Last Monday, we went to our first NCT class in North Leeds. This was a major milestone for us as when we signed up for the classes, the start date of the course seemed like forever away! Now that it’s been and gone, it’s another indication that the date when we’ll finally get to meet our little one is drawing ever nearer.

Many expectant parents wonder whether to go to NCT classes when there are NHS-run classes on offer, and it’s a debate we also considered carefully before taking the leap of faith with NCT.

Although we’ve only been to one class so far, we have some early observations that might help you make your mind up!

Firstly, the classes are being held at really convenient times for us. The one last Monday started at 7.15pm, unlike the NHS ones which are held during the day and would require some awkward juggling of work for both of us.

Secondly, the location for us is fantastic; the classes are being held literally a one minute drive down the road (yes, we could walk, but at the moment I’m getting out of breath just walking up the stairs!) When you sign up for NCT classes online, you’ll probably be able to find a location that is surprisingly near you.

The atmosphere at the classes is open, welcoming, and honest. You don’t feel embarrassed to ask things or to mention points which you want covering during the course.

I won’t go into detail here about the sorts of things other people asked to be covered due to reasons of confidentiality (other than to say that before the class on Monday started, we were asked to get into groups of men and women to write on post-it notes what we wanted to cover specifically, which was a good way to break the ice with the other people attending).

I am happy, though, to be open about what Kyle and I mentioned were some of our main concerns to address by the end of the course. For me, it boils down to how to learn how to look after a tiny human that is completely dependent on us, whereas Kyle’s concerns are far more specific and at the moment seem to boil down to addressing his worries about holding a newborn baby (he has various fears about supporting the head properly, not dropping the baby, and so on!)

Needless to say, no fear was too big or too small to warrant being brought up.

It was also great to meet people who live nearby who are due at around the same time as us. It turned out that our little one is the last baby due this summer out of everyone in the group, so no doubt we’ll hear plenty of stories before our big day!

There are plenty of classes left in our course, but the early signs are positive that the investment in NCT classes will prove worthwhile!