Bored on maternity leave

[RIRO30]

Hello ladies
I’m on leave with my 16 week old twin babies!
They are doing so well and I’m managing great but IM BORED
I don’t have a massive friendship circle and my family are busy working
I went to first baby group hoping to meet some other mums but they all seemed very quiet and keen to not talk .. weird!
Their dad also works 60 hours a week so I’m just alone & bored 😂
Please give me some ideas on what I can do to keep busy & give me some motivation to go out and do things?? I’ve got into a great routine with naps and bottles I’m worried to leave the house and mess the routine??
I’m in London, should I take them to the aquarium or are they too young? 😂

Have a look for your local Blaze Trail group, they run parent and baby walking groups that are a great way to meet other people and they have several groups across London 😊Groups — Blaze Trails CIC. NCT also do them if their timings work better for you NCT Walk and Talk | Local activities & meet-ups | NCT

If you’re in London there should be a ton of baby group options, so I wouldn’t give up based on one bad experience. Things like baby sensory, monkey music, baby massage etc. Is there a parents Facebook group for your area? That’s been a nice way to find out about baby classes near me and meet others mums who are around for coffee. What about baby cinema?

Don't give up on baby groups, there's plenty out there.
I had to try a couple til I felt comfortable.

have you got peanut app? Good way to connect with mums in your area looking for the same/friendship.

Would do whatever you want to do for yourself. Enjoy that chance before they become toddlers and limit more of what to do.

Sign up to a "buggy fit" type class, I found them really fun and the instructor would jiggle the pushchairs whilst we did a lap around the lake - bliss!

Try some different baby groups - you get all sorts. I went to the groups intending to socialise but I was so sleep deprived it was nice to just zone out and sing nursery rhymes, do baby sign etc for an hour while DD crawled around somewhere with no hazards

I'd see if there is a twins group you can join - like minded mums.

Amazing thank you!!

Okay true I won’t give up just yet on baby classes!!
some of them don’t have twin discounts though .. so cost a fortune 😂

Are you on any social groups/meet ups for twin parents? I have two friends with twins and they seem to socialise with other twins a lot.

i did find the earlier days of May leave a bit boring. Once they can do more and are crawling/mobile things get more fun.

I found the church playgroups good at that age. I have twins too and found most classes gave a discount (if they didn’t advertise it I asked).

PS have you joined your local twins club? Ours runs a fortnightly playgroup.

I had my son in London. When he was tiny and portable I just used to go for long walks along greenways or in Highgate Wood or Hampstead Heath, or in bad weather go to museums. He took his first steps in the BM.

Have you got a local twins group? Twins trust has a list I believe of where they are. My twin mum friends and I are still close 8 years later!
We did mother and baby yoga (but didn’t have to pay extra for second baby), baby massage (that was drop in), baby bounce and rhyme at local library.
Congratulations on your twins, ours turn 8 this week… it’s been the best eight years xx

Thank you:)
I just signed up for my local twin mum group so fingers crossed!
what is baby bounce? I see my local library do it x

i live right by Highgate and Hampstead!!!

I just have! Fingers crossed. Thank you

I don’t have twins so can’t help you there but in solidarity I found that age the absolute hardest! They don’t want to sleep on you all day anymore but get bored even thought they can’t actually DO anything yet. 4-6 months was hard but I really annoyed it after that point.

lots of singing but it was lovely. Really relaxed and easy with twins too!

I was so bored that I ended up going back to work. I didn't get on with mum groups either.

Try Peanut- it's an app for local new mums to meet and connect.

Don't give up on baby groups. When I had my DD I felt quite overwhelmed, I had to be practically forced out of the house by my partner to go to a baby group as otherwise I would have stayed indoors permanently. I found the first couple tough they felt awkward and no one really wanted to chat to me much or if they did they kept it to minimal small talk so no bonds or friendships were being made. I kept going to different groups and now I am out almost everyday now either at a group or meeting another mom for coffee and a walk in the park that I met at one of the groups and I am really enjoying it. My DD is 4 months old now. There are so many free ones that are NHS or community funded.

Have a look on Pebble and Happity for baby groups (although yes, they can be £££). I won a free term of a baby group and, even though I hated it, dragged myself along every week because it felt like such a waste not going. There were other groups I enjoyed a lot more - it’s all personal preference. There is bound to be a free buggy walk and talk type thing near you.

Also, in a few months, Little Angel Theatre does some nice baby shows sometimes - DD really enjoyed them. Again they are quite punchy price wise, but it’s a one off so I didn’t mind too much. Ditto the Unicorn theatre but that’s much less convenient for you.

Start by actually stretching yourself.

You don’t make friends on a single meeting, it takes effrot.

You also don’t get much stimulation at home with a baby alone all day so start
working out how to go out.

I wouldn’t do the aquarium just yet as it’s so expensive and they’ll get more out of it when they see a bit older. But so e of the museums have events aimed at babies/toddlers that are quite nice. The V&A does something monthly I think and you could maybe have a walk round yourself whilst they are napping and give them their bottles in the lovely cafe. I know people often take babies to the tate modern for some free visual stimulation too.

And keep trying with the baby groups. Different groups have different dynamics and some are much more sociable than others