NCT antenatal classes

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

I won't respond to some of the bigotted comments above

What are you on about?

Originally Posted by Sir Trev

I won't respond to some of the bigotted comments above but as a parent who went to NCT and surgery anti-natal classes the NCT ones were by far the better. Yes you can get a lot of the info from other sources but to talk about things with someone as a group was far easier to understand. We got a lot out of it, it was not hippy-drippy or middle class snobby in ANY way. The surgery group was mums-to-be-only so straight away less helpful, the midwives were not always there, and didn't discuss half of the topics we got through at NCT classes.

It ALWAYS depends on who leads the sessions. You cannot say which is better unless you try it and EVERY group will be different. If you have the chance to go then I'd say do the sessions if you have any questions or concerns - you can always dismiss it afterwards but you may well learn something that will really help. And that first time is not a fun time so being as pre-warned as possible is always better.

We have good friends still from both NCT and surgery sessions. Very helpful when we had just moved to a place and had no local acquiaintences. That on it's own was useful.

And a final note about midwives. Even though we did all those classes we didn't meet the midwife who delivered my daughter until the big day and we never saw her again (lovely lady by the way). It would have been nice but it was not an option for us. The post-natal support midwives ran the surgery classes and saw us just twice at home afterwards. Both members of this team were large, happy, delightful West Indian ladies with accents neither of us could understand...

Depending on how the trust operates in your area will depend on how the midwifery care is structured. Some areas "community midwives" - the ones who do your antenatal appointments, and should do your postnatal visits will never work in the labour ward or delivery suite. In other areas they do on-call for delivery suite, so MIGHT be there when your baby is born.

It is very difficult for midwives to establish this kind of system, because many midwives dont want to do on-call for labour ward for a variety of reasons. Then of course there is annual leave and sick leave for community midwives, who often work in a "team". Which means you might see a variety of different midwives during the pregnancy and postnatal period.

I do think that continuity of carer is important for women and their babies, however in a massively busy system and a seriously understaffed one at that it is difficult to achieve at times.

(Incidentally the RCM is running a petition to recruit 5,000 more midwives in England, perhaps you might like to sign it?)

I was not trying to "type cast" anyone and I am certainly no biggot, however I do think that NCT classes attract a certain clientèle. They are inaccessible to certain groups of mothers and families in society (ie teenage mothers, deprived backgrounds, asylum seekers etc) and these are the groups who usually require additional input. The £200 price tag tends to stop access to that though. So for many the free midwife led classes are their only option.

As I have said time and time again - try them both, don't rule out the midwifery led classes. You might even find that your local area do a "Dads To Be" group - just for dads, run by dads. Sometimes women will discuss different things in a female only group rather than in a mixed group.

You will learn a lot what ever you do.

Because apparently if you can afford £200 you're a middle class superior type. That's pretty much typecasting. It depends what you consider spending £200 on and how much you prioritise what you're going to spend it on.

Probably not really my place to get involved in this one but just a few observations, from what I can gather from this thread, you have the option of getting something for free,

Originally Posted by fenjer

I would advise that you and your wife go to you local midwifery run classes too.

that is not great in the first place

Originally Posted by dizzyblonde

they are the biggest crock o sheeeite going. . .

and yet you would rather pay £200 for the privilege...

Originally Posted by Sabarius

They are charging us £200 for the privilege too which damn near gave me a heart attack

It seems a little excessive to me, but if there is money being thrown around... "I'll have some )

Originally Posted by shonadoll

Because apparently if you can afford £200 you're a middle class superior type. That's pretty much typecasting. It depends what you consider spending £200 on and how much you prioritise what you're going to spend it on.

It's not typecasting. A lot of the research suggests that attendees of NCT (and indeed midwife led AN) classes are middle class.

"Findings: the women in the three groups were largely similar in terms of being older than the national average for childbearing women, middle-class and affluent... Women from social classes 4 and 5 and very young women were almost entirely unrepresented. Twenty-three per cent of hospital class attenders, 61% of NCT attenders and 48% of Active Birth attenders were also going to a second set of antenatal classes, suggesting a considerable duplication of effort on behalf of childbirth educators."

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...66613895900284

"here was a clear hierarchy in attendance and non-attendance based on social class, with middle class women being the most regular attenders, closely followed by older, married, working class women...Older, married, working class women were found to have attendance patterns which were close to their middle class counterparts, and what differences there were seemed to be based on material factors."

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science...66613897900048

But that debate is in danger of derailing this thread entirely.

The OP wanted to know what to expect - it is fair to say backed up by evidence that it's likely to be middle class people there. People who have sought out a forum to gain knowledge, to discuss options and to inform themselves about what lies ahead.

The gathering of information wherever it comes from can never be a bad thing. Forewarned is Forearmed as the saying goes.

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by The Idle Biker

What are you on about?

Some of the comments were clearly bashing something that either did not work for them or they felt it was only for "the middle classes" without having any experience of it. Our NCT group included a youth worker, a school lab technician, a wood turner, me (accountant) and believe-it-or-not my GP. Quite a mix. The surgery group was about the same.

As Fenjer rightly says it depends on how your PCT is set up as to what you can expect for free. For a pretty small cost you can supplement that with something that may help as much or more depending on how open minded you are and how well it is run. I would always suggest someone takes the option if they can - even if you only learn one thing it is one thing less to worry about on the (very stressful) day itself.

My point Was more that someone who is middle class isn't necessarily superior. I attended NCT classes and there was a great mix of people- I certainly didnt pay £200 either, but then maybe I don't understand what middle class means.

Also, don't really get the point whether or not it's considered middle class, seems to me that would maybe put people off what can be a very useful thing to do, given there aren't as many NHs ones these days I'm sure.

Oh and asylum seekers and those on benefits get a HUGE reduction, 90% off.

http://www.nct.org.uk/courses/course...-price-options