What are you antenatal classes like?

[Bexie]

Just out of curiosity what are everyone's antenatal classes like?

We started ours on Monday night and they seemed like a complete waste of time. We were asked to fill in an application form to become a parent (8 months too late me thinks). We were given a cuddly toy to pass round the room while a tape played of a babying crying, once the tape stopped if you were holding the cuddly toy you had to say what you would do to soothe it.

I was hoping to learn a bit about the actual birth and breathing techniques and so on and perhaps watch some videos of different types of births to help me decide what type of birth plan I want. But we were told that there were a waste of time. I'm gonna speak to my midwife when I see her next week to see if she can give me any advice.

Another thing we talked about was breast feeding, which I fully intend on trying, I know that sometimes it can be very difficult and if it doesn't work I would eiter express or use formula, (ideally I wanna breastfeed though as I understand all the benefits) the health visitors basically said that they would push and push us to continue with breast feeding no matter how much we struggled with it.

My partner wsn't impressed with the classes at all.

What sort of things did everyone else learn in their classes?

 

[Kat@girlracer]

I really don't want to go to any - as everyone I know who has had them say they are a waste of time & around here they are 2 hours long & there's 6 of them!!!

 

[Bexie]

Yeah our are 2 hours long for 5 or 6 weeks with 40 people in the class, too many people! We thouh the class would fly by, but it really dragged.

 

[Shaz]

I wasn't too impressed with ours - although the people and the midwife were very nice.

First they showed us a video of how you get pregnant - which was a bit odd 'cos we were all sitting there with bit fat tummies going "DUH!!!" we know that bit, but they didn't show us the actual birth - which was the bit I was interested in!!

Mind you I watch most of those baby programmes on cable so I've seen plenty of births I suppose!

They did a bit on breastfeeding, but to be honest I've learnt more reading books!

 

[Kat@girlracer]

I've got some books & I watch the baby programmes much to my o'h's disgust! - i'll have to think it over - as at the moment I really don't want to go to any!!

 

[Rubys mummy]

Ah, ours were really good-we only had two which were 2 hours each, the midwife was lovely and me and OH both felt we got a lot out of them....to be honest midwife was impressed at how much we knew (thanks to this forum)-one other couple even asked OH if he was a doctor!! It proves he does listen to me sometimes

We found the tour of maternity unit the most useful-they explain all the equipment and machines that go "bing"..and talk you through everything..it makes it a lot less scary

 

[jools221181]

Ours is for a full day on a Saturday when I will be almost 37 weeks!! Cant beleive its so late! But to be honest Im not too sure I want to go anyway!
I am going to go though or I will be scared I've missed something!! I really don't fancy the idea of pass the parcel with cuddly toys though!! Hoping they are a little more helpful! Then again I have already learnt so much just by coming on here for a read!!

 

[roxanne080]

well i went to a national childbirth trust wich is awfully expenisve but really good. partners were included, and the topics involved birth, pain relief ,labour breastfeeding and all the usual stuff but really good. i met alot of mummies to be as well which we are still in contact ( although all of them had their babies except me )