which baby groups would you recommend?

[cleoowen]

My little one is only a couple of Weeks old and although he is too young now I am looking into baby groups as I ve heard they get booked up quickly.

So.what groups would you recommend?

What is the appropriate age to start groups?

I went to a local sure start one (it had a bf support group tagged on which lead me there initially). It took a couple of tries of a couple of different groups, to find where I was most comfortable but I now have 2 best friends of the back of it. I also found that I found out about other activities through this as well. It's best to pop in and get a timetable and see which you fancy and give it a go, you don't have to go back if its rubbish!

Baby sensory for little ones, definitely swimming. I tried a lot of taster sessions and didn't really sign up for much till they were more toddler age, and then went for physical ones like tumble tots.

Please look for small, independent businesses rather than national franchises, you get a lot more for your money in my totally biased view.

Thanks guys. Sent enquiry about baby sensory as looks good so hopefully get booked on that. Thanks for info about ages, three months seems to be the standard age. Trouble is timings not sure what routine.will be like.then to book the best time.

I got a lot out of baby sign language - I did Sing and Sign but I hear Tiny Talk is much the same. It meant dd could communicate her needs from about 8 months which was fantastic.

I'd add another vote for baby sensory - exhausts them and you get lots of good ideas and also baby swimming as its so physical and my dd is very physical! I also did baby massage but wouldn't bother tbh unless you have big problems with sleep or colic as it wasn't ever at a good time and you didn't need a whole course of 5. I'm sure there must've a clip on YouTube so you could get the basic strokes. Have also heard good things about rhyme time but think it suits older babies/toddlers a bit better. I think a good local playgroup or soft play would be good too but I never really made an effort to find one.

If in N London, Naomi Stadlen's 'Mothers Talking' groups are amazing.

I did baby massage and baby yoga; absolutely fab classes and I met ladies I still meet up with now

There is no minimum age for 'BabyCalm' Mother & Baby Courses which help you to understand your baby and learn some ways to calm them (and you)!
Baby Massage classes shouldn't be started before 6 weeks - the combination of new location, new sounds and smells, mum taking baby's clothes off in public and then mum doing something to baby can just be too much for a younger baby.
Baby Sensory is probably better for an older baby, say from 5 months - again because it is so sensory that it is a sensory-overload for younger babies.

HTH

It depends on the type of baby massage noseynoonoo. The iaim course s suitable from newborn, I believe the Peter walker courses prefer them to be 6 weeks plus. I would highly recommend the iaim course. If you google it a list of local classes should appear on their website.

I found that a lot of groups say 0-3 but are actually full of children running around and next to no babies! Look for groups for 'immobiles'. DD & I go to one of those, a nursery-rhyme singing session and a 'stay & play' session at a children's centre where there's a HV to answer any queries.

My DS loves rhymetime and we can do the songs and actions at home too. They had a huge Christmas party and it's all free.

Fairyegg - what makes the IAIM course suitable for newborns whilst a Peter Walker course would not be appropriate until 6 weeks? The strokes are pretty much the same and the sensory (overload) experience for the baby is pretty similar too I would imagine.

Music classes are good - I've been taking my twins to Monkey Music since about 12 weeks old as well as swimming.

At that early age its also good to do something for yourself that you probably won't be able to do later like pilates, buggy fit pub lunches (which are fine for immobile babies that sleep in the pram but not when they get to a few months old).

noseynoonoo. In general terms the Peter walker massage concentrates in development, hence it is important that the 6 week check is done, mainly for the hip check. The iaim approach focuses on bonding and communication and can therefore be done from birth.

Sorry, forgot to add that the iaim wouldn't overload the baby as it is all baby led, so you would only do as much as the baby could handle iykwim, even if it was just resting your hands on the babies belly.

My dd loved the rhythmtime music classes from a few months old.