Antenatal classes after 1st child?
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Topic: Antenatal classes after 1st child?
Posted By: AzzaNZ
Subject: Antenatal classes after 1st child?
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 6:35pm
I asked my midwife today about antenatal classes and she thought I'd be the only second time mom going to them.
Has anyone else gone to them with subsequent pregnancies?
We never went with our first pregnancy and I think it might be useful, but more than that I thought it would be a way to meet other people with children a similar age (if we're all pregnant at the same time).
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Replies:
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 7:11pm
Yeah I didnt bother second time around, I didnt learn anything the first time, so I figure it wouldnt have suddenly gotten better
------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months)
I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: monikah
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 7:15pm
i wouldnt bother. there isnt much more to know. i wouldnt use it to meet other ppl, id go to a coffee group or plunket space group or something
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 7:19pm
I thought they were a waste of time the first time around let alone sitting through them again... lol
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Posted By: flakesitchyfeet
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 7:46pm
I'm not this time because I can't be bothered going into town for them, but there were some on offer when we went to our first ones, specifically for those who already have a toddler. It was more of a refresher as far as I am aware, but with nights on how to cope with two etc.
I'm pretty sure it was run by the Parents Centre, and I think thats nationwide?
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Posted By: Tastic
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 7:46pm
I found them really good first time around. and Since Im having a girl this time I kinda wish I went to them again to listen for 'girl things' if that makes sense?
but no I haven't done them again
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Posted By: Lexidore
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 7:51pm
I didn't even go first time round! Agree with everyone else probably no point unless you are after a coffee group or something
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Posted By: AzzaNZ
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 7:56pm
How else do you find a coffee group?
Might contact the Parents Centre and see if they have any refresher type courses
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Posted By: Freesia
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 8:05pm
The only thing ours was good for was forming a coffee group. More than 2 years later now and we still meet up weekly and get on really well. The only thing is that all of the others are probably only having their first child so it will be slightly different for you at the meetups.
Our Plunket here gave me a list of groups in the area, not specifically coffee groups as such but still places where you may meet others.
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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 9:10pm
Hi AzzaNZ - Im on the shore too!
I am second time Mum, didnt go to any antenatal the first time either. I phoned birthcare in parnell - apparently we arent entitled to subsidised antenatal - they are only for first time mums! This may be different at other places but thats what parnell have said.
They do have a refresher course, at birthcare parnell, for $40 - just one night. Apparently it covers the important bits. They also have breastfeedng classes for $30
The woman will phone me when they secure a date for them, I can PM you if you like when I know more?
Or you can find them on line and give them a call to register your interest and ask what its all about. There is a bit of info on their website
http://www.birthcare.co.nz/expectant-mothers/classes/antenatal-classes/
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 9:15pm
There was one in our group, she was a second time mum but her husband was a first time daddy so it was mostly for his benefit. Was quite nice having another lady there who had been there done that and was able to see things differently, raise different question etc.
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Posted By: AzzaNZ
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 9:19pm
Raspberryjam wrote:
Hi AzzaNZ - Im on the shore too!
I am second time Mum, didnt go to any antenatal the first time either. I phoned birthcare in parnell - apparently we arent entitled to subsidised antenatal - they are only for first time mums! This may be different at other places but thats what parnell have said.
They do have a refresher course, at birthcare parnell, for $40 - just one night. Apparently it covers the important bits. They also have breastfeedng classes for $30
The woman will phone me when they secure a date for them, I can PM you if you like when I know more?
Or you can find them on line and give them a call to register your interest and ask what its all about. There is a bit of info on their website
http://www.birthcare.co.nz/expectant-mothers/classes/antenatal-classes/
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Would be great if you could let me know when you find out! My previous midwife said maybe hypnobirthing would be a better thing to look into but my partner is less than supportive. He cant figure out why I'd want to have a vaginal birth after having a c-section for my first.
------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Mum2ET
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 9:20pm
for coffee groups you could try asking Plunket, otherwise maybe from this forum? In our March group we seemed to ended up with quite a few of us from the Shore, so have decided to form our own little coffee group (I hope the others in the group won't mind me saying, but even through you are due later in the year I am sure there would be no problem joining our little group if you wanted to- and there are a couple of us with toddlers of a similar age).
------------- Mum to
Ella (5) and Tom (2)
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Posted By: Kicker
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 9:23pm
I am doing the refresher course at birthcare parnell next month. Thought it would be a good idea as they cover BF and how second labour are different to first etc.
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Posted By: AzzaNZ
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 9:27pm
Thanks Mum2Ella - I'm still working full time but when it gets closer to the birth I'd love to drop you a PM and see if you are still meeting!
I've never been in labour so I havent the first clue about what to expect. Caring for a baby is all good, its the labour and birth info I'd need.
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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 9:30pm
Posted By: BuzzyB
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 9:32pm
I really enjoyed my classes! Well, the classes weren't fantastic (they made me scared stiff about caesars and then had one and it really wasn't that bad after all!), but made some really good friends and found great support. I was the first of my friends to even think about having a baby so I didn't have anyone else. I would go again if I could coz we're in a different city and would like to meet other mums and get the hospital tour, etc.
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Posted By: lisa85
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 9:48pm
First time round I found the classes pretty useless as we knew from very early on we were having an elective c/section and they only covered emergency c/sections in one class and it was only touched on briefly.
However we still haven't 100% decided if I will try for a VBAC with the next. If we do then I will do the classes again and this time pay attention lol.
------------- http://lilypie.com">
TTC #3 since Jan 2010 - PCOS
MC April 2010
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Posted By: queenbean
Date Posted: 18 January 2010 at 11:20pm
Well I'm going to go against the grain and say I loved my antenatal classes and thought they were invaluable. They were done through the Parents Centre and I met a lot of lovely ladies, including a second time Mum.
We moved cities when DS was about a month old, and I contacted the Parents Centre in my new city, they put me in contact with a coffee group (who all did the antenatal course together) with babies the same age as DS. They are a fantastic group of ladies, and we also have a second time Mum in this group.
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Posted By: HuntersMama
Date Posted: 19 January 2010 at 9:24am
Id say its up to you and if you think you would get something out of it then go for it!
There was a couple in our group that was having her 2nd baby after quite a big gap and she found it great. Things change, and you can pick up good ideas.
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Posted By: ShellyBR
Date Posted: 19 January 2010 at 2:33pm
We only did 2 classes of our antinatel but I made sure to get involved afterward and nearly years later i am still meeting the girls once a week at least. We had 2 second time mums with older children who wanted a refresher or was the dads first time.
Parents Centre do a course called pregnant again and it runs over I think to saturday mornings I have had a few friends do it and they said it was good but that is down in wellington you would have to talk to your local parent centre to findout what they run
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Posted By: Chickaboo
Date Posted: 19 January 2010 at 7:46pm
going against the grain here too I did enjoy my antenatal class - had a laugh etc... I was 3rd time round mum at the time but Dh first birth so did it for him as I did not want to explain things when i was in labor (I like to be left to it)
I also did it for the coffee group thing but unfortunately it didn't happen - some were younger, some lived further away and some were farmers out in the country - so although i did suggest it nothing happened there.
Didn't bother this time as would only of done it for the coffee group thing again. So i am going to ask the plunket nurse when she comes to put me intouch with an groups or people she knows who have babies round Elodies age ( heard there has been a few round this time)
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Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 19 January 2010 at 9:56pm
I didn't do Antenatel classes second time around I was lucky to click with a couple of girls who lived near me from OB & we formed a coffee group which keeps expanding 
------------- Kel
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A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12
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Posted By: kiwisj
Date Posted: 20 January 2010 at 3:59am
There was one couple (out of 3) in our group that already had a child. We did hypnobirthing (totally recommend it btw!) and so they were doing the class for #2 because they'd heard about it since baby #1 and wanted to try it.
My coffee groups were formed by a couple girls who lived in my condo and then we all invited one or two more people we met through things like prenatal yoga/AN classes/colleagues who happened to be pg at the same time ... and the other one was the group of girls who came to Baby Cafe around the same time as me (BF support group).
And I feel like I have an online coffee group with the other Feb 09 Mums from here, almost as good (and sometimes better!) than my RL coffee groups 
------------- SJ
Callum - Dec 2008
Daniel - Oct 2010
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Posted By: Bexee
Date Posted: 20 January 2010 at 9:19am
Therre are a few I know who have been for a second time, mainly to get that coffee group.
Also, perhaps see if your parents centre runs a "baby and you" type course. Aimed at babies from newborn to about 3 months and a great way to meet ppl. More focus on parenting issues (feeding/sleeping/exercise/health) than birth.
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