# NCT magazine



## rachelha (Dec 11, 2010)

Some of you may recall my posts about my NCT antenatal course, and how it made me feel so negative about my pregnancy.  I was pleased to see that in the most recent NCT magazine there is an article about someones experience of type 1 diabetes and labour.  Hopefully their teachers will become more understanding of us.


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## Northerner (Dec 11, 2010)

Being a non-parent, I had to go off and look 'NCT' up - and it's one of those websites where it doesn't tell you what it stands for even on the 'About us' page! 

National Childbirth Trust?  Good to hear that a T1 has been featured - wonder if it's someone we know?


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## Twitchy (Dec 11, 2010)

*warning - emotionally charged rant!  Sorry if this offends...*

Before I start, this is directed at the nct, not Rachel!! 

I hate to admit this & sound negative, but as a member of the nct (why?! why did i join?!) i too got the 'newgen' rag this week & it had me in floods of tears... my own fault, I shouldn't read it as they always manage to hit a nerve (or 90!).  From the start because of my current eye bleed I really struggled to read a lot of it (rubbish formatting, because 'obviously' partially sighted people either don't have babies or aren't allowed to join the nct?!) and the usual mix of hyper healthy super mums having babies at home & sneering at hospital births &/or interventions to start with.... then the repeat of the message with the 'hey girls, it's not all negative, after all it's remotely possible that you diabetic genetic failures/freaks might after all manage to only have minimal intervention & if you're really lucky you might not have a c section!" I'm just really sad that when they had the opportunity to maybe show some balance & be positive about the fact that sometimes even heavily medicalised pregnancies / births can have great outcomes, they still presented the squat & drop method of birthing as the 'one true way'!

Why, oh why the attitude problem to c sections?!  I had NO CHOICE in my birth method either time, first time due to severe PET, second time round due to placental failure - with baby number 1, my consultant from day one told me i had a 70% chance of a c section - but that was because he had bag loads of experience, knew my medical history & was focussed on outcome - not the outcome of my getting my (nct brainwashed) wish, a middle class lifestyle choice for me being fulfilled; but the outcome of a LIVE, healthy baby.  God bless him, because of his pragmatic, common sense approach & skills I have two wonderful, live healthy children. Why should the method of birth be such a big deal? Why should the nct always, always default to their main theme of c sections being somehow an indicator that you are somehow a defective parent, especially when they are supposed to be about parenting generally, not just the birth?! Every time I come into contact with the nct I come away feeling emotionally bruised & battered and I'm sick of it - I won't be renewing my membership, that's for certain!

sorry if this offends anyone who did manage to have a natural birth & breast feed, if you did I'm really happy for you, but frankly I resent being put down because of things outside my control. Maybe it's a chip on my shoulder, but there you go... 

Sorry, I'll stop ranting now!  Just needed to get that out of my system.


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## Cate (Dec 11, 2010)

Twitchy - I know what you mean, my antenatal teacher seemed a bit put out when I asked her about csections/medical procedures/high risk care etc during our classes.

The NCT position is led by their current Chief Exec, Belinda Phipps - who is pretty rabidly pro homebirth/natural/no pain relief etc etc and has had 3 homebirths herself.  There's some interesting research that seems to show that people's birth experiences themselves haven't changed in the recent past, but people's expectations have, leading to far more "birth trauma", delivery related counselling etc.  RCOG puts a lot of that down to the NCT and their positioning/teaching.

Having said that, I'm now a NCT volunteer through their Shared Experiences helpline now.  If someone calls with an "unusual" pregnancy or outcome, the call handler will put them in touch with someone who has been through a similar experience.  So I cover T1 diabetes/pumps, as well as csections, stillbirth, neonatal intensive care, and a few other things.


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## Twitchy (Dec 11, 2010)

Cate said:


> Having said that, I'm now a NCT volunteer through their Shared Experiences helpline now.  If someone calls with an "unusual" pregnancy or outcome, the call handler will put them in touch with someone who has been through a similar experience.  So I cover T1 diabetes/pumps, as well as csections, stillbirth, neonatal intensive care, and a few other things.


 
Nice one Cate!  I think I had a vague fuzzy optimistic idea that once i joined I would voluteer to be the token person who's had a c section that they wheel in on the antenatal lessons, but to be honest the whole thing still feels a bit too raw for me...I've tried to start a local diabetic mum's group instead, which has been lovely.  At least we're all accepting of each other's experience & never feel like we have to apologise or explain!  

I really like the idea that you are on the shared experiences line, but I suppose i still resent the somewhat fascist approach the organisation as a whole takes...it feels a bit stoneage & prejudiced to me - my chip I guess! I just don't think it's remotely helpful to make medical science the bogeyman - if it's needed, it's needed! Why can't we just be grateful it's there if needed?  Ho hum. Anyway, it's great that you are doing that - the funny thing is, ok the whole pregnancy birth etc was really stressful, but that was down to the diabetes & people's attitudes to it - the C section was actually made to be a lovely experience by the doc, he was wonderful! Goes to show eh?!  

None of the health visitors I have ever come across has had any time for the nct either - they all seem to think it just sets unrealistic expectations & then castigates people when they don't have that experience - so well done for being a positive influence to counter that!


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## grahams mum (Dec 12, 2010)

Twitchy said:


> Before I start, this is directed at the nct, not Rachel!!
> 
> I hate to admit this & sound negative, but as a member of the nct (why?! why did i join?!) i too got the 'newgen' rag this week & it had me in floods of tears... my own fault, I shouldn't read it as they always manage to hit a nerve (or 90!).  From the start because of my current eye bleed I really struggled to read a lot of it (rubbish formatting, because 'obviously' partially sighted people either don't have babies or aren't allowed to join the nct?!) and the usual mix of hyper healthy super mums having babies at home & sneering at hospital births &/or interventions to start with.... then the repeat of the message with the 'hey girls, it's not all negative, after all it's remotely possible that you diabetic genetic failures/freaks might after all manage to only have minimal intervention & if you're really lucky you might not have a c section!" I'm just really sad that when they had the opportunity to maybe show some balance & be positive about the fact that sometimes even heavily medicalised pregnancies / births can have great outcomes, they still presented the squat & drop method of birthing as the 'one true way'!
> 
> ...



i can only agree with you although i am not diabetic i did not have any choice about graham birth plan he had to  be an elective c section and the most important thing is the outcome a healthy baby and also this time (i think it will be another c section )when i ask about my previous consultant (who did all my surgeries) the midwife sais why are you thinking about c section ? like if i ask something odd  so my feeling are the same!!!!!


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## rachelha (Dec 12, 2010)

It is interesting that in my NCT group of 8.  Only 1person managed a "natural" birth.  There were 3 sections, 3 fore ceps and 1 ventouse.  I felt bad at the time about asking about more medicalised births, but I am so glad I did, for everyone else as well.  

I am v impressed with cate being an NCT volunteer, a v positive way of going about it.  I might consider this in a while when the chip on my shoulder has feeled over.


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## Twitchy (Dec 13, 2010)

rachelha said:


> I am v impressed with cate being an NCT volunteer, a v positive way of going about it.  I might consider this in a while when the chip on my shoulder has feeled over.



I'm so glad I'm not the only one!!! I was getting a bit worried that I was the only person to feel a bit (ok, a lot!) bitter & twisted about the nct!  (Not saying you're bitter & twisted, just relieved to hear I'm not the only one with 'issues' re that lot!!)


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