Here’s a guide on what the NCT and your local St Albans & District 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 www.nct.org.uk/steppingstones for more information and 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. The NCT is also currently collating resources to formulate a new Early Days Helpline in addition to offering a national Breastfeeding Helpline on 0870 444 8708 where you will be put in touch with a local counsellor in confidence.

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.

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.

Search for a local course here, or call 0844 423 6276 for more information on any of our courses or to book a course. You can contact us if you would like to train to become a teacher and gain a diploma in your own time.

Postnatal Courses

The NCT also offers Breastfeeding Courses and local counsellors to help you with feeding issues one once your baby is born as well as Early Days courses individually tailored to your needs. Our trained Postnatal Discussion Leaders are there to facilitate discussion in small and friendly groups. Sessions are tailored to suit you and may include birth experiences, sleeping, crying, relationships, returning to work and establishing ‘routines’.

Call 0844 423 6276 for more information on any of our courses or to book a course. You can contact us if you would like to train to become a teacher and gain a diploma in your own time.

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 pop into our local Breastfeeding Café each Wednesday between 10.30am and 12.30pm. The branch is supported by trained breastfeeding counsellors and local health visitors who can be contacted to give confidential advice, support and encouragement.

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, there are many throughout the year such as our Mother’s Day celebration, annual Strawberry Tea, Cheeky Monkeys Tea Parties, Christmas Party, Mums Nights Out, our drop-in Bumps and Babies group, or pop along to your Neighbourhood Coffee Mornings (open to all) which you can probably walk to with your baby.

For more information about all the branch events taking place contact our Parent Support Co-ordinator on parentsupport@stalbans-nct.co.uk

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. Or, use our web shop which you’ll find at www.buy.at/nctstalbans to help us raise money. Every time you shop using its links, you’ll automatically earn money for us!  You don’t pay anything extra, and there are links through to many popular sites such as Amazon, Mothercare, Littlewoods Direct, Thorntons, Marks and Spencers, and hundreds more - please bookmark the link for the future and try to use it whenever you can!