I signed up for NCT classes early on. A lot of friends had recommended it as a good way of making mummy friends to keep me sane during Little One's infancy.
When I told my community midwife that I would be going to NCT she was positive about going but warned to take some of the advice with a pinch of salt (specifically that you are not a bad person if you end up having a c-section and/ or give your baby a bottle).
I wasn't sure what to expect from the other couples but first impressions were good. They all seemed pretty normal. As they were our main reason for going this was a huge relief.
Some bits of the course were more useful than others.
It helped focus our minds about the birth. The most useful thing that I took away was that when you're in labour if you stress you inhibit the hormone that helps things progress (so if you want a quick labour you should chill out and try to be as relaxed as possible). Easier said than done I reckon but Ho Hum.
We also learned about some other random things like a Mexican scarf technique where you wrap a shawl supporting your bump to encourage a breech baby to turn. (Eek)
The midwife was certainly fair to warn me about their (ahem) militant approach to some things, like breast feeding… Thou shalt not give a baby a bottle before they are four months old. Only 2% women cannot breastfeed and as we're unlikely to be in that 2% it isn't worth discussing further. I found the trainer's explanation of her stance and statistics to be lacking. I could expand on my views but we could be here a very long time… Don't get me wrong, I am pro breastfeeding but know that a lot of people struggle with it!
Overall, I'm glad I went to the NCT classes. It was good to get a different perspective. Those of you who have followed my blog for a while will be aware that I went to a Medicine for Members session about pain management in labour. I think the session at the Women's seemed to take the approach that although a natural birth would be awesome it is worth knowing what the options are in case you need something a little stronger than deep breathing and a bag of nuts to snack on. NCT on the other hand focused more on the natural side of things.