Vicky, that yoga thing sounds good, I might see if I can find something similar in my area. Sounds like it would fill the gaps that I want to fill.

Hi

We did our first yesterday morning: so far, so good.

From what I have been told - from friends that have done them - the most important feature of the NCT classes is not really what you cover, but the support network that you gain. Everyone I know who has done the NCT classes has still been in good touch with most (virtually all) of their NCT group 2/3 years after the births. So it is more of a support group than anything else.

Must say that the demographics worked for us... despite the majority of the classes being held on Monday mornings (10am until 1pm), the couples are all professional and I would say virtually all between early/mid 30s and very early 40s (I am 35 and husband is 37). So it is a very good match for us. The group demographics may vary from area to area and class to class.

It was a first session and unusually short (11am until 1pm - due to the organiser coming back from holiday yesterday morning). So most of the session was:
- introductions
- split into male/female groups to work out "what we wanted to cover from the sessions" and for a bit of general chat/bonding.
- discussing (and answering a few of) the "want we wnated to cover" topics.
- going through the stages of labour.

It wasn't too "Noddy" and everyone seemed happy and to get something out of it.

I am expecting MOST of the classes to be similar (i.e. theory and bonding sessions). But there are also timetabled:
- a session on breastfeeding.
- a tour of the main maternity hospital for the area.
- a "practical" session (tht is more along the lines of breathing, birthing positions and massage etc).

This works for us.

If you are not doing it already, I would highly recommend a good prenatal yoga class as part of your birth preparation. Ok it isn't for couples, but it is very useful (helping prepare your body for labour, some positions you can use for labour, some breathing techniques, relaxation etc). I have been doing this since week 15. My yoga teacher is also doing a "Birth Prepartion Workshop": a morning, for couples, working on breathing, positions and massage for labour. We are going to that.

You could also try "Hypnobirthing" - that might suit what you are looking for more?

QT

We did the intensive NCT classes and loved them. You can state at the beginning what you want to get out of it, ask any questions you like and you can call or email the people running the courses afterwards too. The BF seminar was brilliant we all loved it and it gave us all a lot of confidence.

And finally the support network is great and we never stopped laughing.

I've heard that you don't really learn anything new from them that you can't find on the internet or though reading. But then I've never been to one so I suppose I can't really comment!!!

Probably true from a purely informational point of view but that isn't the whole story as to why it is benefical.

A lot of the group exercises are geared towards the Dads who probably wouldn't get to research as much as us Mums-to-be. It also gives them a chance to talk about how they're feeling with other blokes in the same situation. It was a real eye opener for a lot of us girls as to how deeply what we're going through can affect the men in our lives.

I'm not really a mums group type of person either and it's given me contact with other women in the area that I probably wouldn't otherwise have.

Like you say you can't really comment having never been to one

Our hospital antenatal classes have been outsourced to the NCT so I'm hoping I get the best of both worlds.

We finished our NCT classes last week, we had one session per week (2 hours) for 8 weeks, they were 7-9pm and cost us around £135.

Our main reason for booking on to them was that we had heard great reviews, and also because we are only the 2nd couple out of our groups of friends to be having a baby, so we were hoping to meet like-minded people also about to become parents who lived locally that we could keep in touch with.

Well there were 6 couples including us and a single mum who brought her (fab) mum along with her and everyone was LOVELY, honestly, but i was very surprised to discover we were the youngest in the group by far! Most of the other people were in their late 30's. Now i would have been prepared for such a big age gap if i had thought we were 'young' parents, but i am 24 (soon to be 25) and OH is 26, so i was a little surprised.

Now age doesn't bother us at all, and we did still get on with everyone, but even though everyone was friendly, i could see that some of the other couples 'clicked' with each other, and would chat for a bit with each other after class and you could tell had a lot in common, but that didn't happen with us...for whatever reason we didn't seem to click with anyone

We'll still be going to the reunion in february and we have everyone's email addresses and would like to keep in touch but i can't see us building fantastic friendships because it felt like all we had in common with everyone else was that we were all having babies. And that's it.

So for that reason we both did feel a little disappointed, but it depends i suppose what you're going to the class for, because from an information point of view, you can't really fault it.

Our teacher was lovely, she took us for 7 sessions and then someone else lead the breastfeeding class, which was also really informative. Also i think the dad's benefited more from the classes than they might have done from nhs classes as they were able to really get involved, both as part of the whole group, but also for parts of some sessions they would work seperately to us mums and chat and throw ideas around amongst each other.

Things we covered were: signs of labour starting, what to expect during the different stages of labour, pain relief options, massage and alternative therpay techniques, labour and birth positions, what to expect after the birth, looking after a newborn baby, breastfeeding, 'troubleshooting' problems with a newborn (such as colic or constantly wanting to feed, or having a temperature etc) plus other things as and when they cropped up.

My only criticism is that there was A LOT of info to cram into 8 sessions and often you could tell people wanted to discuss things for longer or ask more questions but there wasn't always time.

Overall i would say i am glad that we did them, and they were worth the money, but that we didn't quite get what we had hoped out of them, and because i didn't go to the nhs ones (it seemed overkill to go to both) then i can't offer a comparison.

Hope that helps

We went to our first NCT class last night and we were both pleasantly surprised! I was dreading it a little but the group and tutor were lovely.

I guess it depends what you are after from your class...I wanted to meet other new Mum's (I am the first of all my friends and I am living in a relatively new area) and my OH found it really useful as the tutor said they will focus on the support role birthing partners face and he felt he was getting info that he wouldn't normally get.

Yes, you can read all the info in books and on the internet but I want to get various sources of info and then make my own mind up about what WE want to do. Plus you are in a small group of women going through EXACTLY the same situation, which to me is priceless.

Plus we had an endless supply of tea and biscuits

Hi there,

Unfortunately there isn't an NCT class in my area but I did try to book on one. I've had them recommended to me by several people. By all accounts, you can make some friends as the classes are kept deliberately small so you can get to know each other and keep in touch afterwards. I'd say its worth every penny if it teaches you what you need to know!

Gem x

I finished mine, I paid £14.50, and joined NCT membership for £2 and put a bit as a donation, As i am on benefits just now. There is also 3 other levels of discount depending on your income so worth looking into.

I found the classes, which were 7.15-9.45pm for 6 weeks helpfull, A lot of the stuff i already knew, from here, books, being a nanny, however id still recommend them. I was there with 4 other couples and the teacher, the teacher was FAB, just the type of midwfire id want to find myself with in labour, I dont think ill meet up with 2 of the mums much but the other 2 i think i would, one in particular is closest to my age and would have most in common with.

I'd say theure worth it, even if you know what theyre talking about some of the time, i found myself disagreeing with the teacher in my head about a few things, but when it coems down to it thats my choice if i follow what she says to do or follow my own experience. It was nice tho, nice to get out n meet people, n everyone was friendly.