NCT

Some years ago one of my former doula clients stopped me in the street and said, “Sarah, did you know there are NO NCT antenatal classes in Shepherd’s Bush? Why don’t you teach antenatal classes here?”

So I contacted the NCT…and now, four years of arduous study later, I teach National Childbirth Trust antenatal classes in Shepherd’s Bush, London W12 as well as Hypnobirthing.

NCT antenatal teachers are trained to help parents work out how they want to approach labour and birth, rather than teach them a specific approach. Courses are very practical, with lots of opportunities to practise positions for labour and breathing, as well as parenting skills. At an NCT course you will get lots of emotional support for this major life change, both from the teacher and from the other parents-to-be in the class.

NCT courses are special because:

  • You can be sure you will be with parents whose due dates are close to yours.
  • You have a huge organisation behind you. The NCT, as Britain’s foremost early parenting charity, has a national network of support systems and professionals under its umbrella, offering services from breastfeeding counselling and classes to research and parliamentary lobbying.
  • NCT antenatal teachers and other NCT professionals train for 3-4 years for a degree-level qualification, the “gold standard” of antenatal education in the UK.
  • The cost of joining a course is extremely good value, and you have the satisfaction of knowing that the bulk of your course fee is supporting the NCT’s charitable work with parents and families.

“ I see all the girls from our NCT 3 or 4 times a week!  We’ve all become very close and meet up all the time which is so nice.  That is one of the reasons we all did NCT to meet people in our area with babies as we’re all still on maternity leave.  We do lots of classes together, Gymboree in Chiswick, baby massage in Brook Green, baby cinema at Gate Cinema, Notting Hill on Tuesday mornings, music classes.  Plus we meet for lunch and coffee at Westfield lots and go to each others houses!  Next Friday we’ve all arranged baby sitters and all of us plus the men are going out to The Hampshire Hog in Hammersmith.” – a mum from one of my recent NCT groups.

 

You do not need to be an NCT member to join one of our antenatal courses. On the other hand you will meet other parents living in your area having babies at the same time as you AND you can be confident that your teacher is undergoing continual assessment and review. And when the course is over, why not make even more friends by joining our vibrant local NCT branch?

 

Most of my classes take place at the Kite Studios in Bassein Park Road and at St Saviour’s Church, Wendell Park. I am a user representative on the Maternity Services Liaison Committee for Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington.

To book a place on one of my courses, please go to the NCT’s own website. If you type your location and baby’s due date into the course finder you will see a list of courses for parents with babies due around the same time and you will be able to see if I’m teaching one that is right for you.

I host and co-ordinate the NCT Home Birth Workshops once a month. These will also shortly be on the NCT website.