NCT/Birthmatters Classes - worth the money?

mildred1978

barbiedoll wrote: »

When I went into the birthing room just before I had my baby, I saw all these shiny, scary-looking things on a metal tray. I must have freaked out a little as I can remember the midwife saying...."Okaaaay......we'll just move these over here out of the way then"
:rotfl::rotfl:

I planned a home birth but ended up with a forceps delivery. I never, ever want to know what happened down there!

sweaty_betty

mildred1978 wrote: »

I believe the NHS classes include them showing you ventouse, forceps, the hook they use to beeak waters, epidural needle etc :eek:

Mine didn't and I'm very glad they didn't - some things are better not knowing about!

balletshoes

mildred1978 wrote: »

I believe the NHS classes include them showing you ventouse, forceps, the hook they use to beeak waters, epidural needle etc :eek:

things must have moved on then :eek: - I had none of that at all at my NHS classes (I had 6 or 8 of them). I did have a ventouse delivery in the end (and I didn't see any of the instruments at all while in the delivery room, apart from the ones the doctor was about to use on me).

Lemoncurd

MrsExcited wrote: »

Hey LemonCurd - when did you do your last antenatal classes at St Marks? I'm just wondering if they have changed a lot since you did them?

It was about three years ago so a while back, they have a great Children's Centre there where they run all sorts of sessions and classes like that. I looked it up and the lady who led them then is still one of the Birthmatters teachers so I imagine the courses would be very similar.

Have you heard about the NCT Bumps and Babes group? It's every Tues 10.30am-12 at Pizza Express Mhead, you just drop in, no need to be a member and we used to get the first drink free. Might be a good place to find out more about the NCT classes or it's nice to just have a chat with other mums to be.

Gingerjar

I went to NCT classes and have to say I really regret it. Unless you have the "perfect" birth, ie no drugs or interventions you will be patronised and made to feel that you have failed despite having a great baby safely. Wish I'd stuck with the sensible, straightforward NHS classes taught by midwives who know the reality of labour rather than middle class, baby fascists!

daska

Gingerjar wrote: »

I went to NCT classes and have to say I really regret it. Unless you have the "perfect" birth, ie no drugs or interventions you will be patronised and made to feel that you have failed despite having a great baby safely. Wish I'd stuck with the sensible, straightforward NHS classes taught by midwives who know the reality of labour rather than middle class, baby fascists!

Then I would have complained. We had a mix of births experiences in our group from mine which was planned as a home birth and ended up with a 4hour+ second stage ending in a delivery theatre to someone who after learning what was involved was quite happy to announce that she wasn't prepared to consider anything less than an epidural and would prefer a section thank you very much. All of us were treated with respect and courtesy and kindness.

Gillyx

I found our NHS classes informative and good enough for us. We had 4 2 hours sessions, some with midwife, some with physiotherapist. I've not yet had my baby but glad we didn't shell out for the NCT classes.

The only thing I would say is ours didn't start until 6.45 and ended at 9pm. I was shattered after them and felt they were held a bit too late and maybe a bit lengthy.

I find it ridiculous some of the snobbish attitudes on here, for what is essentially a money saving site. I would say me and my partner were the youngest at our NHS classes and we are 23 and 24. They weren't full of chavs or 16 year olds, I'd say mostly normal couples.

Good Luck with whatever you decide

mildred1978

daska wrote: »

Then I would have complained. We had a mix of births experiences in our group from mine which was planned as a home birth and ended up with a 4hour+ second stage ending in a delivery theatre to someone who after learning what was involved was quite happy to announce that she wasn't prepared to consider anything less than an epidural and would prefer a section thank you very much. All of us were treated with respect and courtesy and kindness.

Ditto to our group. Oddly, only 2 of the 6 couples got the birth they 'wanted' - one home water birth and the other a fully medicalised but natural birth. Not one c-sec between us.

sweaty_betty

mildred1978 wrote: »

Ditto to our group. Oddly, only 2 of the 6 couples got the birth they 'wanted' - one home water birth and the other a fully medicalised but natural birth. Not one c-sec between us.

Out of the 8 of us in our NCT group we had 5 emergency c-sections - I've always thought of it as the curse of NCT

jackyann

have just skimmed this - so it may have been covered - but some areas have cut back their NHS classes to zero or just one "information" session.
I personally think that most NCT classes are well worth the money, but obviously it depends on:
what the local NHS classes are like
what your budget has to stretch to
what the NCT classes are like
Both NCT & NHS classes can be very variable.