To not want to take baby to playgroups...

[Gracie300]

Until after she’s 1 and had first measles jab?

Of course YANBU. Babies get little out of such groups. Once they can walk reliably etc then they're great.

She can get the MMR jab from 6 months. DS just had his - it cost £37 (in central London, so no doubt cheaper elsewhere)

Isn't that part of the vaccinations?

My 5 month old has been vaccinated. It's part of the 8 week and then 16 week injections.

The booster is at one

I never took DD until she was old enough to actually enjoy it, and then we did stuff like Gymboree which meant you were active with them. I had zero interest in sitting around with a load of other mums to chat about sleep/feeding/milestones. I think they get much more from one on one attention from a parent at a young age.

Measles is vaccinated against by the MMR given at around 1 and around 3. Babies have some residual immunity up until 6 months. The NHS website implies you can be vaccinated earlier (for free) in special circumstances e.g. travelling where there is an outbreak.

OP I understand your worry. Are you in an outbreak area? The risk is small if not, bur obviously still there. I don't particularly like playgroups at that age anyway!

@moleeye I think you may be thinking of MenB. The NHS currently doesn't give the MMR jab until one. Although apparently there is a consultation happening to reduce this to 6 months because the UK has lost its measles-free status.

I live in an area with a significant measles outbreak so I didn't want to just wait for the policy to change. Imo £37 is well worth it for peace of mind & better than avoiding baby groups like OP is suggesting.

moleeye I think you are confusing the DTP vaccinations which are the 8, 12 and 16 week jabs with the MMR vaccination which is usually given at 12 months.

Ask your nurse if there have been any outbreaks locally. I was nervous at 10 months because there was one in my area from fuckwit anti-vaxxers, but there isn't much you can do because you do need to take the baby out or you'll go crazy. DS loved his music class so much and really got a lot out of it from 6 months; watching the others helps with crawling and other motor skills. There are small groups where all the babies are under 1 (yeah ok, some have siblings) and the instructors wash the toys; so just avoid the very big groups?

Don't then .. it's not mandatory 🤷‍♀️

I think YAB a bit U. You could catch measles from lots of places, like shopping trolleys or other surfaces children could touch or sneeze or dribble on. So you’re litrally going to keep your child away from all places with children until they’re one? Fair enough if you’re not interested in group stuff, but I don’t know what I would have done without them for that first year - my DS loved baby gym, swimming, singing groups at the library and just regular baby groups. Would you do this with all your children if you have more in the future? So if you’ve got a baby and a toddler, you won’t take the toddler to any groups or children’s activities anymore unless you can leave the baby behind somewhere?

I dont think you need to worry over measles. I do think playgroup for a baby is unnecessary, they wont get anything out of it. However, you might enjoy meeting other mums. If youre not interested in meeting other mums leave until your baby is old enough to enjoy it

YANBU. As PPs have said it's very rare for the baby to care about groups - they are for you more than them. The baby would be just as happy with an outing to the park, etc - any change of scenery with you or others they normally know well (DH, GPS, close friends). Besides, if it's not measles it could be gastro, random colds, etc (mind you, all those could also come from you /your household, but I guess the less direct contact with lots of unknown people, the better). If you are happy without the baby groups, then your baby will be too Is someone telling you you should go to baby groups?

Then don’t 🤷🏻‍♀️ It’s your baby.

You'd be the beneficiary. So do what you want to do.

I’ve never taken any of
My 4 to play groups, its not compulsory.

Whatever suits you really. There’s a risk wherever you go though so unless you plan on keeping your baby indoors for 12 months then it’s a bit silly.

I understand your point though, I didn’t take my DS to baby groups or swimming until after his 12 week jabs.

YANBU and the baby wont miss out, but you might. They are more for parents to get them out the house and give them a bit of a routine. Do you live in an area with an outbreak? If not I'd probably just go. If you do you could always get the jab privately and earlier? I live in an area with an outbreak at the time my daughter was due to go to nursery and delayed it til she had had her jabs

Do you also intend to keep your child away from shopping centres and pubic transport?

Maybe you're over-worrying about the possibility of DC getting measles at a babygroup?

TBH they're not very interesting for young babies anyway - but you yourself might meet other parents and become friendly.

I think you are exaggerating the risk here.

I never took mine to playgroup until he was two but nobody did then. I was fortunate that our local playgroup didn't expect a parent to stay there with them so I dropped him off and picked him up a couple of hours later, can't remember now if it was once or twice a week. He liked it very much but I can't imagine doing that with a little baby.

My neighbour's children hated the playgroup! I smile now at that, they were such sociable, outgoing children but each to their own.

It was nice to have a couple of hours to myself.

No one ever thought of measles outbreaks or whatever. My child had had all the vaccs anyway. He did get measles though, later on, but it was very, very mild which is how it is if caught when they're vaccinated. I too remember having measles mildly.

Now I've typed this I'm wondering what relevance it really has to the thread. I was just reminiscing, ignore me!

You may be thinking of the Meningitis vaccine which are given before one. The MMR is only given at one. You may pay to get it earlier (if you travel for example) but will get it again at one as part of the NHS vaccination program.

I never took mine to baby groups. It's all turned out ok.

I took DS to a playgroup at 11 months old and he caught chickenpox. If they're going to catch something, they will.

God I’d go absolutely nuts just me and baby all day. I love him more than anything but he needs entertaining ALL THE TIME.
I’d love to know where people get these happy and content babies from
But yeah it’s your choice. I think my baby gets lots out of it but each to their own.
I think you’re being unreasonably not to go because of measles though.

With small children I reckon playgroups and soft plays are far worse for picking up bugs than transport, shops etc as they are passing round toys they have licked/sneezed on. I still take mine but can understand the rationale of them being 'worse'.