Pregnant ladies - did you/do you go to NHS (parentcraft?) antenatal classes?

LegalBlonde

Thank you all so much :jI really wasn't expecting so much of a response thank you all so much for making the effort. I feel much better now

I suppose most of what I am worrying about is really just common sense and anything I discuss/decide now will probably not matter at the time.

I just thought there was a stage in your care where you would put in your notes what in theory you do want to do for example I read that NICE guidelines now state differently about elective Caesareans etc. I just found it a bit strange when I said how are we gonna "get this baby out of here" that should scream to her that I don't have a clue (when I do :rotfl:) but she wasn't fussed :rotfl:

Strangely enough I got a Cow and Gate DVD in the post this morning about giving birth etc so I might watch that.

I suppose forewarned is forearmed in my book but it sounds like I can find everything on the internet and at the end of the day it is down to us what we "think" we want to do and like some of you have said I am sure I will have plenty of time at the time :rotfl::rotfl:

Thanks I will keep reading as it is so interesting to hear so many different views and experiences

LegalBlonde

bluebluecow wrote: »

My tips are dont push when they say dont push, try and relax and go with the flow as every birth is different, your not a faliure if you have every pain relief possible

Thank you I am totally trying to take this approach Both myself and OH find this whole "should" do this and that attitude strange and while it is up to each individual person etc, I wouldn't try to manage a broken leg with no pain relief. As far as I know there are no medals at reception for doing it all by myself but I understand everyone has different views on this kind of thing, this is just ours.

Hopefully we will continue to feel this was and same for b/f, if we are able to great but if not ok. (well actually we are hoping to be able to b/f with exclusive pumping after a bit so that both of us can do it and I am left a bit free-er, one MW said not for first 2 weeks and 1 said don't run out and buy a pump you might be able to use your hand)

I hope the MWs are nice to me :rotfl::rotfl:

Tigsteroonie

I had signed up to go to NHS antenatal classes. They were scheduled for 32, 33 & 34 weeks.

They could perhaps have done with being scheduled a bit earlier ... I had Andrew at 29 weeks

mildred1978

LegalBlonde wrote: »

. (well actually we are hoping to be able to b/f with exclusive pumping after a bit so that both of us can do it and I am left a bit free-er, one MW said not for first 2 weeks and 1 said don't run out and buy a pump you might be able to use your hand)

There are women on this forum that exclusively expressed - might be worth doing a search. From what they've said on here it is extremely hard work and not for the faint hearted. I'm sure one woman said she'd had to express on a plane!! :eek: I doubt very much it will "free you up". You'll still have to express every 3-4 hours, 24/7 to keep your supply up.

I breastfed my son for a year despite never expecting to be able to. Just take it one step at a time and you'll be fine.

fluffnutter

I've got mine booked for 34 and 35 weeks. They're the NHS ones, two sessions of two hours, one is about labour and the second about what to expect after the birth, feeding and stuff.

I'm a bit ambivalent tbh. I did think about the NCT ones and asked my midwife what extra they'd give me above the NHS ones. She said 'more time' basically, plus I might meet some other mothers.

I know this sounds antisocial but I'm a pretty introverted person and the thought of hanging around with a group of women whom I've got nothing in common with other than we're all having babies at around the same time fills me with horror!

I shall try the NHS ones, but if I hate the first, I'm not bothering with the second one...

skintchick

I voted no, but I did go to some private ones. I didn;t go to the NHS ones because they are on two Saturdays and I could only make session one in one month and session two in another and they refused to let me split it like that.

Also, I knew that one of the sessions was all about hospital, and I was having a home birth so it would be irrelevant.

I did a private course which covered much more as it was over more sessions, and also covered home birth so it was more relevant to me.

However, I'd done so much reading that I knew it all and actually was able to help the person running it with links to new research that she hadn't read!

I didn;t do NCT, and I didn;t make any long-term friends on the course I did, though, so I do wish we'd done NCT now.

bigmomma051204

Hiya

Right, i work at a childrens centre and have sat in on/co-facilitated SOO many ante-natal classes its impossible to count!!!

I would say that if you CAN attend, then its a good plan as you will meet other mums there and will find out what is available locally for you to access after baby arrives. BUT, if you can't attend then i totally wouldnt worry about it!!

Basically the classes our local midwives run (and bear in mind they are different from one area to another but i guess generally have the same type of content) have 4 x 2 hr sessions. First is Labour & Birth - probably the most "popular/well attended"... in this they look at various pain reliefs available, discuss what to expect when u go to hospital, show u some positions and generally talk through any worries about birth that the mums may have. The most "important" in my opinion (in our area anyway!)
The second session is breastfeeding - very useful if you are going to try and breastfeed or are sure you are going to... if you are SURE u dont want to or medically cant, then really no reason to attend in my opinion! An informative session though all the same although with ALL areas and session, it TOTALLY depends on the person RUNNING the course! Sometimes u will have sessions run by the health visitors (in my area, these tend to be the pants sessions lol!)
Third session is called "Early days at home" - mildy useful session about looking after yourself post birth - though again, depends who runs it and it is usually the health visitors (hmmm) and fwiw, i personally think it should look at far more "basic" stuff as well, ie bathing baby, making up bottles if you are CHOOSING/CAN'T breastfeed (yeah yeah, please dont let the anti-bottlers get me!) and more practical advice...
Last session tends to be a Local Info session - so info from children's centre on services, groups etc.. family infomation service in our area come along and give info about tax credits, finding childcare, childcare vouchers and 3 yr funding etc. Also, we invite the library along to explain about Bookstart and signing your child up etc. Sometimes we have invited the Real Nappy people along if parents have expressed an interest in the first 3 sessions....

So, hope that explains a BIT about what you might be able to expect from your sessions..... My personal experience was that i was young, single and pregnant - went to first session and because i was on my own and the parking at hospital is DIRE, i drove around for an hour, couldnt park, got hysterical and upset then went home!! Was told that as i hadnt attended the first, i would have to wait until the next lot of session the next month... but as i was 36 weeks by that point (cos midwives hadnt booked me on!) i didnt ever get to go to any. I had a dreadful labour, that nobody could have ever planned for!! And i now have a 7year old boy who is lovely (albeit cheeky and rude lol!)

Do what you wanna do - try and speak with MW about birth plan. But as i said, i didnt have a "plan" and it all worked out in the end.... just expect the unexpected!!!!

And good luck and congratulations :beer::beer:

VikkiiKawaii

I went to NHS antenatal classes but picked and chose which ones I thought were useful, e.g didn't bother going to the one where they were discussing things like hospital visiting times as I already knew them, but did choose to go the ones on feeding.

A lot of the things covered were things I had already picked up through internet research.

gizmodo_2

I went to them and TBH they didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, but I did like the midwife who hosted them, she was hilarious and very down to earth and I guess it was useful for a first timer. But you're not missing out. We had 3, one was basically on what to pack which was quite useful as it was specific to the hospital. One on pain relief and one on how to know when to call the hospital and what to expect from giving birth.

The best thing I ever did was go to the first time mum's classes afterwards. I met 10 lovely ladies, 7 of which I still see on a regular basis a year on. I think without them I would have had quite a boring year...and now have some new friends

Kira000

We went to the single session offered by our NHS hospital. It was well worth doing, as it gave the information relevant to that hospital- there are things that will be dictated by hospital policy, i.e epidurals, visitors, when they allow/suggest you come in, attitude to breastfeeding vs formula, that you wont get from a book.
Even DH thought it was enjoyable/informative.