Please tell me your experiences of baby groups!

[AllesAusLiebe]

Hi all,

Okay, so I’m on maternity leave at the moment and DS is nearly 4 months. I’m going a little crazy being at home and I’m thinking about going along to one of these groups but I don’t know where to start.

Please could you tell me your experiences and maybe what sort of thing to look for or avoid?

We tried swimming and he hated it and we are currently doing baby massage once a week (which he also isn’t a fan of, but it gets me out of the house for an hour!). I’m signed up to start baby Spanish and baby sign when he’s 6 months, but I guess I’m just looking for something to fill some time right now.

We do get out for walks, but with all of my friends either overseas or at work, I’m finding it tough as I’m pretty social when I put my mind to it!

I’m not really into spending time in coffee shops etc because DS isn’t at all passive and I’d probably spend the whole time walking around with him and worrying about the nuisance he was causing to others , so I thought a group would be a better idea because if he decides to be non compliant, there’ll be others in the same situation!

Thanks in advance.

I did Hartbeeps with my baby from about 3 months and still doing it. He loves it. It gets me out the house and I get to chat to other mums. As others have said children's centres and libraries are good. I suggest going to several groups to find one that works for you best. It is essential to get out and about if u can! Saved my sanity!

Good luck with finding stuff locally. You might find you send the same faces at different things which can be nice

As with all things, some groups are brilliant and others can be pretty awful. I’ve been to quite a few groups with both of my children and I’d say it’s the other mothers rather than the actual activity on offer which makes the difference.
The issue I found with structured activity classes was that there was often no time to talk to other mums. So while my baby might have enjoyed a singing class, I didn’t meet anyone. People at those classes often seemed to go with a friend or just not be particularly chatty.
Groups where the child is off playing with toys (ie a playgroup) or are doing an activity with an instructor while you sit and watch (when they are a bit older) - I found these were great for meeting people.

You’ll probably have to try a few out and see what feels right for you. Most of the pay termly activities will let you have a taster session before signing up fully.

Yes, baby groups are great. I'd recommend having a good google and see what different things are on around you and give as many as possible a try. A lot will have a free taster session so you can test it out. You often get a feeling on the first session anyway (personally the ones i stuck to were the ones where the person/people running it make an effort to talk to everyone and learn babies' names) also have a look at any church groups, theyre often drop in informal sessions but more of a chance to chat to other mums there