NCT vs NHS Antenatal Classes - which ones would you recommend?

Hello all! A couple of friends have suggested my husband and I attend NCT antenatal classes rather than the free NHS ones. What have your experiences been? This is my first baby (25+3 weeks) so hungry for tips and advice! Thanks in advance as always xx

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I went to NHS classes......I didn't really want to spend the money out on the NCT courses if I'm honest. I found them to be helpful and the people running them were happy to answer additional questions all the time or cover topics that people wanted to specifically know about as well as the scheduled stuff. It was run by a hospital midwife and spoke about all options available about labour, birth, feeding, sleeping, etc....didn't favour anything over the rest and was so informative and friendly. Congratulations on your pregnancy x

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I just went to nhs ones and it was my 1st too..I didn't hav tht kind of money to spend on classes but I think the nct ones r if u want a more social thing as most of people I kno to nct classes meet up after and go into a bit more depth but quite often ur local children and family centre do parent workshops which dont cost the earth xx

[jenniemc88]

I went to the nhs ones too. Free! They were informative but if like me you have already read up a lot then you kind of knew most of it already. It was reassuring to know what I had read was true and to have someone to talk to or ask questions to though x

[hannah_fraser]

I went to the NCT classes. You get a lot more (7 classes including one half day women only class). In my area the NHS offer 1 class 2 hours long and they get fully booked very early on. I found the extra time really valuable, and there was a lot of stuff I really didn't know about, in particular what they will do at the hospital straight after birth. Most useful part for me was a 2.5 hour class exclusively on how to breastfeed. Joining the NCT you get given info for the breastfeeding counsellor in your area and they will come out to your home if you have any problems. I agree one of the best things about them is that you make friends with other pregnant couples in the area. I am currently 37+4 and am meeting up with the other ladies on Thursday for coffee and cake. For me, I just needed that extra bit of confidence as I was really nervous. But that isn't to say that the NHS class isn't good and I agree NCT classes are quite pricey so would just say go what feels right for you. All the best in your pregnancy x

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I'm afraid I can't speak from experience yet, but regarding costs etc, the NCT ones are pricey. However, from looking at the website it seems that parents-to-be can get discounts (ranging from 10-90%), so if you do decide to take the NCT route, then it's definitely worth checking that out. Saying that, I don't think there's anything wrong with the NHS, from what I've heard anyway

Ultimately I would say to check the times/days of when they're running and do what you and your husband feel is right X

[uruztiwaz]

I'm going to NHS classes at the moment and they're fine, 2 hours long, 3 sessions and run by the local hospital midwives. They've covered everything in as much detail as I've wanted and answered loads of questions from other mums in the group. To be honest I haven't been told anything different to what I've found on here, the NHS website, other birthing sites (or One Born Every Minute :S). It's nice to be able to speak to a midwife though, for some reason it's feels more reassuring!

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I had the same dilemma when I was pregnant with my first. I found the NCT classes very pricey and although the social aspect was attractive the nearest one to me was 30 miles away which I didn't want to have to travel to meet up with people for coffee.

I found the NHS classes surprisingly informative and I came away feeling much more confident. My husband and I also found an advert for a private midwife offering 1:1 sessions on pretty much anything you like - she came to our home and gave us practical baby care information such as feeding, winding, settling, bathing, dressing, nappy changing etc... It sounds very basic but it was really reassuring when late in my pregnancy all I could think was "they are actually going to just give us a baby to take home - what will we do with it???".

I think if you search on the Internet you'll also find baby care workshops which are a lot less expensive than NCT.

Having said that all the feedback I've heard about NCT has been great.

[Lynstoun]

I did NCT and would highly recommend it. I can't compare with NHS cause didn't do both but the network I now have as a result of the NCT group has been an absolute lifesaver. Our babies were all born within a month of each other which means you are going through similar things at the same time. We chat often on Facebook and meet on a weekly basis.

[candiceandsesame]

I did the nct course and would absolutely recommend them. I think you will probably get great info from both though. .

But the network of friends I have from the nct class has been my lifeline. We've all had some tough times but to have other mums going through it at the same time has been brilliant. If you can afford it I'd do the nct class x

[Hidden in reply to candiceandsesame]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences. All really helpful info. I've not long moved to my area so don't know anyone close by so think I'll enquire about both classes so I can hopefully meet some new friends. Thanks again!