classes they have helpful at all. Well I skipped the last two because it was so boring...I thought it would be a chance to meet other people, but we didn't even get the the opportunity to introduce ourselves to each other...... But the labour and motion one At seacombe was fab!!!!

 

[Penny83]

We went to the NHS ones, there are only 3 sessions in our area, and one of these was cancelled & rolled into the next one, so we only ended up with 2 sessions in the end. They held them at a local community centre in the evening, so we could go after work together.

Personally a lot of the stuff that was covered I had some knowledge of from reading and just gaining info over the years etc. However I did find it helpful to be able to ask questions, listen to tips and stories from some 2nd time mums that were there, and also to see some of the equipment that might be used during birth.

What I found most beneficial, and why I think it was more than worth going, is that my husband seemed to really benefit from them. He doesn't watch any birth programmes on TV, doesn't read up about birth and babies etc, so really had very limited knowledge. I think he found them to be a good learning experience, and after the first class he really seemed to have changed with his attitude towards me and the baby. Not that I'm saying he wasn't interested before, but it seemed to bring it home to him that a baby would shortly be arriving, and you can tell he is now very excited!

If partners don't have much knowledge I think the prospect of labour is very daunting, and even knowing some of what is likely to happen, and the average sort of time frames to expect for labour etc, has been very reassuring for him, so he knows what his role is going to be. He often corrects his mum during conversations about birth now!

 

[Firestar]

I didn't find the local hospital tour that useful, however, we also did NCT courses and they were excellent - so helpful, informative and good fun too As first time parents, me and my partner are feeling so much more reassured after the NCT ones. Yes, a lot of the info can be found online, but we found it great to be able to have any questions we had answered by a professional, to have the time to look at/discuss things, and to meet other first time parents to be.

I certainly feel a million times more confident about breastfeeding than I would be if we hadn't done the classes.

 

[MrsCeder]

Ive booked in for classes at my local children's centre which are in the evening. I feel like it definitely worth going as they talk about pain relief and labour etc Hopefully I will meet other mums to be in my local area.

Hey, I am also from the wirral, I did not find the four classes they have helpful at all. Well I skipped the last two because it was so boring...I thought it would be a chance to meet other people, but we didn't even get the the opportunity to introduce ourselves to each other...... But the labour and motion one At seacombe was fab!!!!

Hey thanks for the tip! I think I will still go along to see for myself & the class is only 5 mins away! Whereabouts do you live?

 

[Eleanor ace]

I found mine really useful . Most of the information they gave I already knew, but DH found the demonstrations for things like how to bath a newborn, change a nappy etc helpful as he'd never looked after a baby before. We had a really informative session on pain relief and our hospitals policies on things which was great as when I had surgery after having DS I knew what to expect (with regards to where LO would be, how long until I'd be moved from recovery/allowed home...). We got to look at and handle the equipment used for different pain relief options which the ladies who were planning to have epidurals found particularly useful.
The breastfeeding class was good, as although I'd read up about breastfeeding having someone show you how to pump, massage for engorgement and different latch positions was really helpful. It helped DH to help me too.