Antenatal Classes

dangerd

Can anyone offer me a bit of advice on antenatal classes? I’m just wondering how much they are and if anyone knows a good one? Is it better to do a one day class or do several shorter classes?

clouds

Ring your hospital and put your name down. They run free classes usually 1 a week for 4 weeks. Legally your employer is obliged to give you paid time off for them so you might decide to do the weekdays ones.

dangerd

Thanks Clouds. My GYN put me in contact with one but its 170 euro for a one day class. I just wanted to find out if that's the standard price? I thought that was a bit pricey but its my first so maybe I'm just a bit clueless.

January

Do the hospital classes, they're free. Ring your hospital and enquire.

dangerd

Thanks January, I'll ring the hospital. That 170 will go nicely towards a new cot or car seat

newmammy2011

Hi there,
I did one last saturday week which was a one day class.
I thought it was easier than going in to the hospital 4 different weeks.
Was €120

How Strange

Op, I'd advise that you do the hospital one over a private one for 2 reasons; first you'll be getting info from midwives who work in the hospital so you'll know what their policies are etc and secondly it's free. As you said that money could go towards a car seat or something else for baby.

Loadie

Hi i attended a one day private course in the Clarion Hotel Liffey Valley with Help me 2 Parent. I thought it was really good, it is pricey though at €180 for 2
But unfortunately my partner wouldnt have got the time off for the day hospital classes and in the evenings after work i am way too wrecked to attend any classes, so this was best option for us. I can claim some of the cost back though on VHI which helps.

Did attend a breastfeeding class in the hospital and some of the girls said that she was openly contradicting some of what the midwives had said in the hospital antenatal class. :rolleyes:

Just go with what suits you the best

January

From here:

Expectant fathers have a once-off right to paid time off work to attend the two antenatal classes immediately prior to the birth. This entitlement does not extend to every pregnancy while the woman is in employment – it’s just a once-off right only. The provision for paid time off work to attend ante-natal classes for expectant parents was brought into effect in SI 653 of 2004 Maternity Protection (Time off for Ante–Natal Classes) Regulations 2004 .

liliq

This thread just reminded me to book my antenatal classes, thanks!

Was getting worried that I might have left it too late to get the ones I wanted as "early booking is advised" in the NMH, but managed to get a couples lunch time one. Seemed like there were a good few spaces left in the July ones, if that's relevant to you, OP!
The ones during the day in the NMH are free, but the ones at 5:30pm are €80!

Personally, (and being on my first pregnancy) I think I'd find the one day courses a bit of information overload! Plus, the ones in the hospital are free! (I'm a poor student, so even better! :rolleyes:)

hunnymonster

In cumh, 10 weeks was too late for the hospital classes.

clouds

Everyone I know who's gone to Galway has been told they've left it too late, but surprise surprise have gotten a place in the end. I definitely wouldn't pay for private, but that's just me. I did like the idea of being in the actual hospital with actual midwives.

TBH I didn't find them INCREDIBLY useful so I wouldn't panic about missing one. Plus your partner is entitled to time off to attend the last 2 classes, not all 4 though. Anyway it's not neccessary for him, really.

dangerd

Thanks girls for all the advice. I think I'm going to go with the free ones as all the little things are totting up nicely and we haven't event started buying stuff for the baby yet . Cloud this is my first so I was wondering if my partner needs to be there. I'd like him there for the support but he's up the walls with his own company and if its not essential I don't want to put too much pressure on him. Does it make a huge difference during the delivery if he hasn't gone to all of them?

How Strange

I found the ante natal classes very helpful especially if you're interested in having a birth plan and want to be informed about their policies regarding interventions.

My husband came with me and he found it very informative and reassuring as he was quite nervous. Having said that he wasn't called on to rub my back during labour. You can't predict how you'll feel during labour or what you'll need him to do. I didn't want anyone touching me; just having him there was reassuring. The most important thing is that he knows what you want and don't want as he has to be your voice in the delivery room. You can discuss all this between
yourselves. So after such a long winded reply; if he can't attend it's not a big deal. You can talk about what you learned together at home.

Swampy

We went to Doreen Buckley for a one day class last saturday. It was €200 for the pair of us. Get €75 back of vhi. It was really excellent. Can't recommend her enough. http://www.antenatal-classes.ie/

Gumbo

we got one last weekend in the Rotunda Hospital, completely free of charge, and was very good. even got tea and biscuits too

dangerd

I rang Cork maternity hospital where we are hoping to have the baby and they are fully booked until August 27th. I'm due august 7th .

TR1

Hi Dangerd,

Just said I'd mention it to you myself and my husband had a course with Bumps Babes & Beyond and we found it great. 2 lovely girls gave the course and I have to say we left really ready and ready to be in control - thats their biggest thing that you keep your control and not just go in and do what you;re told. They do talk about natural birth but in saying that at the end of what you choose is what you choose once you make an informed choice they really wanted us to be able to get all the info to make an informed choice about the labour and birth. Anyway, I couldn't say enoug about it. Their web is www.bumpsbabesandbeyond.com

Best of luck, terrible with the hospital and the wait but I do know someone who went and didn't find it good at all. It was more about how to conform to medical side of things, she went in the end and did the course I did!

Ayla

Personally, I've got to say I was really let-down by my antenatal classes. They were community classes over 4 weeks run by community PHNs, and the first class focused on *how* we got pregnant. :rolleyes:

The PHN who ran my class was from the North & all info she taught was based on what they did there & she had no idea of the local hospital policies.

And you should've seen the look on her face when we asked if the dads could/should come to the class...as if! :eek:

Anyway, I'm sure my experience could have been better, but the classes I went to were a complete waste of time.

TR1

How dissappointing to have a bad experience Ayla. No I have to say we were really delighted with ours and couldn't say enough. We went in maybe and little anxious and left totally excited and prepared as we could be. I started going to their new class its a yoga type thing Relax Stretch & Breath and its a bit of antenatal education tied in with very gentle yoga. Love it, its 2 hours just for me to relax and connect with baby. We do practice contractions so we can practice breathing so I'm hoping I'll be well in tune with it for the big day! Such a pity for you though especially as its so important!

fleur111

Hi
I did classes with my first with cuidiu, irish childbirth trust (like the NCT in UK) and there's just no comparison. I did hospital classes too. The cuidiu teacher had all the up to date info on every hospital. We did a visit to a labour ward too. There was so many on the hospital class (about 20 when i did it), all of sitting like we were in school and it wasn't great for the men, I thought. The cuidiu ones were completely different - 5 couples if I remember right and you could ask questions. Things were covered much better, not lecture style. She used different ways to give information, more participating and interacting - but you only took part as much as you wanted. I liked that we could easily ask questions. She even covered after the birth and looking after the baby. There were ideas on how to communicate with the nurses and doctors so you could be happy with what was going on and know what was going on. My DH was v reluctant to go but by the end he was completely different! I was lucky i found out as my sister lives in england and she said don't even think about having a baby without an nct class. best money we spent (180 or 190 i think for a day with lunch and handouts), better than some of the things we bought that are still sitting there! You'll find out where the teacher are from the website.

dangerd

Thanks for all the advice girls. I'm not living in Cork yet but planning on moving there towards the end of the pregnancy as my partner is from there and we've decided to move back. I managed to get into my local hospital for antenatal classes since Cork is booked out and I've looked into a load of private classes in Cork just in case. I'm going to see how these ones go and if I need to top up I will with a private class. Disappointed about Cork booking out so fast but at least there is plenty of options out there.

TR1

Thats fantastic that you got in local ones and for free! I had a friend who rang CUMH again the other day and was told same thing after August. Its awful! Best of luck with yours anyway and hope you enjoy them!

hunnymonster

I did the mother nurture ones in Cork (tried to book the public ones at 10 weeks but they were booked out until a month after my EDD - seriously they were full for people only 6 weeks!) Anyway, the mother nurture ones were a complete waste of time for me. I didn't learn one single thing from the entire day that I hadn't already read in a book or here online. complete waste of 175 euro for us.

TR1

Ya the ones we did with Bumps......Beyond were Cuidui. We got membership for a year with them as part of the classes. I've heard of the MotherNurture ones as well. I never heard that about them though!

cbyrd

I did the hospital one, free and it was done in one day. You got a tour of the delivery room and special care too. It really took the fear of not knowing out of it as every stage was explained.
Mind you that was 12 years ago and i've done none since. . .currently pregnant with my 4th, think i know what i'm at now