Making mum friends, bump and baby club?

[NewKidOnTheBlock99]

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone had any recent experiences with bump and baby club? I was initially going to do NCT but seems a bit outdated now. Also, we are considering Ealing or Sheperds bush but don’t live in these areas Ealing is a 20 minute drive and SB is about 20 mins on the tube or a 30 min drive. I really want to make some mum friends so not sure if this will put me at a disadvantage? I am willing to travel & put in effort as I’m used to it but has anyone done this (Antenatal out of area) and how did it work out?

TYIA x

I did bump and baby. Met a great bunch and still see them regularly (every week). They were a lifeline when on maternity leave.

Hi @kirinm thanks for the response! If you don’t mind me asking are you in London and was everyone super local to you?

I did bump and baby and didn’t meet anyone. Also did NCT and several years later they are still a group of my best friends who I chat with daily.

Thanks for the response @StripeyBadger were both of those local to you? Did you come across anyone who travelled in to your classes area?

In London yes and they were all local. I was probably the person who lived farthest away - about 2 miles away.

My advice is don't do antenatal out of area if you want to meet mum friends. I did NCT (rubbish from a content point of view). Everyone was spread across the county and I think that was a massive factor in why the group just didn't gel at all. Another reason was that most of the group returned to work full time far quicker than I did which is something you obviously can't predict.

I was the same before baby, happy to travel etc but once baby is here you really prefer local if you've got the choice. Hope that helps.

Did NCT, didn't find it outdated (not sure what you mean by that) but do understand the criticism of it being a bit fluffy in some areas. Our tutor was very balanced and we were a cynical group so got lucky. Most of us still talk at least a couple of times a week two years on and have more informal 'I'll be going to X on Y if anyone fancies it?' sort of meetups.
The two ladies that dropped off quicker were the two that lived slightly further away so I do think being local and also being likely to attend the same groups and so on afterwards does help a lot.

Thanks @BobbleWobble1 it all sounds like it’s very luck of the draw, add on living a few miles away and it’s gonna be difficult! There is an NCT close to me but from my experience of living here for a few years I think the chances of meeting like minded people in my area are extremely slim.

@8dpwoah Thanks for responding!! I guess it’s tough if people do a last minute coffee and you have to plan it in because you’re a bit further! I’ve heard that people tend to go to groups with people they have met at NCT - I feel like I’m just gonna have to try my hardest to push myself on people lol

I did NCT (in Ealing, incidentally) and I’m really glad from a social and chat point of view, although it’s early days as the youngest baby is only two weeks old) but the content of the class, even though it was live and not virtual, was awful and we felt really ripped off. Sat around the Hilton for six hours watching breastfeeding montages and having to endure the group leader reading ‘a letter from your unborn baby’ just not my thing at all.

Thanks for the response @WheelieBinPrincess! If you don’t mind me asking are you local to the area and were there many people in your class who weren’t? Ealing is slightly closer for us BUT to meet up with anyone I would have to drive (only 20 mins) but if you’re local I’m sure you know parking is a bit of a nightmare!! Public transport would be two tubes or an hour bus - no thanks with a newborn x

@NewKidOnTheBlock99 yes we are local- the course ran at Ealing Common and we live a short walk away. We were the most local, everyone else was further out- Brentford area mainly, but felt that Ealing was a good meeting point. I met for lunch and again for coffee with the other women before the babies were born and we started maternity leave, we again all met in Ealing.

I do feel like we got quite lucky with our group and because we are all relatively local to each other, some of the children are in nursery together and will probably be at the same schools.

I don't know where you live (I don't know West London at all) but I wouldn't necessarily write off a group closer to you. Logistically it will be much easier to get out and about and worse case scenario, you don't have to stay friends forever.