Here’s a guide on what the NCT and your local Harpenden branch can offer you:

Pregnancy tracker

Sign up to Stepping Stones – this is your free NCT guide to life as a parent, from your third month of pregnancy to your baby’s second birthday. See http://www.nct.org.uk/pregnancy for more information and register your email address to join.

Helplines

Between midwife appointments, get your niggling questions answered via the NCT’s Pregnancy and Birth line. Call 0300 330 0772 to speak to an advisor in confidence.

For advice about life with a new baby please call our postnatal helpline on 0300 330 0773.

Retail Therapy

Visit the NCT shop for ideas on how to prepare for your baby, with trusted items to kit your kid out in style. Call 0845 8100 100 or visit www.nctshop.co.uk.  We also have a new Ecooutlet which brings together the best new eco ideas for your home. As a member of NCT, you qualify for exclusive discounts see.

Antenatal Courses

The NCT is best-known for its antenatal classes where you will be given information to help you make informed choices about your pregnancy, birth and postnatal care as well as the chance to talk about your feelings and make life-long friends!

Don’t forget to book your NCT antenatal classes nice and early to ensure you get the dates and times you want.  Details of our local courses can be found here.

If you are not a first-time parent, the NCT also provide excellent refresher courses so you can debrief any past birth experiences and talk about issues such as sibling rivalry, coping with a baby and toddler and much, much more.

Contact our Bookings Secretary for more information on any of our courses or to book a course at bookings5k@nct.org.uk

Breastfeeding Support

Baby feeding is one of the most rewarding and often most challenging aspects of parenting. When feeding goes smoothly it provides pleasure, a sense of fulfilment and closeness. However, feeding difficulties can be painful and deeply distressing. The NCT believes it is important for parents to have every opportunity for positive feeding experiences. Although the NCT supports breastfeeding, we believe in informed decision making and support for all parents.

If you are struggling with feeding issues there is a weekly Harpenden Breastfeeding Support Group that meets at the Oval Cafe Mondays 10:30 to 12:30.  There are trained peer supporters every week and a NCT Breastfeeding Counsellor during term time.  The group can give you confidential advice, support and encouragement.  We also have a weekly Baby Cafe Local Breastfeeding drop-in at the Children's Centre from 10am.   Pregnant or breastfeeding mums, dads and siblings all welcome.  Please see our events page for all details.

You can also contact the NCT National Breastfeeding Line on 0300 330 0771.

We also provide breast pumps for hire.  For Egnell breast pumps please contact egnellpumps@harpenden-nct.org and for Ardo breast pumps please contact ardopumps@harpenden-nct.org.

We also have a variety of other support groups, please see our Meet Other Parents page.

Make some friends

It is commonly known that whilst having a baby can be the most wonderful life-changing experience, it can also turn your life upside down, leave you feeling tired, emotional, alone and often scared. The best way to avoid the onset of ‘Mummy Brain’ or ‘Four Wall Syndrome’ is to get out and meet as many other new mums as possible. Peer support can be invaluable in helping you realise that you are not alone and better still, that having a baby can actually provide you with a better social life than you had before!

So, come along to any of our NCT social or fundraising events. For further details see our Meet Other Parents page.

NCT Babychange iPhone App

An exciting development for parents out and about looking for the nearest changing room. This shows the facility name, address and current hygiene rating.  Support other parents by adding your ratings to the application that is free to download. Full details here

To join the NCT and help us continue to provide these services see