That annoying bit around eight weeks when your baby inexplicably stops napping during the day? The first time you try to give Calpol to your newly vaccinated baby using that syringe thing?
The week sleep regression? It turned out, of course, that their mothers had met when they were in the same NCT group, and remained lifelong friends. So, if you get lucky, put in the time, and no-one falls out over the correct way to swaddle a newborn, you, and your child, might just make friends for life. The result is that you might well find yourself in quite a middle-class bubble on your course.
This probably depends quite heavily on where you live, but friends of mine who have lived in cooler younger and more transient parts of big cities have found that a year or so in, when second children and the need for a second or third bedroom came onto the agenda, a lot of their groups moved out of the area, in search of their own front door and outdoor space.
So try not to put too much pressure on yourself if it doesn't work out. But there have also been reports over the years of women receiving poor or no information on areas including pain relief, formula feeding and C-sections.
This weekend we were having lunch at the pub and at the next table was an NCT group on their first post-baby reunion. It was obviously an NCT group. There was a lot of handshaking, hugging and barely contained hysteria. There was a line of sparkly, mud-free prams, no-one had a clue how to fold them.
There was a small ruckus every time a baby cried, and much respectful eye averting every time someone got a boob out. NCT classes are pre-baby education classes on late pregnancy, childbirth and the early baby days. Lead by an instructor, and usually taking place in their house or in a local hall, the classes usually consist of a small group of women and couples.
Often billed as an expensive introduction service, we took an NCT pre-childbirth course because we wanted to make friends with other pregnant couples, obviously, but also because were pretty clueless about babies. Lots of people take the courses for the chance to meet other parents-to-be. We did also cover a reasonable amount of valuable baby info breastfeeding a doll upside down, looking at photos of a placenta and simulating labour while bouncing on a ball aside.
I felt so cheated. I still meet regularly with all the women from my group we're close friends now and our babies are 2. I did nct as I couldn't make the timing of the local nhs ones. My lo starts school next month and of the 6 couples on our course 4 of us are still in touch, for the friends I made it was worth every penny. However I was not impressed with the teaching either. May have just been our group but I felt very pushed towards natural childbirth, our teacher did not discuss c sections then 3 of the births ended I csection and the families involved didn't feel that they knew enough about it.
Can you do both? Or do nhs ones sooner and enrol for nct if you still feel you need them? Incidentally I did end up with 2 drug free and very relaxed labours so maybe I should be thanking them!!
But I like to have all the facts then make own mind up Made some good friends too! Netmums-to-be please help, not felt baby move today. Netmums-to-be Warning! Netmums-to-be Not going back to work after maternity leave. The quality of the class will depend on who leads it - suppose some NCT leaders are and some are not so good, same with NHs ones!
I went on NHS ones and it was done by the same lady who does the NCT ones - she was fab, we loved them, and made life long friends!!
I'd try and get some feedback on the person who leads your local course first. Can't find your answer? Look into seeing if you have a lazy daisy birthing class near you. I never found it first time round, just did nhs ones. But I've learnt so much and the classes are much cheaper than anything else around x.
Thanks everyone, I'm still undecided but will do some more research into the NHS classes before I hand over my hard earned cash! I've heard that the new mums groups are a great way to make baby friends as well so I'll be looking out for my nearest groups when the time comes!
WIth my first I had the same questions but due to the money I decided to go to my NHS ones which was three sessions over 3 weeks and 3 years on I still see my lovely group every week and our boys we all had boys!
However , when my friend had a baby the year after they had changed the format of classes and it was a 4 hour session on one Saturday so she didn't get to talk to anybody and made no new friends that way. I do think that with NCT classes you are basically guaranteed to make friends as everyone is paying good money for exactly the same reasons! Friends with babies of similar ages are invaluable when you have a first baby, in my opinion so I'd say if you can afford it, then go for it.
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