Middle class mums and children's centres

I have been meaning to write about the latest children's centre research. It found that while there was a good awareness of childcare at centres, parents seemed to know less about the health, family and parenting services.

In Hackney, or at least the bit of it I live in, we couldn't help but be aware of the health services in the local children's centre (the Ann Tayler) as it was where I was directed for my postnatal midwife appointments. I was incensed at the time, muttering about the service my sister got in leafy Essex ( home visits every day from a midwife or health visitor for ten days) while heaving myself and baby across the park to the children's centre. But I suppose it did get me through the door of the centre, where the midwifes flagged up all the other stuff on offer - breastfeeding support, baby massage, yoga. I came back to do the baby massage and, later, the stay and play.

Which brings me to another point. My fellow blogger, children's centre manager The Leveller, has written of the disappointment at running services accessed by parents turning up in BMWs. I'm not in that league, but I know I am not ticking a lot of boxes for the centre. I am constantly raving to other mums about the brilliance of the early years services in east London (not so much the antenatal services, but that's another story) including a brilliant postnatal exercise class at the Royal London. Should I have decided not to access the baby massage (or the excellent baby gym at the Collingwood centre in Tower Hamlets) because I have an Annabel Karmel book and a Bugaboo?

I'm not being sarky, it's a genuine question. I'd be interested to hear from children's centre workers - what do you think about middle class mums using your services? Is it good because it de-stigmatises the servcies or is it bad because they are hogging facilities not meant for them?