Done with baby groups

[whatiszzz]

My little one just now would not stop crying in a baby group, none of the mums were even talking to me anyway, they all seemed to know each other so I was sitting there with my baby feeling just quite lonely so just left halfway through. She was not getting on with it.
The ones I’ve gone to have been very clicky. Or I get on with one mum and they don’t come back.
my baby is 3 months, if I stop going would this harm her development? She’s a very fussy baby so always kicking off at some point in these groups too which makes me more anxious :(

I don’t think it would harm your babies development however it is a lovely experience for them and I do think they benefit. I think you should ride it out and in a few weeks I’m sure you will get familiar with the other faces. Or try a different class. Failing that I wouldn’t worry if you really don’t enjoy it. Don’t worry about baby crying in the class that will pass. My baby is the number 1 screamer in the classes I take her to 😂

Harm her development?! She is 3 months 🤨 at that age Baby groups are for the mums not the babies.

It entirely your decision as to whether you go to a baby group or not.
Personally, I havent taken DD to any as I was put off by a friend who had a really rough time at some and there arent many in my area to be fair.
At such a young age the groups are for the mums, not the babies.
The babies may get a bit of sensory play out of it but that is nothing you cant recreate at home.
For me personally I dont feel either DD or I have missed out. I may not have made a stack of mum friends during my mat leave but that is fine with me. I have enjoyed the time with DD playing with her, taking her out etc and she is where she should be development wise. I have friends who I see on a regular basis and they have children.

The only group I did start when DD was 6 months old was swimming. She gets to do something she enjoys, sees other children and I can have a chat to the other mums but the main focus is the babies. Its great and we both love going.

Definately don't go if it's making you miserable. Could you take a break from them and re evaluate in a few weeks. When the weather is horrible in Dec & Jan you may have more motivation to go as strolls in the park get less appealing. You could use peanut to meet other mums or a local FB group? And then meet them at a baby group.

Until they're 1 year old baby groups aren't really of real benefit to babies imo. Obviously there are exceptions e.g baby massage.

Don't feel guilty, it won't make any difference to your baby at all

Sack them off for a bit. I had exactly the same experience and not just on one occasion. Try again in a couple of months maybe but don't feel any pressure to go. Any free library ones so you don't have to sign up for weeks? Could always give one a go if the mood takes you on the day that's what I did and works out much better.

People always claim that they are purely for the mums, but I’m not convinced to be honest. I don’t think baby groups are the only way to enjoy spending time with your baby, but the ones I went to involved sensory things, nursery rhymes and singing, lights, puppets, bubbles.

Of course you CAN do those things yourself and even if you don’t, the baby won’t mind, but my baby enjoyed all the above. I also think he liked having a good nose at the other babies.

I wouldn’t worry about not making lifelong friends. Not many do to be honest.

I think you just have to go for a bit longer! People start talking to you after a few sessions if you're always at the same groups.

I had the same yesterday with crying. He was just tired and decided he'd had enough (he had napped before we came but was obviously still sleepy). Before the group was finished I rocked him and managed to get him to sleep in my arms (he's 8 months so this is a rare occurance now!). I would persevere personally. I find social situations hard but I find that people tend to give more when you do - approach other mums, ask how old their LO is - then they realise I'm happy to talk and they continue chatting with me. My boy was shy and just very observant when going to baby groups in the beginning (I think he was about 2-4 months when we started to) and now he's 8 months, he's still quiet and clingy, but he's happy to play with the toys. I had separation anxiety as a child, and have social anxiety as an adult, so I'm sort of hoping groups will help him. Maybe pause the groups for a while and re-join in a few months? I would give it a chance though. First few times I was there I didn't speak really, now there's the usual faces that come over and want to be with us, which is lovely!

Whilst I agree baby groups are as much for the mums as the babies, I think the babies do enjoy them. Ultimately though they also enjoy doing activities at home, 1-1 playdates and going out for a walk in the pram. If you don't want to go you don't have to. I used to go to a lot when on mat leave partly because it gave my week some structure. I preferred the ones that was more activity based (messy play, baby sensory) rather than stay and play types because it felt less like you had to sit around and chat, you could just focus on what you were doing and your baby.

I didn't make any bosom buddies at groups. One or two that I would chat to whilst we were there but never went any further. I had my NCT group for that though so it didn't seem a priority to me.

Baby groups are quite a modern development, humans have got along and developed very well without them for centuries. I never enjoyed baby groups tbh and found them clicky. I attended when mine were toddler age as I think 3 months is too young for the babies really, at that age it's more for the mum's. I think back now and wonder why I ever bothered.

I have found things like this so hard, I actually decided to keep going and only recently have I really been enjoying going. My daughter is 19 months we started going properly when she was about 5 months.

I noticed after a while that most of the mums weren't talking to each other. Now we are in a toddler group and all the mums have a chin wag, it's a different vibe. Perhaps a lot of women have that feeling of anxiety.

Also to agree these groups are more for the mums than the babies and my daughter didn't really start to enjoy it properly till maybe 10 months

I mostly went to classes with my two when they were under 1. Less of an issue if you don't have anyone to chat too as you're doing activities. I found playgroups ok once they were crawling/ walking because I could trail DC round if there was no one to chat to.

I must admit whenever I've gone to a class I have always known someone else. Maybe not particularly well but I do think that it makes it a bit easier if you've got someone to buddy up with.

Having said that I would be quite happy to go alone too. The structured classes don't tend to leave much time for chatting anyway, unless it's at the end.

You won't harm your baby by not going of course. But I do think it's nice for them to experience sensory things and get used to new people and places. Also nice for you to get out and about. Don't let other people make you feel bad, just enjoy the one on one time with your baby.

My HV told me that I didn't need to go if I didn't want to, that until a year it's more for the mothers - and that she hated term herself!

I live rurally so only had one option really, and went once and never returned. I do baby swimming though since she was 3 months old and enjoy the interaction there. She's nearly 10 months now and only the last few weeks been interested in the other babies so I started going to a mum and baby fitness class so I recently feel I enjoy it a bit and she can see other babies (it's in a play area so they can crawl around).

(Hated them)

Not trying to tell you to keep going, because I know I would hate them too, but there weren't any open due to covid when my boy was a baby so we couldn't go to any.

We don't go out much so now that groups are open again we go to the local toddlers. He HATES it. Only a couple months in, but he still won't play or engage other toddlers and screams bloody murder if I set him down or get more than half a foot from him. (I know the answer is to keep going and he will eventually get used to it)

If I could do it again, I would definitely go to a few baby groups just to get the boy used to large social groups.

Do whatever makes you happy, at least for now. My first baby screamed constantly for the first 4-5 months and I used to find baby groups really uncomfortable because all the other babies (and mums) were calmer and happier, I felt like a failure and didn't get to meet many people because I was always trying to calm DS down! I was in a bad place anyway and putting pressure on myself to go to those groups made me feel worse.

Now with my second baby, we go to one group that we both enjoy and the rest of the time we go for walks, coffees, meet friends for lunch, etc - things I like to do! DD appears to be thriving and is naturally more sociable than her brother. I'm sure the groups do help their development but I'm equally sure they're not essential at such a young age. Baby will get more benefit from having a happy mum :)

Just to add I do think it's important to get out and see people in the early days/months. I just prefer to see people I already know instead of trying to make new friends while dealing with a screaming baby.

Baby groups are to preserve mothers' sanity. If they aren't doing that , don't go.
Yes babies like nosing around but they can do that at the supermarket or park so please don't feel guilty about this.

Nothing much to add but if you've got a local Facebook group for parents (or even just a community one) it could be worth posting, anon if you need to, to ask either if there's a group that people would recommend that's particularly friendly OR alternatively posting to find someone else who feels like you, believe me there will be loads, who would like to go to one as a buddy with you?

I've been to loads of different things over my two kids and there is one particular group that I always recommend when I see these posts locally as it was the one that really helped me with my new mum anxiety and also general dislike of new things and organised fun 😂 the structure of it and just the people that tended to go made it really easy to settle in and the group leader is great at minimising any worries about nappy explosions, crying etc.

Just to say that the first baby group I went to with my LO was in the mid 1970s. So over 45 years ago (gulp). I can remember that there were some cliquey mums, so nothing changes....

Baby groups are for mums - not for babies. If you are not enjoying them find other things to do.

My baby cried a lot at groups at 3 months old. By 4 months she was much happier at them and started to enjoy them.