Did your bloke come with you to antenatal classes?

[CorrieFan]

DH doesn't think he will get anything out of going to classes but I would love him to be there. I think it will be nice to have him share the burden of remembering all the information, and maybe prepare him for the shock of seeing me give birth.

I'd love to know how many of your guys went with you.

Thanks x

 

[abcd1234]

Unless your DH knows everything there is to know about labour then he will get something outte the classes.

I refuse to have someone in there with me who doesnt know whats going to happen and understand it, i made Dave come, though tbh he didnt take much convincing lol, and now he knows that if pains start it'll be a while before we need to go to hospital and he understands whats going to happen to my body and what i want from my birth plan etc.

 

[ASD123456]

We had our first class on Monday and OH came along. I'm really glad that he did because I think he got a lot more out of it than I did. Like a lot of the other girls have said before I knew most of the stuff they told/ showed us but OH didn't. It relly helped him understand the birth process, give him understanding of when to come to hospital and also general confidence that he knows what is happening when labour does come.

I think we had a good teacher who did included the OH's very well but I think it's a very good idea for your OH to go. Mine wasn't going to come for a long tme and luckily we decided he should come along and now we are both very glad he did.

Alex xxx

 

[Lisamj]

If not only for the information, actually meeting other couples in similar situations is great.

Both DH and I loved our classes. We did the NCT ones last week and both came out of them feeling really excited/ready/informed etc etc. There was only one woman on her own because her husband worked on the weekend and she didn't turn up on the second day!

I would say a woman going on her own is in the minority from our experience. Also, it's a special time for you both and like abcd says, unless he knows all there is to know (and believe me I thought I knew everything but still learnt stuff) then IMHO he should go. Plus, it's not all about what he will get out of it - he is also there to support you and I feel it's important for him to to be in the know about what you will be going through and how you might react.

Just my tuppence worth

L xxx

 

[handbagqueen]

I haven't got mine until July but my dh will be coming with me. I made him take the time off work especially. We're going to the NCT ones too and he was a bit put out that he has to attend a breastfeeding workshop but I think its really important that he knows whats going on and doesn't think all this labour and bf'ing is all easy!

 

[Sherlock]

I didn't vote for either as my OH only came to the birth/labour/pain relief class. He found it ok, but was a bit bored in places. It was worthwhile for him in some ways, in others it didn't help. Besides we had a homebirth and most of it was geared for hospital delivery. We did most of our learning from books/MW and reading online.

TBH the breastfeeding one didn't have a single partner attend. Just pregnant women.

I skipped the other ones.

If he isn't keen to go chances are he won't really gain much from it as he may be somewhat negative about the whole thing. See if you can bring him round to it, at least attending the labour one, but don't expect miracles with things like the breastfeeding class. Yes my OH could have learnt a few things from it, but he's not the one feeding He's been very good without going to the class and has done all I've asked of him and didn't need the class to help him with that. His main thing from it would have been a more in depth understanding of what breastfeeding entails, but it still would never have prepared him for the hard reality of it in the early weeks of a screaming demanding baby. I think in some ways its better he was blissfully unaware

 

[lfc_sarah]

Mine did

We only went to one though because id already given birth when the others were on

 

[fran_23]

yes..glad he did he was great during the birth..i was so glad he was there!
but when he tried to do the massage we learnt in antenatal i told him to f off... lol

 

[JulesK81]

I've had two classes so far and my OH has been at both - he's found them more useful than me and is now raring to go in labour! He's watched a video of a birth, learned breathing and massaging techniques as well as asking lots of silly questions that only men would think of asking! BUT it's also put a lot of worries to rest for him and makes me more comfortable knowing he's a bit clued up about the labour/birth thing.

 

[Zobo]

yeh my OH came with me, he found it really informative, and hes actually remembered a lot of the stuff where as with me it went in one ear and out the other!!!

 

[Sandi4Paul]

My DH missed the first oen cos he was away, he was quite upset and has made and effort to come to the rest. Our one tomorrow is on during the day and he is the only support partner coming so i appreciate it.

he has got so much out of it too, last week we had to pass around a doll and each give a way to try and stop it crying, my DH wouldn't pass it to the next guy he just liked holding the 'baby'.

Sandi

 

[JoAnn&Aimee]

I didn't vote as I have only been to 2 classes so far. My OH came to the first class as he had the day off work but not the second because his work wouldn't give him 2 hours off work which he was willing to make up that night!

 

[mandspice]

OH is definitely coming - us girls read every book going, chat on PF all day/ chat to our mums / sisters / friends etc whereas generally men don't seem to get much knowledge in advance so I think antenatal classes are the perfect opportunity to sit him down as a captive audience! xx

 

[Becky]

OH came with me and he said it was good to hear it for himself and have the chance to ask any questions he had at the time. It was also good for him because there was a good bit of information of what to expect from a (birthing) partner's point of view and what things they can do to help.

We only had the labour classes didn't know there was others. I'm not sure if I'll go again as I'm fairly happy I know what to expect but a worthwhile thing to go to if it is a first baby.

 

[Tadpole]

I voted yes.

Like he had a choice!! AND I made him watch the video!!

TBH I think it was far more useful for him than me. I didn't learn anything I hadn't already picked up from here but it was handy for him to properly understand the stages of labour and also know the things I had been telling him for the past 6 months were backed up. (Like good birthing positions, where to massage my back etc etc). And I think it also was good for him to have a chat to other expectant fathers.

 

[Mildly]

I voted yes although ours aren't until July. He will be coming to the 4 night classes which cover the birthing/labour type stuff. There is a breastfeeding workshop but this is during the week on an afternoon so he won't be coming to that one because of work commitments. I kind of think the classes were arranged like that so it encourages the OH's to come to the night ones but imply the afternoon one is ladies only.

 

[Kimberly]

Yes and he said it made him feel better about everything. He is even coming to the breast feeding workshop with me tomorrow. I rang the hospital to make sure partners could attend and she said they didn't have many turn up, but that they are invited. He is keen to learn about it and I figure I'll need support with Breastfeeding in the beginning so he might as well come along.

 

[CorrieFan]

Thanks so much for all the responses ladies. I have swapped from the Mothers Only classes to a couples class which starts in August. 100% Yesses is pretty conclusive!

I just wish I didn't have to twist his arm though. I do feel as though I have an unsupportive DH. He is great in many many ways but he does seem to think that the baby is my business which makes me sad, for me and for the baby.

x

 

[NIE]

Men weren't allowed at our classes. They had a dads 2 b group on another night, but my hubby didn't want to go. x

 

[Lindsay]

DH came with me to the classes that he could, when he was working my mum came with me as they were both my birth partners for my son

Xxx