Why are baby groups not centred around the mother’s interests?

I went to a great buggy-fit walking group for mums and babies, there’s lots of mum and baby yoga/ fitness classes about
theres baby cinema in lots of cinemas now where they play films (for grown ups) on a slightly lower volume and you can just sit there munching popcorn and sipping coke while feeding/cuddling your baby. My personal fave.

OP I live in your area and I am on mat leave with a baby currently!! Do not worry - there is plenty of stuff aimed at mums in North/west Leeds vicinityincluding:
Mum + baby yoga / pilates / reformer / exercise
Baby Cinema
Mother's choir
Several mother's circles (journalling/mediation/relaxation etc)
Baby forest school ( chat in the forest with mums drinking tea/eating cake whilst babies look at the trees)
There's a woman who runs local food tours and does a BYO baby version in pram accessible venues
There are often baby friendly events on at Leeds art gallery and Yorkshire Sculpture Park

I did all the baby sensory shit with my first born and I vowed I was having a "selfish" mat leave this time around!

In York there is one wear you put your baby In a sling and learn to Salsa dance. Always looks fun when I walk past. We didn’t have anything like that in my day!

We are in London so I recognise there is a lot of choice, but we did have bring your baby quizzes, bring your baby exercise classes, bring your baby choirs, baby friendly cinema, baby friendly comedy bring your baby to bingo and also baby friendly wine & cheese tastings (obviously very small amounts of wine - was more about the art of learning how to taste wine and what to look for in pairing with cheese so that noone got sloshed in charge of a baby). So i think there is definitely a market out there!

There are plenty around, you can try a few to find the right fit. For me it was more about the other mums who went rather than the actual activity

Some are? I did baby cinema, baby pub quiz, baby stand up comedy, a mums choir, and loads of pub visits with babies in tow!

I think they mostly "work" for mums for one of two reasons:

1. it's the only thing available that gets them out of the house and convenes other mums to socialise
2. they're not quite confident yet at the "playing a children's entertainer" bit of parenting, and like the guidance

I'm really lucky that there's a local drama class for toddlers. It's mostly kids running around in circles pretending to be dinosaurs whilst the leader plays bangers from the 80s-00s from when the mums were young.

Another thing I reckon could work well would be offering language exchange with / setting up a group for parents on mat leave to share or learn languages. Again, on a bring your baby basis.

Baby signing is also really fun and interesting for the parent as well as useful for everyone (if there's a group in your area). I think most classes will involve singing and signing to your baby in a circle like baby sensory(!!) but, especially if you can find one that's BSL-aligned, and if you practice at home etc, it can giving you a great intro to / gateway into signing...

I found the same - and that heartbeeps thing was the worst of all. Even my baby was looking around with a wtf face! 😂 We only did one of them!

I did take her to baby swimming and baby massage, which she did seem to actively enjoy. And the massage lady baked cakes so we all had tea and cake afterwards, that was lovely!

A (now) friend started a bring your baby book club - it was great, meant you were having interesting conversations with people not just about naps and feeding. We all then just organised it together, agreeing the next date, book, and venue (friendly cafes and pubs / parks / houses of people with room...). She advertised it on various mailing lists / local groups etc to find the initial interested people. Maybe try setting up something similar?

My favourite one was a stay and play at the community centre. They did a song at the start and end, but the rest of the time there were toys out and you could just sit and chat.

I took DD from quite a small baby and just sat feeding or holding her and chatting. I met my best friend there.

17 years ago we could have been buddies, but you definitely don’t want to hang out with my stinky DS now.

There were a few when mine were tiny - the everyman cinema baby sessions, a church service for mums where the kids were there but it was mainly for mums, yoga classes where you took your baby. I agree these make a bit more sense than classes for babies, but those are maybe more for spending time with your baby rather than just doing something while they are there

Our local pub runs a regular mum and baby wine tasting in the afternoon. A local cafe does a monthly ticketed mum and baby coffee morning and the local cinema has plenty of baby club screenings. They were great. There should definitely be more for mums.

There was a mums' fitness group near me where you could wear the baby while exercising - I just never felt up to it. I agree this sounds like a great idea though - the first baby class I went to was awful. Everyone just left straightaway after and didn't chat - it was pointless.

Isn't that what NCT groups are intended for?

Actually, back in the glorious days of Surestart, I went to a craft group and a first aid course, where they put on a crèche.

They also ran buggy walks.

Often with first babies, the most important thing in your life is having a new baby, and people bond over having babies the same age. I met (and made friends with) new mums age 23 to 40 with DS as a baby.

I did also got to a “Mummy and Me” Pilates class. I don’t think there was a single moment where there were no babies needing changing, feeding comforting… most several babies needing several of those things.

i preferred the playgroups where kids played independently and parents could sit and chat with a cuppa more than the sensory ones where we play 1:1 as I did a lot of that at home.
id love a book club or choir. There’s yoga and baby where I live

Near me there are also baby buggy walks where everyone walks around the (large and pleasant) graveyard together. I actually wish I did that one when dc1 was little but I was too shy...! Never been shy before or since but that was in lockdown and I had PPD.

if you tell us approximately where you live op, we might help you find what there is available.