alyxzandra

I want to get some thoughts on this. My fiance and I went to an antenatal class down the road from where we live. This is offered by the NHS. The midwife running it was ok, but none of the other people attending were open or friendly, to say the least. And then the class was based around silly card games and when we tried to interact during these games, we were rebuffed. Everything covered I already found out on my own or on here. We came out of the class quite disheartened.

The following week we were unable to attend the class and since then, we have not bothered. My friend, who just had a baby, tells me we should attend these classes. But, we are so turned off to them. She suggested the National Childcare Trust. However, in my area the classes cost between £194 - £250!!! The only way to get a discount, according to the website, is if we are on benefits or making under £15,000, which I find to be unfair. We both work, but cannot afford these prices. In fact, we are unable to move to a bigger place due to our finances (we own a 1 bedroom flat) for years to come.

However, I think that we really do not need these classes. My friend disagrees, but said she will help me out as much as possible. Because I do not have any family and my fiance's mother lives over an hour away, she thinks we need to know as much as possible.

Any ideas or thoughts?

Vickie

I'm not doing any of the classes.......don't really want to spend the money on them and like you have found loads of information out through the forum and in books.

alyxzandra

I am relieved that it is now just me thinking this way!

doctordeesmrs

I'm not doing them either. They have no spaces left for me. So if they are not that bothered why should i be.

clairebear

i only went on the free ones but dont feel i learnt alot x

Linzi

I have to say, we didn't find out classes that useful. The only thing we really got out of them was the delivery suite tour but had we gone to a local class and not a hospital one we wouldn't have had that anyway. All of the stuff they told us my OH and I already knew.

Tbh, the only reason I went was because Im new to the area and thought I might be able to meet some new people in the same situation. Which is a good idea I thought. Except I was probably the youngest by 15 years and I got some really horrible looks off some people. Im 21 ffs. Also we tried talking to people there when we got put in groups and got nothing back from them. they were very closed off.

I personally think if you're going to have to pay for them, I woulldn't bother.

xxx

clairebear

we were also the yongest there at 21 and they were all very clicky with each other and we felt leftout x

Carolyn

we went to ours for the first time today, it was really informal, people just chatting and asking things...like we do on here!! the best thing about it for me was that it gave me and OH dedicated talking about baby time!! we're having an extension built after just moving house, so time to talk is limited...it was worth it, just for that reason! (I didn't learn any thing that i hadn't picked up on here, other than the thing about the cot bumper...)

Angelica

We got ours next thurs! It is a full day one from 10am-4pm!
I am hoping to learn alot from it, so fingers crossed..

Sorry u didnt find ur's useful... The NCT ones are a little too expensive.
There is another company that I found when I initially couldnt get the nhs one & the woman I spoke to was fab! It was £50 for 1 full day or £100 for the weekend, based in Kent.

Let me know if ur interested & I'll send u details

alyxzandra

We are not new to our area and wanted to know other people who are having children. However, we had the opposite problem as I am 39 and my fiance is 32. Everyone else was much younger. And it does not help that we look a bit different (gothic appearance, fiance has long hair and I have black/blonde hair). It was way too cliquey for us.