NCT membership

kidtechnical

Woby_Tide wrote:

Sort of moneysaving, i.e. do we save £100 by not joining the local NCT! Anyone any experience of these groups either good or bad? It seems our local group is relatively new (as it doesn't appear on their website yet, we got details from friends of friends) so not sure whether it would be worth it unless there were more people, plus we've only 3 months to go until the event so have we missed the boat for gaining benefit?

You don't have to join the NCT to use the NCT, it's a charity and any charges it makes for services like Ante Natal or Post Natal classes are to cover overheads (training, materials, venue hire...). Also, although they charge, they can drop the price at their own branch discretion depending on your circumstances. It's 'Coffee mornings' and 'bumps & babes' groups are open to non members, there's usually a tin for donations, my own branch takes maximum of 50p donation and they don't put any pressure on you to join either. I always found the coffee groups very welcoming. When I joined I was a Jobseeker so got membership for 1 pound (got a free NCT book through with my membership). When I renewed my membership it covered everyone in my house, so DH is a member now too. You also get a quarterly magazine thats quite good and my branch does it's only 6 wkly newsletter.

That said it's a fantastic charity & a lot of the things we take for granted in the labour ward today we have them to thank for, they've made it possible to have your partner at the birth, got rid of routine pubic shaves and helped us stay mobile in labour. There's also the other thing the docs used to make us drink so we'd poo, can't remember the name of it, but they stopped that too. The also provide lot of 'information based' information, so that you can research things yourself & make informed, confident parenting decisions, rather than rely on your MW or HV giving the correct (or even all) info. They also run the NCT Breastfeeding Helpline & provides breastfeeding councillors who have been an invaluable sourse of help & support to new mums & their babies. They also have a thing called the Experienced Register, where they can put you in touch with someone locally who's going through similar experience, this person will have received training too, they help with things like Colic, cot death, teething, potty training.

Woby_Tide wrote:

What sort of benefits/pros does being a member provide and any negative points anyone has experienced.

Thanks in advance

Well the benefits are that you will as a member you will not only have access to the above things, but you'll also know that you've done your bit to support them (giving something back if you like). They will continue to work on behalf of parents to provide information & support & make changes were needed. I forgot to mention that the NCT are also responsible for bringing down the c section rate in England & Wales. Presumably with funding they'll continue to make pregnancy and birth a positive experience for a long time to come & your off spring will benefit from it too.

The only -ve thing is that it's seen as a white middle class charity for white middle class people, this is an image they are desparately trying to shake off. The more diverse their membership the better to make sure they reach everyone who needs them.

filigree_2

This advice is too late for the OP, but you should sign up for antenatal classes as early as possible. I waited till three months passed because I had threatened miscarriage for the first 18 weeks I applied for their "due in September" class in March and was told the class was already full. It's like Eton - put your name down at the moment of conception ;o)

A friend of mine joined and she echoed the sentiment that her class was rigidly pro-breastfeeding, anti nearly everything. She happily breastfed for over a year, but she was uncomfortable with the way other mothers were harrassed about their different choices.

I agree with kidtechnical about the middle class image - NCT head office suggested classes further afield and seemed taken aback when I said I couldn't drive and didn't fancy struggling across town on a bus when I was heavily pregnant. Most of the post-baby activities were only really suitable for stay-at-home mothers, and I had to go out to work. *shrug* since much of what the NCT offers pretty much ruled me out, I never bothered joining.

carpool72

Funny, I was just looking at the chequebook last night & thinking I should post about the offers - 1/2 are aimed at pregnant women & half people with babies. Off the top of my head there's 10% off places like Blooming Marvellous, ELC, money off Lansinoh breast pads, books, holidays and quite a few vouchers which I used already in Asda - well worth getting just for that. Your local branch should have a stock of chequebooks - I've got a box of 'goody bags' that I take to coffee mornings and events to give out to new people.

eml_3

As others have said, you don't have to be a member to benefit from the NCT, however, many people join as a way of supporting the charity, or to 'give something back.'

Not all branches let members in to sales first - check with your local branch!

As far as classes go, if you gain nothing else from them, at least you have met some other people having babies around the same time as you - these people could be a lifeline after your baby is born. There is no 'NCT Way' to give birth - what classes should do is provide you with the information you need to make informed choices about how you give birth and feed your baby. there are a lot of misconceptions that the NCT is against pain relief etc and that is just not true.

Classes fill up very quickly, especially if you live in London or the South East - however, some teachers will do labour days or short courses - it is worth asking.

kidtechnical

filigree wrote:

I agree with kidtechnical about the middle class image - NCT head office suggested classes further afield and seemed taken aback when I said I couldn't drive and didn't fancy struggling across town on a bus when I was heavily pregnant. Most of the post-baby activities were only really suitable for stay-at-home mothers, and I had to go out to work. *shrug* since much of what the NCT offers pretty much ruled me out, I never bothered joining.

Ahh, but of couse the thing is if you were a member you could have tried starting a weekend bumps & babes or coffee morning & got a rota going that would have appealed to other working parents. I know my local branch has recently started a weekend rota & are toying with doing a Saturday "fathers & toddlers" group for SAHM who's OH works & miss out on all the weekday fun.

Oh & I didn't realise this was an old post till after I replied.

s@sha

filigree wrote:

This advice is too late for the OP, but you should sign up for antenatal classes as early as possible. I waited till three months passed because I had threatened miscarriage for the first 18 weeks I applied for their "due in September" class in March and was told the class was already full. It's like Eton - put your name down at the moment of conception ;o)

I was just wondering what made people decide to pay for the NCT ante-natal classes, rather than use the free ones provided by the NHS? Or did you go to both?

I'm 3 months pregnant, and had heard of the NCT, but didn't know they provided classes until reading this thread. It seems like I'm going to have to decide quickly which classes to go to...what is better about the NCT ones that make them worth paying for?

Also, my midwife told me breastfeeding support is available to me on NHS as well..again, what is different about the support you get from the NCT?

carpool72

I found that with the NHS the quality of support you get was dependant on the midwife / health visitor you get. A lot of midwives are very committed to supporting breastfeeding, but equally many aren't, or haven't got the experience of an NCT counsellor. My midwife was fabulous, can't sing her praises enough & I didn't need the NCT BF support at all BUT most of my friends weren't so lucky and have rung for advice / support a few times. I went to NHS & NCT antenatal classes and was ever so glad I went to the NCT cos I got so much more info there - it was a smaller group so I felt more comfortable getting to the nitty gritty of things I wanted to know. I didn't really have anything in common with the other people at my NHS class, but I've become really close to the other mums from my NCT classes, which is quite common from what I hear. I think how quickly you need to book depends where you live - it's always better to book early cos it helps with planning the classes, but it's worth ringing anyway even if you are well into your pregnancy.

carpool72

sorry, just realised I didn't make something clear - the breastfeeding support is free to everybody. The only thing you pay for is antenatal classes, and membership should you decide to join.

Counting_Pennies_2

s&#64 wrote: »

I was just wondering what made people decide to pay for the NCT ante-natal classes, rather than use the free ones provided by the NHS? Or did you go to both?

I went to both, and the NCT class was so more detailed and inclusive.

The NHS surgery in my area ran two evenings for 20 couples, it was more a lecture and factual than supportive. It was impossible to build up a friendship with others due to the size of the group.

The NCT group consisted of 6 couples and I think ran for 7 or 8 weeks, the group I met there are still my lifeline now and the information offered in those classes was fantastic. As it was I had to have a caesarean and the NCT class spent much of an evening talking about C sections to prepare me. The teacher asked what it was we wanted to cover and covered those areas on top of what they do as standard.

Do call your local branch a.s.a.p to get your name down if you want to go for it, I got the last place when I was about three months pregnant.

Good luck

s@sha

Thanks so much for the advice about the ante-natal classes. I've just spoken to my local organiser & she is already taking names from people whose babies are due in August, so just as well I rang...mines due Sept 8th.

They run the classes with a maximum of 8 couples, it lasts for 8 weeks. Cost is £126 (eek!) but that includes an optional £36 membership fee for the first year of NCT membership. So £90 if you don't wish to become a member.

I asked what the difference was between what the NCT classes offer & what you get with the NHS, and it seems they do try to go into a lot more depth about everything, with more individual attention, more practical stuff & a more relaxed environment. Also, there is the aim for the couples to become a support for each other for after the birth as well, which isn't really likely to happen with the NHS classes.

She confirmed what Counting-Pennies said... with the NHS classes I'd probably only get two or three sessions, and she said that she'd had several couples who'd not even got that because their NHS classes were cancelled due to midwife shortages.

Anyway, I put my name down provisionally, but it's sounding like it might be money well spent, so thanks again to everyone who recommended them...and especially the advice to ring early!