Antenatal classes?

[ellie]

I imagine this will be different in different areas, but here goes anyway ....

When do people start going to them? and what do they cover?
My mw mentioned them right at the beginning, and I havent heard a word since! I asked her on the phone a few weeks ago and she just said 'oh that's a bit later on, I'll talk to you at your later appointments about that'. I've had 2 appointments now, both with different midwives and it hasn't been mentioned, and today I totally forgot to ask

Should I ring and ask again? I'm not desparate to go to them or anything, but if it might be even a little bit useful I'd rather not miss out just because I keep seeing different midwives!

 

[Mollington]

Hi there - I'm at about the same stage as you - 28 wks 1 day. We have been booked in for Parentcraft classes for a while now. I had to send a form off with my preferential day of the week and they sent me dates - 21st & 28th Sept. I believe that later on there are mummy only classes.


This is in Leeds. I suppose every district/hospital is different, but it seems strange to me that you don't have dates yet. I think I would chase them up - they can always tell you that it's too early for your area.

Hope this helps.

xx

 

[Scally]

Ours were on a sat, and the midwife said she'd book us on them, but didnt, most people just turned up. Its worth ringing your MW just to check. We had two weeks, first one was labour and pain relief and second week was how to care for your newborn and breastfeeding.

 

[NuttyJester]

Ours was on Saturday too..
Our mw wrote the date down for us a while ago, but we didn't have to book, she just had a rough idea of how many would turn up...

It was 10am - 4pm,
10-12:30 covered start of labour to end of delivery (i.e. what is likely to happen /when)
12:30 - 1:15 lunch
1:15 - 1:45 the nappy lady came in to talk to us about choices, mainly reusables as she's council subsidised (well worth listening to)
1:45 - 2:30 breastfeeding, being discharged, what to expect in the first two weeks, when the mw will visit at home, etc.
2:30 - 3:00 travel to maternity unit (in another town!)
3:00 - 4:00 tour of booking in rooms / delivery rooms (including birthing pool room) / maternity ward and SCBU (we saw a tiny one being tube fed by his mum!!)

 

[NuttyJester]

Oh, and they had invited all the October due mums to that one, November due ones in last weekend of September... but we did have a lady due end of Sept too... so basically we were all 32 - 36 weeks I guess.