When should you sign up for an antenatal class?

[Becs]

I haven't been given any info on the ones in my area and am worried I am leaving it to late. So they run out of places if you don't sign up early?

 

[debecca]

Sugar, yes, I need to know the answer to this too!

Haven't seen my midwife since 12 weeks and won't see her till 24 weeks and I'm panicking about ante-natal classes....

 

[Bloom]

Im the same as Debecca i dont think i see my midwife till 25 weeks.

 

[Bee]

Hi,

I am still waiting for information too for classes in my area

 

[tots hope]

I got told i need to book some but never got told where or when. Maybe I will have a search on google this afternoon!

 

[Becs]

It's worrying isn't it.

Does anyone know?

 

[Sherlock]

I don't know I'm even going to bother taking them anyways.

I'd phone up and ask Becs. I'm sure your GP's surgery can put you in touch with your MW or something, or they can point you in the right direction.

 

[Tillytots]

Id give your Midwife a call now and ask, I have heard other girls say they left it late and didnt get a place

Im not going to any myself
xx

 

[GBLiz]

i won t be able to get on any NHS course cos i wont be in my home area by the time i get to week 28

I looked on NCT website and i could pay £120 and do a course in weston-super-mare where i will be at the relevant time, but i dont know that its worth it when you can get all the info you need on the internet. it would be nice to meet other expectant mothers in the area but i will be moving again before the baby comes so there doesnt seem much point!

 

[Becs]

I just phoned the Midwifery liason line and they told me to speak to the midwife about it at my 20 week scan appointment and that I won't loose a place if I leave it to then. I guess it is different for different areas.

 

[Tillytots]

i won t be able to get on any NHS course cos i wont be in my home area by the time i get to week 28

I looked on NCT website and i could pay £120 and do a course in weston-super-mare where i will be at the relevant time, but i dont know that its worth it when you can get all the info you need on the internet. it would be nice to meet other expectant mothers in the area but i will be moving again before the baby comes so there doesnt seem much point!

thats how I feel about it hun, you can get all the info on internet...namely on here! Ive learnt more from everyone here than I could ever have done from an ante-natal class and best of all the girls tell it like it is and what really happens. Nothing can REALLY prepare you for birth as you wont know how you feel until you're in labour. The only thing I would say is that maybe OH/DH and birthing partners would benefit more as they then get some idea of what is expected of them if they are attending the birth. I can tell my OH a million times but he'd be more likely to listen to a 'professional' than me. Oh and you get to meet other expectant mothers in your area. This is something Id rather avoid as I live in a pikey town

x

 

[sazzylou]

hmm, my midwife told us about the classes at my first appointment with her at 8 weeks and gave us all the info, but cos its my second i told her not to bother. It all went out the window once i was in labour anyway but it is nice to go to the classes with your first, and nice for hubby too. Gets them involved a bit.

Hope you manage to get a place when youve spoken to your MW x

 

[kalia]

I asked the midwife at my 16 week appointment (which I had at 18+5 because I forgot to book well in advance ) and it turned out I was already booked in - the midwife I saw at 8 weeks had booked me for them. She might have told me that, there was lots of information so I got excited and forgot all of it

 

[Sherlock]

I'm with you there Tillytots.

Quite a number of my friends said everything they were told went straight out the window once labour actually started and they did things how they felt rather than how they had been told.

I pretty much am a mind over matter type anyways and can cope well with pain if I know what's causing it. I am used to having to breathe in set ways also due to asthma and so on.

I've found lots of useful info here and a few other places and also talking to a couple of good friends who have had 8 kiddies between them

 

[muppetmummy]

I might give my midwife/s a call about mine since I won't see them again till 28 weeks!
I'm not too bothered about the antenatal classes but wouldn't mind going to the class about breastfeeding

 

[floppit]

My midwife said they'd book them at my 28 week appointment. I'm not too worried, she didn't look worried so I figure that there'll be time then.

 

[debecca]

Update - just rang NCT to try to get on their course. Their next one is end of January (they only do them every three months so the one after that will be a little on the late side )...

However, there's only room for 6 couples and the slots filled up ages ago. So that's the end of that

She did say however that the NHS ones round here are ace, which I can well believe as the care we've had so far has been fantastic. Then again, there are only about 350 babies born a year in my local hospital!!

 

[jodie_honey]

i got booked on at 16 weeks on my booking appointment, and they start 10th january, i will be 34 weeks pregnant and its a 5 week course xx