NCT antenatal classes

[Firestar]

We've booked our place on a local one, so we are doing that as well as the NHS tour/breastfeeding class. Don't really know what to expect (we've got the NHS breastfeeding class this week, the first of all the classes) as we are first time parents and obviously it's all new and alien to us!

Has anyone done the NCT classes in the past? It's partly because my partner is starting to panic now about whether or not he'll be a good dad (he'll be fantastic!), and I'm really, really hoping that having a second set of classes that have a longer time frame will be good for him and will help to put his mind a rest a bit.

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

Our first NCT is a week Wednesday and we have the NHS class this Saturday for 4 hours! Arghh...

I'll update once I've been.. I'm quite nervous!

 

[Firestar]

Thanks Hope it all goes well. We haven't got our NHS 4 hour one for a few weeks yet, it's just the 2 hour breastfeeding one I'm doing at 28 + 4 rather than leave it until May 1st which is too close to D-day for my liking!

I'm hoping the NCT ones are a bit more relaxed and informal, and that my partner can get a lot out of them that'll help him - I've had a little bit of practical experience with friends babies but he's never had any, so I totally understand his sudden panic

Glad I'm not the only one feeling nervous...... I think once the classes start it'll really hit home in a way that hasn't yet about how close we are actually getting! Don't know if you feel the same?

 

[Pixiegirllily]

I did NCT ones first time round, got a lovely bond with the other expectant mothers, still email each other 18months later. I didn't feel I learnt too much but I did read lots on this forum xx

 

[Lou1234]

We had our NCT classes before our hospital classes.

There was a lot repeated but overall we are both glad we did both classes.

There wasn't enough time at the hospital one to go into detail on pain relief but at the NCT classes we went into detail.

For me, the best part of the hospital course was the tour. It has put my head in a great place knowing what the labour rooms look like and the post natal ward.

My NCT course was in January. There were 4 couples in total so a very small group. Two of the ladies have had their babies. I've met up with the other lady still waiting and all of us are planning on meeting up later this week. I'm hoping we regularly meet up once we all have our little ones as that was the main reason we signed up for the NCT class.

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

Definitely.. I do wish we could have done the courses abit earlier but this is all that was left.. The NCT ones finish when I'm 38 weeks I think!? So if I don't anything by then.. bit late!

I'm more nervous about being judged and I find it really hard to gel with groups of people I wouldn't usually..! Hopefully there will be one or two similar characters to me there as I don't know any mums to be near me...
Our NCT teacher told me that a lot of the classes are full of different nationality's who go back to where they come from after the baby is born which is a shame and also the average age in mine is 33-34 and I'm only 27 so that was also a bit disappointing too. I know age is only a number but I think there's a big difference in women aged 27 and 34. Maybe I'm being too quick to judge? But I wouldn't have a partner that much older than me so maybe that's why I am (Judging).
Time will tell!

I think your partner will like them, everyone I know the men usually get along great and really bond..

 

[Lou1234]

Glad I'm not the only one feeling nervous...... I think once the classes start it'll really hit home in a way that hasn't yet about how close we are actually getting! Don't know if you feel the same?

Our NHS class was two Saturdays for 3 hours each. Our first Saturday was about 3 or 4 weeks ago. When we came away from it after the hospital tour my husband said it now it feels really real! I think from then on the nerves have been increasing each day for him!

 

[Firestar]

Pixiegirlily -Definitely, meeting others is part of the reason for doing the classes too - none of my bfs friends have kids, and although quite a few of mine do, I live 20 miles away from the majority of my friends, there is no-one locally I know. Even though I see my friends at least once a week (most live in the same town as my parents), it'll be nice for us to see if we can get to know other couples with kids more locally, particularly for my boyfriend and our son when he arrives.

Lou - thanks so much for that - even if all we get from the classes is more info on pain relief, then that's a huge bonus, it's the one thing I feel I still have very little knowledge of, and feeling slightly daunted!

Emma - yikes! 38 weeks is late to finish! I totally sympathise on the being judged stuff, I'm pretty much the same ages as you, so that's one of my worries too that everyone else will be older. I guess the worst that can happen is coming away from it without the feeling of friendship, I don't know what your area is like, but I know here that there are quite a few local groups that you can join once baby arrives to meet other mums, which will probably have a good age range. Fingers crossed it'll be ok though

 

[xxxemmaxxx]

Even later to finish when I had my date changed by nearly 3 weeks (was due 1st April now 20th) and I still believe I'm going to be early!

I'm in Oxford and I know that NCT is not for everyone for the expense along. My teacher even told me on the phone they put the really young mums in a group on their own as they take to pregnancy different.. think I'd rather be with them!

 

[Lou1234]

Firestar the pain relief stuff was useful. We also covered so much more.

The men did an exercise in a different room (the good and bad points of pregnancy) and we did the same. The men got on really well. We covered early pregnancy signs and things might help make us more comfortable. We covered the things that will happen in the weeks after birth from appointments to milk coming in etc.

The breast feeding section was as it says on the tin.

We had a ladies only session which covered after labour and tips to help make life easier. Plus we discussed groups in the area from just meets ups to music groups to swimming.

 

[Mrs_Bump]

I really enjoyed mine. The age range was 24-40 in my class with most around my age, 31. It was particularly good for dh from an information point of view, although I also learnt bits. Everyone in the classes was different and some were easier to get along with but overall it was great. I you can afford it I'd recommend it. One girl in the class also had her last class at 38 weeks.

 

[mjemma]

I'm really glad we did the NCT classes. I felt we learnt quite a lot and it helped raise various things we weren't sure about. It was best from the social aspect though as the girls have been having lunch every week already and I went to visit one with a new baby today.

 

[Firestar]

Just to say, we've just had the first NCT class today and it was excellent! I'd highly recommend them, looking forward to the breast feeding one next week, and the other 6 hour one next weekend.

It was really informative today, and we all had a good laugh as well. Talking to my partner on the way home, he said he found it so helpful to be other first time dads with the same fears/concerns as him, and it has reassured him a lot

 

[R8ch]

I was really nervous about mine last time, but I needn't have been. They were really great and all the group are still all good friends. My husband made some really supportive first time dads so it was great for him too. One of our girls ended up having her baby before our classes finished, but that was due to an early arrival and several classes postponed due to snow (every time I'm pregnant it snows and causes disruption!). Our NHS class was rubbish - only an hour and a half to get through everything, err right!

There's only 2 of us left (out of 7) who haven't had a second baby - but the other girl is due 4 weeks before me, so we get to do it all again together.
I highly recommend them if you can afford them.

Rx