Activities for 11 week old baby during London visit - Advice needed!

[AnnaJessicaH]

We moved from London to the countryside 3 months ago when I went on maternity leave before DD was born. Planning on a trip back to London in a few weeks for a long weekend for friends & family to meet her. We need some activities/locations in north or east London that will allow her to spend time with family but also for friends to call in and say a quick hello. Usually I'm great at planning social stuff but the thought of my 11 week old in any of our old London haunts is giving me a panic! Help! What shall I plan for a Friday afternoon & all day Saturday/Sunday? I know this sounds silly but I just don't know what might work and what might be too much for me/her to deal with. We drive everywhere at home and she hates the pushchair but I take her everywhere in a carrier... She isn't used to crowds or more than a few people. Am I just being daft?

Carriers are great around London - they mean you don't have to tackle stairs on the underground, etc. As for activities, I think I'd aim for spending as much time as possible at people's houses.

I think you're overthinking it. London is great for babies and in a carrier is perfect. Cafes, pubs, art galleries: they're all baby friendly really. If the weather is nice the open spaces are perfect too. Just find some way of balancing baby and change bag (mine is always bloody heavy) and you'll have a great time. X

Wtaf

Just take her to whatever you want to do. She's a baby, they cope.

What Gmbk said.

She's 11 weeks old. She's hardly going to want to take in museums or go rollerblading around Hyde Park. Put her in carrier, use backpack as a changing bag, do whatever the hell you want to.

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She doesn't need activities. She need you, a source of food (possibly also you), nappies and a change of clothes. And whatever you prefer carrying her about in.

This is a brilliant age for fitting around what you want to do.

Thank you ateapptandacake - probably am overthinking it yes but good to get a bit of encouragement!

To the others... I'm not anticipating she'll want to see the sights just wondered what people's thoughts were on the best ways to see everyone & where might be good to base ourselves. No need to be mean!

Where are you staying? That could be a base?

Are you generally OK with taking her out? I really think you are hugely overthinking this. Relax for a bit.

If you need to meet people in central London, the Methodist Central Hall cafe near the houses of Parliament is lovely and has good changing facilities. But if I were you, I'd plan to be in one house and make people come to me.

Thanks... I'll try to chill a bit! Staying with family in NE London but not near a tube and in a bit of a dodgy area without many amenities close by (I lived in London for 10 years so not scared of going out etc btw!) and their flat is small so thinking we need to find somewhere for others to come and meet us. Probably should have added that to the OP for context...

Royal Festival Hall is a great place to hang out.

Meh. I lived in a dodgy area of NE London without many amenities close by when DS was that age (still do actually) and had no issue with expecting other people to mostly visit me at home then. You have a baby, people are generally willing to bend - and will be especially so if you're only about for a bit. Otherwise, I'd think explicitly about places you can get to easily from where you're staying. Smaller museums and park cafes are usually a great option IMO. Not sure whereabouts you are, but Springfield park (Clapton), Bruce Castle (Tottenham - no cafe but there's a nice one just around the corner on Lordship Lane), the William Morris museum (Walthamstow) are all pleasant and undemanding options. The toy museum at Bethnal Green, if you're anywhere near the overground stations that take you there.

I used to go from Tottenham to the south bank weekly to meet a friend (it was roughly a halfway point for us), and that was lovely, but it's not a journey I would aim to do if I was only around for a few days, wanted to catch loads of people, and had already travelled to London in the first place.