The National Childbirth Trust
Antenatal Classes with the National Childbirth Trust
These are small friendly groups for parents expecting babies.
You will be with a group of parents to be whose babies are
due at about the same time as yours. In the classes you
will be given information and have a chance to talk through
your feelings about labour, birth and life with a new baby.
The classes at taught by National Childbirth Trust trained
antenatal teachers. Sometimes they are held in a house and
sometimes in a hall or health centre.
The classes are usually each week for two hours (8 weeks
altogether). Mostly they are in the evening but some are
held at weekends. This is to make it easier for you and
your partner to attend if you are working during the day.
They are held in the last 3 months of your pregnancy
These are the sort of topics that will be covered:
- Pregnancy, what happens in labour and how the baby
is born.
- Choosing where to have your baby.
- Body awareness, relaxation, breathing and massage.
- Positions for labour and birth.
- What is available for pain relief - natural and medical
methods will be covered.
- What complications might happen - caesarean birth for
example.
- What your partner can do to help.
- What happens if your baby is early or ill.
- Looking after a new-born baby and feeding your baby.
- What it might be like when you become a parent and
form your own family
- Most classes have a reunion after all the babies are
born. For many people the friends they make at their National
Childbirth Trust class last for years.
- If you want to have National Childbirth Trust classes
you will need to book early in your pregnancy. These classes
are very popular. There is a charge for classes.
Even if you cannot attend classes you may wish to join
the National Childbirth Trust. The charity has many other
services and is a good way to meet other new parents and
find out what is happening in your area. Call us on 020
8992 8637 to find out how to book.
Experiences to share
For most the path to becoming a parent runs smoothly but
some people have experiences that are a challenge. If you
would find it helpful to talk to someone who has been through
the same thing then do contact the National Childbirth Trust
on 020 8992 8637. The National Childbirth Trust holds an
experiences register of women who have come through difficult
times and are happy to share what they have learned and
how they coped with others going through a similar situation.
If you feel alone with your experience of becoming a parent
do call and we will do our best to put you in touch with
someone to listen and share.
More free books
Two of the National Childbirth Trust range of books are
being given away with “having a Baby” If you
would like a third then join the National Childbirth Trust.
The charity is giving one of seven books away free to new
members who join in the next few months.
The special membership offer, which is a thank you to new
members who join between now and the end of September 2000,
gives readers a chance to sample a range of popular NCT
books, worth £5.99 each, including ‘Potty Training’,
‘First Foods’, ‘Antenatal Tests’,
‘Postnatal Depression’ and ‘Safe Foods’.
Membership of the NCT also offers people an opportunity
to campaign for key changes for parents within an organisation
which has been leading the way in improvements in maternity
care for the past 40 years.
Joining the National Childbirth Trust, which aims to enable
all parents to have an experience of pregnancy, birth and
early parenting which enriches their lives and provides
a sound foundation for parenthood, cost just £36 a
year for both individuals and couples.
As well as a free book, members also receive a lively quarterly
magazine, a book of vouchers and eligibility for the Bank
of Scotland credit card from which NCT receives a donation
every time it is used.
Information on membership is available from:
The National Childbirth Trust
Tel: 020 8992 8637 (9.30 am to 4.30 pm).
The NCT website:
www.nct-online.org
The ideal present for a friend
If you are looking for the ideal present for a millennium
mum-to-be, why not try a year’s membership of the
National Childbirth Trust?
Ideal for friends, relatives and colleagues going on maternity
leave, the subscription to the Trust at just £36 for
one or both partners is very good value.
Your gift will help to make their experience of pregnancy,
birth and early parenting even more rewarding. The NCT offers
antenatal classes and also it will help them to make friends
with other new parents in their neighbourhood , as well
as helping them to find out about social events through
their local NCT network. In joining they will also become
members of an organisation which has been at the forefront
of improvements in maternity care for the past forty years.
The National Childbirth Trust aims to enable all parents
to have an experience of pregnancy, birth and early parenting
that enriches their lives and provides a sound foundation
for parenthood. An added advantage of taking out a gift
membership now is that there is a special free book offer
to new members. There is a choice of one of seven free titles
for new members signing up before the end of September 2000.
The NCT books worth £5.99 each are of vital interest
to all new parents or parents to be and cover areas such
as antenatal tests, first foods, crying babies, sleep, potty
training and postnatal depression.
As well as a free book, the NCT also offers a lively quarterly
magazine, vouchers, and eligibility for the Bank of Scotland
credit card from which the NCT, a charity, receives a donation
every time it is used.
To arrange a gift membership or for more information on
the NCT call 0208 992 8637 (9.30 am to 4.30 pm). The NCT
website is at www.nct-online.org
Breastfeeding
The National Childbirth Trust has over 600 breastfeeding
counsellors. Their services are provided free to anyone
whether they are a National Childbirth Trust member or not.
You can reach a breastfeeding counsellor by calling our
enquiry line on 020 8996 8637. Between 9.30 and 4.30 you
will be given the name of your nearest counsellor so she
can help you by phone or visit if necessary. At other time
a list of breastfeeding counsellor phone contacts are provided.
Breastfeeding counsellors are happy to help with any breastfeeding
related issue - eg sore nipples or other feeding difficulties,
returning to work and breastfeeding or mixing breast and
bottles, feeding older babies, stopping breastfeeding and
any worries you may have about finding it difficult to breastfeed
or stopping feeding.
Midwives are very busy and do not always have time to sit
with you in the first 24 hours after your baby is born so
breastfeeding counsellors often take calls from women in
the first few days after the birth of their baby. Our counsellors
are all volunteers but love their vocation of supporting
women who want to breastfeed so please, if you are worried
in any way, do call.
Bras - being comfortable in pregnancy and while
feeding
It can be hard to find a comfortable bra while your body
is going through the changes of pregnancy and when feeding
a baby. It is especially difficult to find the right size
underwear if you are very small or very generously proportioned.
Look no further. National Childbirth Trust maternity sales
offer pretty and practical bras in sizes from 32A to 46J
in a range of colours. Call us on 0141 636 0600 for your
free catalogue or visit our website at www.nctms.co.uk Bras
may be ordered on the phone, by fax or via the web. We also
offer a fitting service if you would prefer.
Pregnancy and Parenting Guides from National Childbirth
Trust Publishing
The following series of seven (soon to be nine) guides from
National
Childbirth Trust Publishing/Thorsons are all available from
NCT Maternity Sales on 0141 636 0600.
Each one costs £5.99, or you can choose one free when
you join the National Childbirth Trust.
What should I eat now that I'm eating for two?
The NCT Book of Safe Foods is much more than just a list
of what you can and can't eat in pregnancy. It's a 224-page
nutrition handbook that anyone interested in diet will find
really helpful. If you're already pregnant, or thinking
about becoming pregnant, you need it!
Written by the NCT's Hannah Hulme Hunter, a practising
midwife and
breastfeeding counsellor, and Rosemary Dodds, who is a nutritionist
and
research dietician, this guide is packed with helful information.
The book starts with basic nutrition and explains why it's
important to eat
the right foods at all times. It lists all the vitamins
and minerals your
body requires, where to get them and why they're important.
It explains why certain foods should be avoided during pregnancy
and gives food hygiene rules to follow. To sum up, key points
are listed at the end of every chapter.
There's a full chapter on coping with morning sickness,
with suggestions on what can help control feelings of nausea
and when you need to seek further help. Putting on weight
when you're pregnant is also covered in detail, including
a section on how to check for gestational diabetes.
Healthy lifestyle choices are explored in a chapter which
covers drinking,
smoking, drugs and looking after your body. Finally, chapters
on your body after the birth and the best diet to follow
while breastfeeding, give lots of helpful pointers.
NCT Book of Safe Foods, by Hannah Hulme Hunter and Rosemary
Dodds, published by Thorsons in collaboration with NCT Publishing,
1998, £5.99.
Just discovered that you're pregnant?
Confused by all the tests and what they can tell you? You're
not alone! 'Antenatal tests can now tell parents more about
their unborn baby than it has ever been possible to know
before,' says Mary Nolan, author of the NCT Book of Antenatal
Tests and she knows how confusing that can be.
This little book gives a clear, detailed account of this
very complex area.
It covers whether or not to test, what tests mean and explains
the
difference between 'screening' and 'diagnostic' tests.
A full explanation of blood tests and what they screen
for, is given, plus
a description of ultrasound scanning, what it involves and
what scans
reveal. Diagnostic tests such as CVS and amniocentesis are
fully explained.
Finally, questions of whether or not to terminate, are
explored in full. A
list of support groups and suggestions for further reading
is included.
As Mary puts it in her introduction: 'No one should be asked
to make
decisions which could affect the rest of their lives without
having all the
information they need.'
This book puts all that information in your hands.
NCT Book of Antenatal Tests, Mary Nolan, published by Thorsons
in
collaboration with NCT Publishing, 1998, £5.99.
Sleep! Sleep! Just let me sleep!
Small wonder that this is one of the most popular NCT titles
of the series.
Most new parents are desperate to get their little one to
sleep through the
night. The NCT Book of Sleep is just what they need.
Author Penney Hames goes into detail here, covering every
aspect from 'what is sleep?' to 'what does your baby need
to sleep?', including 'when should I stop feeding at night?'
the question of dummies, where to sleep (pros and cons of
bed-sharing), practical tips, coping with feelings, and
getting support.
The section on behaviour management lists four methods
of getting your baby to sleep alone, starting with simply
'leaving him to sleep' (which can be traumatic for all concerned)
through 'controlled crying', the 'kissing
game' ('be prepared to give up to 300 kisses on the first
night over a
three-hour period... Most children are sleeping easily within
a week') and
finally your fourth option - gradual withdrawal.
The book ends with a 'beyond babies' section which outlines
the sleep
problems of older children, and like all the books in this
series, lists
further reading and useful sources of support, such as how
to find a
cranial osteopath. It also tells where to buy such useful
bits of equipment
as a swinging crib or three-sided cot.
Written in Penney Hames' inimitable style, this book is
the business.
NCT Book of Sleep, Penney Hames, Thorsons/NCT Publishing
1998, £5.99
Waaa!
'All babies cry,' points out Anna McGrail. 'They have to.
It's their only
way of communicating their needs.'
These crisp words come at the beginning of the NCT Book
of Crying Baby and introduce a note of calm to parents who
may feel close to breaking point.
'Each tiny being comes programmed with an alarm system
which sets our own responses of adrenaline into motion...
Crying is a survival mechanism for babies: unable to do
anything for themselves, they need to provoke someone into
providing them with warmth, sustenance, comfort and affection,'
she explains.
Anna gives a calm, sympathetic and reassuring account of
an issue that can drive new parents demented. No quick solutions
are offered to stop a baby crying, but chapters cover looking
after yourself, survival strategies,
special situations (such as colic, twins, premature babies)
and your
growing baby. Options explored include homoeopathy, herbal
remedies,
aromatherapy, cranial osteopathy (craniosacral therapy),
reflexology and
diet. The experiences of dozens of other parents are quoted.
As with all the other books in this series, sources of
support are listed
are at the end, together with suggestions for further reading.
NCT Book of Crying Baby, Anna McGrail, Thorsons/NCT Publishing
1998, £5.99
Feeling miserable - or know someone who is?
Everyone is supposed to be happy when they've just had a
baby, but the
reality isn't always so great. In the NCT Book of Postnatal
Depression, Heather Welford gives a clear account of this
problem and its three different levels of seriousness:simple
baby blues, deeper postnatal depression and the frightening
puerperal psychosis.
This is a helpful, non-judgmental handbook, suggesting
some of the causes of PND and listing all the many sources
of help available, including medical treatment and support
from other mothers.
As Denise Welch (Natalie Horrocks of Coronation Street)
herself an ex-sufferer from postnatal depression, confesses
in her introduction: 'talking to other women who had suffered
and recovered was a huge help to me'.
Heather Welford gives an idea of how long it will be before
the PND
sufferer can expect to feel better and how the syndrome
affects the rest of
the family. Keypoints sum up the main issues at the end
of each chapter and a full booklist for further reading,
plus a list of useful organisations to
contact, is included. The book ends with four real-life
accounts that will reassure other women currently suffering
from depression that they're not alone - and that there
is light at the end of the tunnel.
NCT Book of Postnatal Depression, Heather Welford, published
by Thorsons,1998, £5.99.
When, where, what, and how to wean?
Starting your baby on solid foods is a tricky area and this
little handbook
will help enormously. Ravinder Lilly's NCT Book of First
Foods shows how to increase the volume and variety of what
your baby eats, starting with fruit and vegetable purees.
Ravinder covers allergies, food intolerances to watch out
for, and gives a rundown of basic nutrition information.
Her 'weaning-at-a-glance' calendar makes it all easy. The
second half of this book includes 90 pages of babyfood recipes.
NOTE: the National Childbirth Trust recommends not starting
solid foods
until your baby is about six months old.
NCT Book of First Foods, Ravinder Lilly, Thorsons 1998,
£5.99 - or receive a free copy when you join the NCT.
Wet patches and worse
Are you at the stage of starting to think about encouraging
your little one
to move from nappies to the potty? There are lots of ways
you can deal with this. The NCT Book of Potty Training by
Heather Welford describes them all.
It discusses when and how to begin, coping with accidents
and even special cases such as twins and children with special
needs. Includes a long section on Frequently Asked Questions.
This book will help you decide which is the right approach
for you and your child.
At only £5.99 it's a good value way to make life
easier.
NCT Book of Potty Training, Heather Welford, first published
by Thorsons, 1987 and now reprinted and updated 1998, £5.99.
OUT IN SPRING 2000
NCT Book of Child Health
Dr Morag Martindale
A comprehensive A-Z of childhood ailments and how to treat
them, from
abdominal pains and allergies to warts and verrucas. Includes
sections on
First Aid, when to call the doctor, nursing a sick child
and coping with
stays in hospital. Written by Dr Morag Martindale, GP and
mother of three, it includes an introduction to all the
health service professionals who are here to help you.
NCT Book of Child Health
by Dr Morag Martindale, published by Thorsons in collaboration
with NCT Publishing, 2000, £5.99.
NCT Book of Toddler Tantrums
Penney Hames
Another fascinating book by the funny, wise and very helpful
child
psychologist Penney Hames, who examines every issue from
the child's
perspective, as well as the exhausted parents'. Penney explains
why tantrums are a necessary stage in a toddler's growth
and indicates ways of tackling the push-pull dynamic of
desire for independence versus fear of separation. She includes
lots of parents' accounts that will reassure other parents,
and gives detailed accounts of different ways of handling
the problem.
As with all the other books in this series, sources of
support are listed
are at the end, together with suggestions for further reading.
NCT Book of Toddler Tantrums, by Penney Hames, published
by Thorsons in collaboration with NCT Publishing, 2000,
£5.99.
HARDBACKS
NCT Complete Book of Babycare
(HarperCollins Illustrated)
256-page, fully illustrated with 300 colour photographs,
£16.99
Written and edited, modelled and photographed by NCT people
and their
babies, the NCT Complete Book of Babycare covers every aspect
of a baby's life from birth to three years.
Designed in such a way that each double-page spread covers
a single topic in detail, this book includes 'step by step'
picture guides to swaddling, breastfeeding, how to change
a nappy, make up a cot, put on a baby sling etc. and a sequence
of real-life 'our typical day' accounts tells uncertain
new parents what to expect.
This guide has largely been written by antenatal teachers
and breastfeeding counsellors. Sections by child psychologist
Penney Hames cover babies' physical and emotional development,
and include lots of fascinating information on how children
learn to speak, to crawl and walk. It also covers starting
solid food, potty training, and branching out to playgroup.
It would make a beautiful and useful gift for any new parent.
NCT Complete Book of Pregnancy
(published with Thorsons) 192-page, companion volume illustrated
with 200 colour photographs, £14.99
The first section of the NCT Complete Book of Pregnancy
covers the first
three trimesters of pregnancy, with information on what
to eat, what not to eat, antenatal tests, antenatal exercise,
your rights at work, choosing
where to have your baby, preparing for labour etc.
The second section covers labour and birth in detail and
includes lots of
photographs of actual births, which are informative and
reassuring.
An extended section on ' You and Your New Baby' follows
which includes the physical and emotional repercussions
of birth, beginning to breastfeed, choosing to bottle-feed,
special needs babies and a long A-Z of pregnancy.
The book ends with nine actual birth stories, covering
every type of birth,
including four home births, waterbirths, a twin waterbirth,
a planned
caesarean, an emergency caesarean, an induction, and a VBAC
- all
fascinating and informative.
Written by NCT people, all experts in their field, the
book benefits from
40 years of NCT experience plus the latest up-to-date research-based
information.
SOFTBACKS
The 'four core' titles:
These four titles, first published in collaboration with
Thorsons in 1998,
cover the four corners of birth and parenting and cost £9.99
each.
These are not 'how to' books, but are gentle, authoritative,
thoroughly
researched accounts of how women move through the life-changing
experience of giving birth. They give a lot of space to
feelings, especially the contrasting feelings of different
women. All illustrated with beautiful line drawings.
Being Pregnant, Giving Birth
Mary Nolan
A 226-page 'feelings first' guide to the experience of becoming
a mother -
from Chapter One, discovering that you are pregnant, through
choosing
maternity care, antenatal testing, preparing for labour,
coping with pain
in labour, fears and losses and the early days with a new
baby.
All thoroughly researched by NCT antenatal teacher and
health service
trainer, Mary Nolan, and including useful section on resources
and further reading.
You and Your New Baby
Anna McGrail
This account of life after childbirth won an award from
British Medical
Association. A lovely book for people who enjoy comparing
their own experiences with those of other mothers. 238 pages
cover learning new skills, your postnatal body and feelings,
re-drawing the relationship with your partner, you and your
world, you and the future. Plus directory of support services
and further reading.
Includes some practical information but concentrates largely
on the
emotional side of becoming a mother.
Breastfeeding Your Baby
Jane Moody, Jane Britten, Karen Hogg
A encyclopaedic 234-page guide to breastfeeding, with 12
fully
comprehensive chapters covering everything from 'Deciding
to breastfeed' to 'How to stop'. Lots of space given to
other women's voices.
Illustrated with beautiful line drawings and answering all
possible
questions you may have in lots of helpful detail.
Working Parents Companion
Teresa Wilson
An informative, 180-page guide to balancing work and home.
Written by an NCT antenatal teacher and breastfeeding counsellor,
who also teaches childcare, this guide covers all the questions
that need answering, from your maternity rights, planning
your return to work, choosing childcare, carrying on breastfeeding
while back at work and coping with the impact on your family.
It also gives lots of space to other women's contrasting
experiences.
ALSO
New Generations - 40 Years of Birth in Britain
Joanna Moorhead
In 1957, a small band of dedicated women got together to
help new and
expectant mothers find a voice in a world where childbirth
was looked upon as a frightening and mysterious ordeal -
and it was felt that the less
mothers knew about it the better.
It was even considered rather distasteful for an obviously
pregnant woman
to appear in public! We've come a long way since then.
Many of the improvements in maternity care are due to the
tireless work of the National Childbirth Trust. Did you
know that the NCT successfully
campaigned for the presence of partners during labour; campaigned
against mothers being parted from their babies after birth;
encouraged the 'breast is best' movement and now works flat
out to promote mother-centred maternity care?
Read all about it now! Joanna Moorhead's account of the
last 40 years of
the NCT's work is inspiring, empowering, touching, and sometimes
hilarious. It has been called 'the adventure story of how
women are changing childbirth'.
New Generations - 40 Years of Birth in Britain
by Joanna Moorhead, published by NCT Publishing £9.99.
Disabled Parents - Dispelling the Myths
A National Childbirth Trust Guide by Michele Wates
In this book, disabled parents share their experiences of
the issues surrounding their decision to have and raise
children. It is a candid account of positive and negative
aspects of the subject and details the obstacles many of
these parents face and overcome- disapproval from others,
dealing with physical restriction and, above all societies
inability to recognise the role of disabled people as cares
when they are so tightly pigeon-holed as dependants.
This is not ‘another book about heroines’ but
a practical and positive insight into disabled parenting
that will be invaluable to those working or studying within
the health and social services profession and to people
with disabilities who are interested in the subject.
“This book goes much further than any other in giving
an insight into how disabled parents want to be treated”
Dr Ann McPherson, author of Diary of a Teenage Health Freak
The NCT website is at:
www.nct-online.org
