We’re far too middle class, claims head of Childbirth Trust
THE country’s largest childbirth charity is ‘disproportionately middle class’, its first male chief executive said yesterday.
Nick Wilkie added he was ‘astonished’ to learn that ten per cent of members of the National Childbirth Trust were from the wealthy London suburbs of Wimbledon, Dulwich and Clapham.
He said he wanted to offer more free or subsidised antenatal classes to families from less affluent backgrounds.
The NCT is the largest provider of paid- for antenatal classes in the country and its courses have acquired a reputation as a meeting place for middle-class ‘yummy mummies’.
The courses can cost hundreds of pounds, although discounts are offered to parents on low incomes or benefits.
The NHS runs free courses, but they are shorter than most private antenatal classes. Critics claim the paid-for classes threaten to exacerbate the gap between rich and poor.
Mr Wilkie, the first man to run the charity in its six-decade history, said: ‘I wouldn’t say we have an image problem exactly. We are disproportionately middle class. But if that was the only thing you thought about the NCT, that would be inaccurate.
‘We work all over the country and have projects in Styal prison (in Cheshire) and with refugees and asylum seekers, and new projects in some of the poorest parts of the country.’ It was ‘a challenge’ that ten per cent of the charity’s 114,000 members were from Wimbledon, Dulwich and Clapham – areas of London nicknamed ‘Nappy Valley’ for the numbers of middle class mothers living there.
‘I want to expand our reach so far more parents can get the benefit of our classes,’ said Mr Wilkie.
When he was appointed as chief executive in July, critics questioned whether a man was best qualified to head an organisation giving advice on natural childbirth and breastfeeding. He told The Times: ‘Do I know what it is like to give birth? Obviously not. I have never had to breastfeed or feel guilty about making a decision not to.’
The 40-year-old father-of-three said he wanted the NCT’s advice on issues such as pain relief during childbirth and breastfeeding to be ‘sensitive’. Some women have claimed private antenatal classes are too dogmatic about breastfeeding, and TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp said they risked making women feel like failures if they needed medical interventions during childbirth.
Mr Wilkie said: ‘ There is a huge amount of guilt around decisions on feeding babies that is nothing to do with the NCT. I would really like to flush that out. We are continually telling volunteers to be sensitive to all mothers about this.’
He added: ‘I think it is right to inform women about what works. But we are not there to promote a world view or run around waving big sticks.’
Mr Wilkie said he and his wife had taken NCT classes that ‘ significantly improved her experience of labour’.
He did not rule out asking affluent families who had paid for courses to contribute more to support subsidised classes. ‘It is sensitive – we would have to think carefully about that and the timing,’ said Mr Wilkie. ‘Parents may think they have paid enough for the classes.’
‘There is a huge amount of guilt’