So glad you enjoyed the Bump and Baby class and had stood group. Our group has been brilliant over the last 5 months and our WhatsApp group must have discussed every single baby related topic going. So supportive. We've also seen loads of each other either at classes or just for lunch.

Since I wrote my post on here I found Sandra, who runs Northcote Baby. She is amazing. We started baby massage with her when my daughter was 8 weeks old, most of the others were about 6 weeks. This class was fantastic, covering winding techniques and a bit of baby yoga too. Since then we've done a sleep session, weaning class and last week started Baby yoga, all with Sandra.

She's definitely no substitute for an antenatal class but is really fantastic for support post birth. And she could not be a lovelier lady. I highly recommend her. You can see all her classes here - https://northcotebaby.com

Hello,

Thought I'd better post an update as I started the thread! I'm 36 weeks now and have just finished the Bump & Baby classes. They were really good and we've met a great group of people.

The course covered everything we were hoping for - labour, birth, breastfeeding, the first couple of weeks with a newborn and baby first aid. Our teacher is an experienced, practising midwife and was lovely, really down to earth, and I felt she gave us a positive but realistic picture of everything. The only slight downer was that she got called away to a client in labour at the last minute on the evening of our breastfeeding class and the lady who took it instead of her is a private breastfeeding consultant who we all said afterwards was a bit preachy about breastfeeding and didn't give us any info about formula feeding, which was a shame as I think our usual teacher would have taken a more balanced approach.

What was nice was that at the end of the course they arranged for the girls to meet for tea and cake and they were really good at encouraging us to set up email and WhatsApp groups etc. I.e. They got that while we were all there to learn, the other big reason for attending classes was to meet local people in the same situation.

I would definitely recommend the classes, although obviously I haven't tried the others so can't offer a verdict on how it compares to anything else, but I feel like we both got everything we needed out of it including a great support group of other new parents. Plus, in our group of I think 9 couples, 2 of the other women are midwives and one is a GP and as far as I can tell, they were all happy with the course too which feels like a very reassuring vote of confidence!

Just wanted to chime in, I did nct prenatal in Nov 2015 and found it very informative. They covered c sections but this may be because one lady was in breach. They covered in great detail all stages of being induced and yes talked about formula as an option. I found out about types of pain relief drugs however the most useful part was this session on how to ask questions. Sounds simple but in the Labour moments, it can be tricky remembering to not just go along with everything. At one point in my labour, I went up to the consultant and calmly reiterated my request for an epidural. I felt like nct prenatal class gave me some guidance on this.

There was a separate breastfeeding session with a different teacher as part of the course which was beyond useless (preachy, uninformative, no practical information and a complete waste of time). They do ask for feedback after the session and we all complained about the breastfeeding session.

I also did the post natal, weaning and baby massage with nct.

The post natal class was useful though it was less about practical information about newborn and focused more on the moms in a "how are you feeling today" sort of way.

I keep in touch with both the pre natal and post natal ladies.

I would recommend nct.

I've not tried the other two.

I'm currently debating the exact same - between Lulubaby, Bumo & Baby and NCT. Any chance you went for one of these in the end and how did it go!? Currently leaning towards Lulubaby but would love to hear! Thanks

We did Lulubaby and were very happy with the course. The content was fantastic, the experts amazing and it was good to actually have a course ran by doctors and midwives.
The course covered totally everything. All of the ladies in our group were lovely and we all still stay in touch. One lady did NCT too and said it was really bad in comparison to the Lulubaby course.
The fact they cover c sections in detail really helps too and prepares for you what may happen if something does go wrong.
The list given to you for shopping for a first time baby is the best out there and many friends have now used this.
Best of luck with your choice.

I would highly recommend Doctor and Daughter in Balham. It's a unique combination of a top obstetrician and real mother, who offer non judgemental, factually based sessions that are interactive and fun. If you are looking for an alternative to a Mother Earth type course, this one is for you. Partners welcome to all sessions and every week the men did participate too which was great. A fab way to meet other local mums and dads too and the evening sessions 7-9pm are really convenient for working couples.

Thanks so much for your reply norfolkgirl - that is so good to hear as we've just booked Bump and Baby in Balham!

We liked the sound of Lulubaby as well and had some great correspondence with their team, but in the end B&B won out as it was just more local to us, plus we also liked that they include the first aid course and put so much emphasis on encouraging the social side of things.

The winning statement on their website for my OT though was the promise that they won't make us do anything cringey like role play - that and the lack of preachy-ness definitely puts them ahead of NCT I think!!

Hi, I've just done the first bump and baby group in Clapham, previously they were just north of the river I think. It was brilliant, we had a great teacher who was practical without being preachy. Yes the participants of the group are a lottery, but it's the same with any of these groups. We were very fortunate and had a great set of couples.
The Bump and baby class in Clapham was held above the northcote pub which the guys loved. One half of the last session was just for girls so b&b had a bar tab for the guys. There's also a first aid session included which was really informative. And they organised a tea for the girls one Sunday.
I chose it initially because of the first aid and the mid week evening sessions which fitted in much better with work and we're often away at weekends. The fact it non-preachy was a bonus.
I'd definitely recommend it. Alex, the midwife that the blog on their site is about also sat in on our class to see how it ran. I think she's probably doing the new Balham course. She was lovely and will make a fantastic teacher - her medical knowledge and experience was so useful.
Hope you get a great group whatever course you choose, because right now while I'm up at 3am feeding it's good to be on whatsapp with someone in the same position...

Erm….I am a Hypnobirthing teacher….*wont advertise!* and I also helped run the NCT Homebirth support group. I haven't done an NCT course but my friend who is a doula and is an NCT teacher her approach is fab and very closely aligned to Hypnobirthing however her stance is more towards information, practical games, practical explanations and using different learning styles to educate mums and birth partners. I found Hypnobirthing to be the right thing for me as I'm an anxious annie and I needed to release the fear and get into the mind set. You see, I'm sure you know, but our bodies are usually quite able to give birth (special circumstances not applicable obviously) and genuinely when we're in panic mode, we just cease up - this makes contractions harder to manage, and so we may end up not getting the birth we want. Whoever teaches Hypnobirthing will be singing off the same hymn sheet essentially. It's focus is primarily on fear release, helping you to understand HOW it works by way of talking you through hormones and the role they play, the physiology of birth, your choices, options, roles and responsibilities of mum, dad and your midwife, choices of where to birth, how your environment can shape the birth you want, all sorts really. If you're in a group you can make friends, but you can also join the NCT bump and baby club for £25 a year I think which is a membership and gives you access to friends. Like everyone else says, you can also PM me if you want, but I wish you the very very best birth experience and i'm sure you'll be in wonderfully capable hands whomever you learn with. Lottie x

Erm….I am a Hypnobirthing teacher….*wont advertise!* and I also helped run the NCT Homebirth support group. I haven't done an NCT course but my friend who is a doula and is an NCT teacher her approach is fab and very closely aligned to Hypnobirthing however her stance is more towards information, practical games, practical explanations and using different learning styles to educate mums and birth partners. I found Hypnobirthing to be the right thing for me as I'm an anxious annie and I needed to release the fear and get into the mind set. You see, I'm sure you know, but our bodies are usually quite able to give birth (special circumstances not applicable obviously) and genuinely when we're in panic mode, we just cease up - this makes contractions harder to manage, and so we may end up not getting the birth we want. Whoever teaches Hypnobirthing will be singing off the same hymn sheet essentially. It's focus is primarily on fear release, helping you to understand HOW it works by way of talking you through hormones and the role they play, the physiology of birth, your choices, options, roles and responsibilities of mum, dad and your midwife, choices of where to birth, how your environment can shape the birth you want, all sorts really. If you're in a group you can make friends, but you can also join the NCT bump and baby club for £25 a year I think which is a membership and gives you access to friends. Like everyone else says, you can also PM me if you want, but I wish you the very very best birth experience and i'm sure you'll be in wonderfully capable hands whomever you learn with. Lottie x

Congratulations!

I did NCT for my first and Lulubaby as a refresher for my second.

You don't learn a heck of a lot from the NCT course, but the friends you can potentially gain are invaluable...because in all honesty that is the real reason the NCT is such a hit. They will be there with you through the thick of it and trust me it is so nice to have friends you can lean on and get advice form who are going through the exact same thing as you! 3 years on I am still great friends with my NCT group and we still meet up regularly.

And from MY personal experience, the Lulubaby wasnt really worth my time or money. Didnt really learn anything new nor did any of us keep in touch. Lulubaby didnt really encourage or foster the friendship aspect in the same regard as NCT.

So...my vote is for NCT! Without a doubt!

It really depends on what you're looking for. I found the NCT great for "buying" mummy friends, I didn't really learn much. I didn't realise that other options existed when I had my little one but because NCT is the most widely used of the pre natal courses, you're all but guaranteed to be put in a class with other parents to be living in your neighbourhood which is useful. You can always do the free pre natal course run by your hospital on top, which will fill in the gaps left by NCT.

Hi - highly recommend Doctor and Daughter. The doctor in question was an obstetrician until he retired at the Chelsea and Westminster hospital and his daughter Becca has the practical knowledge having had a couple of her own. Full of detailed info delivered in a fun format, and I made really good friends too (we meet up all the time). I think the pricing is similar to NCT. My son is nearly one now and I still have good memories. Any qs let me know! Supriya

I wouldn't bother with NCT, either the pre or post baby or the refresher courses, I did all 3 & they were of no use, so preachy & heaven help you if you are planning a c section or to use formula! As for making "friends" it's a lottery as to who you end up with, some love their groups, others find they have nothing in common with their group & there are plenty of other ways to meet people when you have a baby.

I haven't been to these classes but I have heard very good reports about them.

http://www.thebumpclass.com/

Good luck

Why don't you have a look at the local hypnobirthing courses offered?

Most offer a good amount of birth preparation and they are very popular.

I am a hypnobirthing teacher - although, however tempted I won't advertise! - and I can tell you that the preparation and the knowledge gained from hypnobirthing can completely transform a birth experience.

Most mums to be know the basics of birth but not how to approach it mentally and physically and also how being in control of your choices can make for a far happier birth experience.

Do PM me if you'd like some further info or just to be put in touch with someone who has taken a course and how they felt about it post-birth.

Also, plenty of the couples I teach do also take NCT classes and although they do use language that I avoid I don't hear many complaints. The friends you make at NCT will last you forever though.

xx