how to meet like minded people

[hildathebuilder]

I've lived in Cambridge City all my life and know the area well however now I'm pregnant with my first child (after a previosu miscarriage) and my midwife suggested that I join Mumsnet as I am feeling overwhelmed with the thought of being a mother. Although I know many people with chldren they're children are all either much older than mine will be and who've finished their families or live a distance away and who I can'r really pop in on. I never really thought about this, nor thought it may be a problem until I started thinking about not working while on maternity leave later this year. I can't really imagine not being at work nor can I imagine enjoying being at home (although i guess I may change my mind) and although I have no doubts about the baby nor that I will be a good enough mum am keen to get to know people who have a similar attitude and who are neither "blooming" or "gushing" about the thought of pregnancy and motherhood. Surely I'm not alone in this. If I'm not I have no idea how to go about finding other like minded people locally so would welcome any suggestions.

Hello.

No children here, I just like chatting to my imaginary friends, but I expect someone will be along in a minute.

If you're after general rather than Cambridge-specific advice you might get more responses if you post in Chat, as everyone on the site will get to see it.

Hi there,

My two are 20 months and 7 months (!!!!) and I just wanted to post a message of support. Although I won't be much use to you with babies much older, I just wanted to say that feeling overwhelmed is very normal.

My best advice is to join your local NCT group asap and go along to their meets. You'll find a group of great friends with babes the same age as yours (or pregnancies at the same stage). It was a godsend for me and now I have a wonderful group of ladies and babies.

Take courage!

Jules

My children are all grown up but I agree that joining a post natal NCT group brought me in contact with other "like minded" people who have remained friends through babies, children, teenagers ...
I didn't imagine that such people existed when I first contemplated the empty void of maternity leave but they were all out there within a pram walk away.

Hi, my DD is 16 month, and DC2 due end of July. I'm in central Cambridge. The NCT was great for meeting other people of a similar age to you who are having babies at the same time. Plus, they give you information too about what's ahead.

I loved my first time of maternity leave. One of the best things about being in the middle of town is that you are able to get out and about every day and it stops you going stir crazy and looking at 4 walls all day.

Hilda, hi I felt exactly the same as you when I was pregnant last year.

I didn't join NCT for various logistical reasons and I do feel that by doing so I've missed out on having a group of 'buddies' through my pregnancy and mat leave. I did do antenatal yoga though and met a few people through that who were lovely. Once DD arrived I made a real effort to go to mum and baby groups and other activities like swimming lessons where I've met some lovely mums who have become good friends over the last few months.

As cbmum says, you are lucky being so central ( as am out in a village) - there are lots of activities you can do with your little one - the big scream at the arts picturehouse is v popular and the new library probably does things like rhyme time too.

Also look up whether you have a sure start childrens centre near you. There's one in our village that runs a 'bumps to babies' group which is free to go to and is a good way to meet people even before your little one arrives. They are open to everyone.

Congratulations on your pregnancy by the way

Oh and should have said - joining the May 09 antenatal group on here was probably the best thing I did in the absence of NCT classes

Hi Runningmonkey

Do you mind me asking which village or at least whereabouts you are ie north south east west?

I'm in Bottisham, and I'm expecting my 2nd baby in July. I understand what you are gonig through, but you need to get out there.

If you've missed NCT what about going for somethign like baby yoga or antenatal swimming?

There maybe a surestart centre in the village and there will be lots of opporutnity to meet mums there.

I am quite shy, and I found it really difficult to walk into somewhere new, but once in you realise everyone is in the same boat and you have plenty to chat about.

SP

and runs away

Hi Sally, don't mind at all - am in Cambourne

Hi She-Ra & Running Monkey!

Cambourne, ok, so there are lots of young families there, this is a good start.

There is a SureStart centre in Sackville Way which offers sessions aimed at you on a Monday & Thursday. I would head down there for a start.... Your midwife should know all about this, but if not, go and knock.

ByThePowerofGreySkull (She-Ra) will tell you that you have to get out and say hi to people, even if its when you are pushing the pram around the estate.... Ask your friends with older children where they went... they will probably been fonts of knowledge.

I've done a quick look on the web and come up with all these things in your area... You can try them all once, and I'm sure you'll end up meeting lots of people. This forum looks promising forum to :

www.cambourneforum.net/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2325

www.babyandme.org.uk/
Baby and Me
Where: The Hub, High Street, Cambourne, Cambs, CB23 6GW
Description: Baby and Me provides a social and educational experience for supervised babies under one. Siblings are welcome to attend. Baby and Me provides information and classes such as First Aid, Baby Massage, Baby Yoga, Singing and Music and much more, after each class there is an opportunity to have a cup o...

Organsation: Music with Mum
Where: The Hub, High Street, Cambourne, Cambs, CB23 6GW
Description: Music with Mum classes are for babies and children under 3. Our music classes aim to encourage music making with the very young. During the half hour sessions you will sing action songs, finger rhymes, play musical games and participate in listening activities as well as having the chance to play mu...

Music to Grow to - Cambourne
Where: The Hub, High Street, Cambourne, CB23 6GW
Description: Sessions provide a tactile, high quality and fun experience for all - parents making music with their children, with sessions led by a professional musician with many years experience. Fully CRB checked. Come along to sing, play and move to all our music in a fun friendly environment. Please contact...

Organsation: Hullabaloo Kids - Baby Multi Sensory Play - Cambourne
Where: The Hub, High Street, Cambourne, Cambs, CB23 6GW
Description: Baby Sensory Play classes - A one hour class will include a range of multi sensory play activities including touch, vision, sound, smell, movement, games, gentle exercises and social time. Designed to suit the sensitive needs of little babies. It is a fantastic bonding time for parents and babies wh...

Organsation: Singing Squirrels - Cambourne
Where: The Hub, High Street, Cambourne, CB23 6GW
Description: Fun for under 5s and their carer(s) with musical instruments, puppets, 30 minutes of singing and action songs followed by 30 minutes of play and refreshments, £3 one child and 50p each additional child. Informal and relaxed, no need to book, simply turn up. Wednesday 10.00am-11.00am term time only.

Caldecote Baby & Toddler Group
Where: Community Room, Caldecote Primary School, Highfields Road, Highfields Caldecote, Cambridge, CB23 7NX
Description: The group meets on a Monday at 1.30pm-3.00pm term time only. Safe area for babies, activities for toddlers and a snack (biscuit, juice or milk) for the children. Cost £1.00

Baby & Toddler Yoga
Where: Great Gransden Reading Room, Fox Street, Great Gransden, Cambs, SG19 3AA
Description: Baby yoga is designed for carer & baby to enjoy moving, stretching and relaxing together. Mon: 11.15-12.15 newborn-5mths mon: 10.15-11.15 5mths- walking Toddler yoga is for those on the move, exercises & relaxation are achieved through the use of songs, rhymes and stories. Mon: 9.15- ...

Bar Hill Under Ones
Where: Octagon, Bar Hill Church, Bar Hill, Cambs, CB23 8EH
Description: For mothers and carers of children aged under one. Tues 10.00am-12noon term time only.

I hope that this gives you a start, and that maybe you'll get a few posters on here now from Cambourne. She-Ra & I are over near Newmarket so not that close, but there are lots of people on here.....

Hi Sally,
Thanks but I know all this already, I think you may have me confused with the OP

Hello All,

I am 18 weeks pregnant with my first (DD June 2010) and feeling a little overwhelmed with the size of mumsnet and the multitude of websites there are out there to join.

What I would really like, is to meet mums-to-be who are at the same stage as me!

I live in Cambridge city centre...

Lizzie xx

Oh yes runningmonkey it would appear that my babybrain has well and truely kicked in!!!! Best start again for Lizzie!!!!

Lizzie, sorry about my cock-up, I'll look at the same set of things but in the city centre. Will be more I'm sure.

Being in the city it much better tbh, because you've got lots of parks where mums congrigate.... Are you right in the centre or in Arbury, Mill Road, Queen Ediths etc... suspect there will be loads in town.

Running Monkey - there is lots out your way isn't there? Much more than we have!

Right, Hi Lizzie,

I've tried to put baby brain on hold for a moment...

Without knowing exactly where in town you are I've tried to give a flavour - will give more specifics when I know exactly where you are.... Cambridge is full on young families and pregnant people, so you're in the right place.

There are several SureStart centres in town:
www.cambridgeshirechildrenscentres.org.uk

Franks Lane Chesterton
Community Wing Cherry Hinton Community Junior School Fulbourn Old Drift
Romsey Mill Hemingford Road Cambridge
Galfrid Road Cambridge CB5 8ND
Holbrook Road Cambridge CB1 7ST
Colleges Nursery & Family Centre Campkin Road.

All of these offer sessions aimed at mums to be and mums with babies and then toddlers. Your midwife should know about these or get yourself down there. The other ladies will be in exactly the same situation as you.

There are also lots of independant sessions run in Cambridge for mums to be, but for me to give a list I really need to know where you are.....

Although the web is a great place to meet people to chat at this stage, it's by no means a replacement for real contact, and so I would erge you to find some real bodies....

There is nothing wrong with being worried. I would say this is a better place to be than being overly relaxed about it all. Although it really is great fun.

I'll do some more research once I know where you are.... Are you still at work? Where abouts do you work as well as live?

SallyPoo

Hi SallyPoo,

Thank you so much for all your investigating! I am currently in Newnham but we are looking to move house, so I have no idea where we will end up! (Although at the moment we are still looking west and south of the city, including Dry Drayton down to Granchester villages.)

I work at Addenbrooke's but I have been off sick with hyperemsis for several weeks now

Thanks again and I will look into those that you have mentioned.

Lizzie xx

sally re baby brain, I am seriously worried about mine as I go back to work in 4 weeks

Yes Cambourne is great for life with a baby, partly why we moved here when I was 30 weeks. Its not a pretty place really but is v friendly and the public transport links are really good too - much better than other older places out this way.

I'm newish to Cambridge but feel at home already. I have a toddler and this is our third move since she was born. I lost all my friends but found that volunteering for charities worked for me. I have been volunteering for NCT and BfN (I'm a breastfeeding helper). So before I moved I contacted the charities and got stuck in.

I lived for 13 years in London, then moved to Rugby, now we are here... I used to be career driven till I had my child at 40.

I am now working from home and I really need to be social not to go mad. So for the first time ever I have volunteered to hold an NCT coffee morning at our house (I used to be a newsletter editor). Going for second one, it's great to meet local mums, some do have toddlers and older siblings, so it's not all new babies.

Hello Lizzie and Hilda,

Can't improve much on the excellent advice already given here: there's plenty to do, particularly in the middle of town. The Big Scream is well worth a visit and there's some good babyswimming and yoga classes too, particularly if you're expecting your first.

This list is pretty comprehensive on playgroups.

It always amuses me how having so much on your doorstep kind of 'localises' you: when I was living in Mill Road I wouldn't contemplate a playgroup in Newnham, even though it can't be more than 1.5 miles away. I suspect you have to have wider horizons if you live in a big city.

Lizzie, if you're due in June then you should have a look at the ante-natal thread for June in the 'Becoming A Parent' section. We've all been (virtually) holding each other's hair through morning sickness/hyperemsis. Some of us are now graduating to SPD. It's more fun than it sounds .

Lizzie

I'm the OP and and 23 + weeks (Due end May although they've just been discussing inducing me early) I live in the Tenison Road area of Cambridge and would be happy to meet up. If you change your profile here so I can contact you I will do so.

I am doing the NCT classes but probably the session before you.

Hilda

Just a quick message (already lots of useful advice and my dc are a bit too old really if you're looking for people at the same stage as you) to point out that you don't have to do NCT antenatal classes to meet people through NCT.

I didn't do the NCT classes (I just did the NHS ones and didn't make any friends that way) but when dc1 was about 4 months I found out about the local NCT coffee mornings and started going along. You don't have to join NCT to do that, and it's been invaluable. I have met lots of likeminded people though I had to try 2 different groups to find the one where I got on with people best.

You can start coming to those coffee mornings while pregnant if you want to. Is a good way to meet other people on maternity leave (though obviously some of hte mums there are SAHM too so it's a good mix).

The NCT group in Central Cambridge each Friday morning is open to all and there is a separate room for babies. It's £2 per family donation but you get a hot drink and biscuit, cold drink for toddlers and lots of toys for toddlers.

Hi
I'm new to Cambridge and to mumsnet and wanted to say how useful reading all the tips in this thread has been! I have a 2yr old and am expecting my second in April so all this stuff is invaluable.
I'm sure I saw a message from someone the other day who had recently moved from London to Cambridge (like myself) and didn't know anyone here (like myself!). I can't find the message again but if you see this and want to get in touch and maybe meet up to explore some of the kids activities please do.

I'm one of the ex London mums (although via Warks) and tomorrow I will be at the Botanic Garden at this event. Many museums are having activities tomorrow. Read more here

www.admin.cam.ac.uk/whatson/index.cgi?event=EV201001210013.xml&cat=.*&radar=7

Hi Lizzie

not been on for a while... be struggling with Bronchitis. How are you getting on?

SP