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[050887]

UK ladies who already have kids - Did any of you not go to your antenatal classes?
My first (of 4) is on the 3rd June but I might cancel.  Both of my birth partners work nights and the classes clash with their hours (while they'd leave work if I went into labour, this isn't worth losing money for!) and I'd rather not go alone.  There isn't really

Comments

[prakriti]

Is this an NCT class or one offered by the hospital

[050887]

Sorry, they're hospital classes, not NCT and I probably could go alone but I don't want to be the only one there without a partner.  Also my hospital's tour is online and I've already done that! 

[azure_dragon]

It depends what you want to get out of them! I went to 2 out of 3 with my first pregnancy, and found most of the information interesting, but not much I hadn't read online or in various books - if you're well-read most of it won't be new to you. That said, it's good to find out what is specific to your hospital/birthing centre/midwife team.

The one bit I did find useful was watching birthing videos, specifically a pool birth. Prior to that I'd dismissed a water birth as 'a bit hippy and not for me' but seeing it totally changed my perspective and I've now had two pool labours and one pool birth! :)

Also, it's a good way to meet other parents-to-be who are local to you. Plenty of mums went without their partners where I am, but I do live in a military area so there are lots of army wives with husbands on deployment. Still, no-one bats an eye!

[notagain]

I went to the NHS classes, there were only 2 and I didn't learn anything that I hadn't already learnt from books/friends/the internet. That said I did find it reassuring to know I'd prepared every way I could and you have the opportunity to ask questions as well, which is really useful. Are there any daytime classes that you could get to instead? Our local NCT group did day as well as evening classes. I didn't do the NCT thing, I think preparation for labour wise they are quite biased in their approach but they are great for creating groups of friends. That said, I have not found it difficult to make lots of mummy friends and I have hooked into several NCT groups, so they are not a unique opportunity. If you can't get along to a class with your birth partners I would still go anyway, what is the worst that can happen? I imagine they would make you feel welcome and supported, but if you felt uncomfortable you can always drop out after the first one and all you have lost is an evening of your time.

[ailbhe]

I found NHS classes very useful for information about local NHS services which were non-obvious from websites and leaflets, and for getting to know a group of local people who were giving birth locally at roughly the same time as me. 9 years on I still nod at some of them in the street and some families turned into close friends.

There were always a number of people without their partner; some partners came only for the first or last session. The classes are valuable for partners too though because it is helpful for them to know what to expect from the services you'll be using when you give birth, in case they need to advocate for you when you aren't in a position to do so yourself. Unless they have been present at a birth before, they really might need the information!