When to start Bradley class?

[puffingirl]

Now that the 1st trimester is coming to an end, we're finally starting to think about the fact that I'll eventually have to give birth to this baby. I'm due in late June and not sure about when to start Bradley classes. Our choices are to start in January or April. Is is better to go early to make sure we won't miss anything in case of an early arrival? Or is it better to go later and have everything be fresh in our heads? Any thoughts?
Thanks!

[Harmony96]

Bradley classes are usually 12 weeks long, so I would go for the January ones. There was only one other couple in our class, and they weren't due until February. Our class ended the last week of November, but our teacher told the other couple to keep in contact by phone and they could also set up some extra visits if they felt they still needed some in-person instruction later on as a refresher. (I believe that most Bradley teachers will let you sit in on the next set of classes to get a refresher).

I LOVED the classes and found that they helped a great deal when I did go into labor. Best wishes, mama.

[hubris]

I would say to go as early as possible, for a few reasons:

1. Best chance of finishing the classes before your baby arrives.

2. A lot of the information is good to have earlier in your pregnancy - especially if you want to do the Brewer Diet, or to give yourself longer to do some exercises to prepare for labor.

3. Some of the information might change your preferences for an OB/Midwife and/or pediatrician. I think it's best to have that information as soon as possible. Sometimes women decide to change OBs/MWs and that is harder to do later in pregnancy.

[MamaAcorn]

Go for the earlier class! A lot of teachers will encourage you to continue coming to classes (beyond the 12-week series) up until your birth if you want to keep the material fresh in mind or built-in practice time every week. At least my teacher did, and I do the same thing for my students.