NCT intensive classes

[thomasina1]

Hi, does anyone have any experience of the NCT "intensive" courses? The only course at the right time in our area is a weekend one (all day Sat and Sun) and it costs over £200! I'm not sure whether there'll be too much info to take in in 2 days and whether it will be a good environment to get to know other new parents - which to be honest is my main motivation for going at all! I can see DH hating it! Anyway, any thoughts?

Thanks.

[ScarletPimpernel1976]

we did one that was spread over two weekends - they were long days but it was fine and i think you're forced to be sociable when you are together with the same people for 6 hours. Everyone ended up going for lunch together etc and i'm still in touch with my group 8 months on. I thought i took in the info a lot more than i would have if i did an hour long class once a week, and I knew i would have ended up missing the weekly ones if i felt exhausted after work. The classes are a bit cringable though!

[thomasina1]

Thanks Scarlet. Yeah, I had the feeling I'll be cringing, I suppose it depends if you like that sort of thing. I may look into NHS ones as well and maybe I'll even do both - can't do any harm! Although maybe DH would be even less happy with that idea!

[quint]

I didn;t do the intensive course but the one over several weeks.

I would still recommend going to them, I also went to the hospital run classes which were shit to be honest, though it was a tough job for them as there were so many parents to be there!

What I got out of the NCT classes was the knowledge that what happened to me whilst I was in labour was my choice (within reason obviously!) that if and when they want to book you in to induce you, you can say no and wait a while longer (obviously unless the are serious medical risks), they talked more about and explained in detail the different types of pain control, talked about the baby's appearance when it first pops out and lots of other useful things that the hospital didn;t that I can;t remember right now!