Kim Green looks back at her baby’s first year and says she could never have predicted how important her NCT group would become.
Before becoming a mum, I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes when I heard people with babies mention “my NCT friends”. Who were these new “NCT friends”?
And then, when I became pregnant, my family lived three hours’ drive away and friends who lived nearby were at various different stages of their lives, so I suddenly got what people meant by their “NCT friends”.
It made me want to find my own who would provide me with the support and friendship I knew I would need as I entered the unknown and daunting world of motherhood.
And so my partner and I signed up and attended our first class when I was around eight months pregnant. Remember your first day at secondary school? It felt just like that, as 16 adults gathered in our local community centre. We sat in a circle awkwardly saying hello, not knowing whether we should strike up conversation whilst quickly forming our first impressions of each other.
In an attempt to break the ice whilst waiting for our antenatal teacher, my partner said “It’s just like being at Alcoholics Anonymous”. Much to my embarrassment, only he and I chuckled – no-one else responded. I found myself thinking “oh no, this lot could be hard work” which couldn’t have been further from the truth.
We’ve been there for each other throughout the learning curve of our babies’ first year.
Over a year on from that first antenatal class, most of us mums meet up at least once a week for a play date with the obligatory coffee and cake, message each other almost daily, and have become a close-knit group of friends whom I now often hear myself referring to as “my NCT friends”.
We’ve supported each other through the sleep deprivation, helped answer each other’s random baby questions that we feel stupid asking anyone else, listened to one another rant about our other halves, and have generally been there for each other throughout the learning curve of our babies’ first year.
The friendship that has blossomed has not just been about supporting one another during the tough times, it’s also been about enjoying spending our precious time on maternity leave together.
As I reflect over the wonderful first year of my son’s life, I’d like to express my thanks to NCT for helping me find my “NCT friends” and eternal thanks to those people for their support, friendship and the many fond memories that we’ve created together. Here’s to our babies’ first birthdays and many memories we’re yet to create.
If you have a story to tell about your NCT group and your friendships, email nctmattereditor@nct.org.uk
