Lancaster & Morecambe MNers with babys - What to chat/meet?

[haloflo]

Hi

I know this is a slow moving board but I hope I get a few replies. I live in Lancaster city centre and have a 3 month old DD. I'm 26 and the first amongst my friends to have a baby. I work at the council and am currently 4 months into my 10 month maternity leave.

Currently I go to Appletree Children's Centre in Lancaster and Poulton Children's Centre in Morecambe. I do yoga, massage, sensory play & I also do bounce and rhyme at the library. Although it sounds like I do alot i've found it hard to make friends at these structured groups. I would like to meet people on a more informal basis but am not sure how.

On a wednesday I go to a bf support group which I love and there are a couple of girls who I go for coffee with first. I love this day of the week and it comes and goes so quickly.

I am far too nervous to go to any baby groups at churches/halls etc plus I am not religious and don't know if this is a problem?

What do other local MNers do with their babies? What is good/less good?

We are hoping to start swimming soon at Holiday Inn but I am waiting for a phone call about new course to start.

I thought i'd start a new thread as some of the others are quite old. Hope thats ok.

Hello haloflo :)

I was on Mat leave last year and have a huge list of things wot to do in Lancaster!

Firstly two of the best playgroups I know are on a Wed, sadly, so they would conflict with your bf group. Both of these were church groups - I am a card carrying atheist, but went alternatively to Little Fishes at St. Thomas's or the Free Grace Church group in Skerton on wed mornings.

Since you're tied up on Wednesdays, there is a great baby club that meets at the Sure Start centre in Rylands park on a Thursday, which is good for meeting up with people. Also, if you have transport, the new Galgate children's centre has things on some days as well and that is quite a small and friendly set up.

Salt Ayre does swimming sessions and when your DC is a little older, they have Gymny Crickets which is a sing, rhyme and gymclass for under 4s.

Its hard being the first of your friends to have babies. Mine is 18mos old now, but I'm always up for a costa some time.

P.S. This is not my regular posting name as I am on line so much during work hours I don't want to be traceable to Lancaster!

I used to go to Jo Jingles at The Gregson in Lancaster - it was really good and a good way to meet other parents. Also the Adult Education Centre at the White Cross in Lancaster usewd to organise a free half hour swimming session for parent & toddler at the pool out in Hornby. You had to sign up for a term. I'm not sure if it still runs. DS is 6 now so I'm a bit out of touch! Oh and there used to be a toddler group on Tuesdays at the Wacky Warehouse place opposite the Holiday Inn.

Hi Haloflo,

I have a nearly 5month old DD (and I'm 28) and live in Lancaster too, I usually go to the session at the Library on a Friday too - so have probaby seen you there. I have also been to sensory play at Appletree but find it difficult to get there as DD tends to like taking a nap at that time :)
What is baby Yoga like, i'm interested in giving it a go - do you go to the one at Appletree?
I keep meaning to go to more groups etc but don't end up going, I am friends with one girl I met at antenatal classes but other than that dont have many other friends either with babies, so find I either go out for a walk by myself or just stay in.
So i'm up for meeting for a coffee sometime if you fancy it, it would be nice to get to know more people with babies.
Just let me know if you fabcy meeting up sometime :)

Thanks all for replying

emma Baby yoga is pretty good. Its run by a really nice lady and is very relaxed. Its £3 at Appletree & is on tomorrow morning. All being well i'm going to go. Maybe see you there? Otherwise a coffee (or a walk if the weather is nice?) would be nice. I've not actually been to the lancaster bounce and rhyme yet. I was going to go this Friday but DD was asleep (and I was not going to wake it!).

Jo jingles looks good but seems to be for babies over 6 months round here? Something for the future though.

scaredcow Where abouts is the surestart centre in ryelands park? Is it the crib to crawlers group? Are you back at work part time now? Seems ages away that I have to go back to work but I guess it will go fast.

Hi haloflo.

I'm 31 and have 2DS's. I live between Garstang and Lancaster.

My DS2is 3yo, so we've passed the baby stage I'm afraid.

We went to a baby/toddler group at Kings Community Church, Phoenix St (10 till 11.30) It was really nice and friendly and had cake too (massive bonus imo)

It doesn't matter at all if you're not religious, I'm not either.

Why don't you come along on Tuesday? (I'll be the one scoffing all the free cake )

Hi accidentalchickenkeeper I can't make tomorrow (HV at 11) but will definatly try to come next week (you sold me with the cake!)

Hi All - Surestart centre - in Rylands parks there's three buildings, the big old one, a new building with Nippers in it and a smaller building to the side called Old Mans rest. Crib to Crawlers is in the latter. I went there loads when i was on mat leave as they have some good things on. Its quick to get to if you're walking from town as you can nip across Millenium bridge then round behind the school.

Anyone around on Thurs BTW? I have a rare day off and am free with my youngest.

Hi sacredcow. My days off are Tues and Thurs. This Thurs I'll be at toddlers in Garstang in the morning, then Booths in Garstang for lunch then Holly Farm in the afternoon. We could meet up at Holly Farm?

That sounds like it could be fun. What time are you thinking?

Anyone else? Haloflo?

I'mn usually there by 1pm. I'll start a new thread to see if anyone else fancies it.

Hi all - I can't do thursday. I am rubbish to start a thread about not having enough to do then making plans when people offer. So sorry! Typically though the HV had to rearrange and come this pm so I could have made the group today.

Holly farm looks brillant though. Definatly going to take DD one day.

scaredcow Thanks for directions

Hiya Haloflo, Sorry its taken me a while to post back our computer died so not been able to get on line probably until now. Baby yoga sounds nice, I think I may give it ago sometime soon, shame I have just read this as meeting up and going for coffee or a walk especially in this weather would of been nic, but I think its gonna change now so i think going for a nice walk will have to wait for good weather again - but aslways room for coffee!! :)
There has been some good suggestions on here about things to do and i did wonder about the group at Kings Community Church so thankyou accidentialchickenkeeper, but thought you would have to be religious to go, so its good to know you don't have to be, so I may give it ago soon as Tuesday's I find an odd day (not much going on in Lancaster for babies)

I defintiely need to start going to more things and getting out more with little one, I think :)

I'm off to Kings Community Church today. Looking forward to it!

Hello, I also go to sensory play at Appletree! I find the Gregson pub ace for sitting and chilling with the papers-it's very child friendly and has baby/toddler/sling meets. There is a Bf group on Wednesday at Appletree but been a bit dead recently. The Whaletail veggie cafe on Penny street is also very chilled out-I have not ventured near any church meets as yet-have fun! Oh and Wallings icecream near Cockerham is rather fun-alpacas and icecream

Was going to go off on train mission somewhere today but weather is meh-anyone want to meet up in town for coffee/cake/pint?

Sorry cyberfairy only just saw this message! What did you get up to in the end?

Hello, I met a friend and then went up to Williamson park even though the hill is somewhat torturous with a pram. Hope you enjoyed your play session-I was eyeballing the mums at sensory play today wondering who were the mumsnetters!

Ahh I didn't go to sensory play this morning. Like emma it seems to always be on at Hannah's first nap time so I've actually only been once. She woke at half 9 today so could have but i'd already decided I fancied checking out cribs and crawlers at Lune Park. I will try and go sometime soon though. I'll let you know if we are going.

Cribs and crawlers was good. Very welcoming and there was toast! We got to into the sensory room there which was good too. We got soaked walking home though.

Kings community church was ok. Very busy and hard to know who to talk to but guess you have to go for a few weeks to try and make friends.

Ooh busy places like that scare me-I wish Rowan had naps at certain times-he is mostly wide awake by six so by nine I am looking forward to going out! Pm me if you fancy meeting up at any time-I am free tomorrow and considering going to Preston on the train as get bored bimbling around Lancaster but it is dependent on amount of sleep I get...

The first nap of the day is the only predictable nap. The rest of the day could bring anything.

I will pm you cyber. Just checked your profile regarding your non sleeping baby. It would nice to meet a mum whose baby doesn't sleep through the night.

I hope you do get a good nights sleep though, didn't mean that to sound like I hope you are exhausted!

Hi haloflo! Just read about you going to Poulton Children's Centre; there's a baby and toddler group just round the corner on Green Street in the old Methodist Church on a Tuesday morning 10-11:30, I'm always there if you want to meet up? I have a 19 month old son called Jake. I'll be the one eating all the biscuits

Obviously open to everyone else too!

Just an add on, don't be put off by it being in a church hall, I don't think any of the people that attend are religious and it's not at all cliquey unlike some others that I've been to.