New friend too needy/clingy.... driving me a bit nuts..

[OnlyMe1971]

I joined a mums and tots group recently and it's been great. I've met loads of lovely new people and I'm really enjoying building new friendships.
I've clicked with a few mums in particular and we meet up every now and again. This one mum who is lovely in her own right, has sort of latched on to me. While I really enjoyed talking to her in the beginning, I know find she grates more and more on my nerves. Not a bad person at all but we are just not on the same wavelength at all in my opinion and she constantly complains and whines and is very negative which i find really draining.
The thing is I have been trying very gently to get her to back off. She is a very sensitive soul and I would hate to hurt her feelings but I just feel very crowded by her?
THis morning for example I arrived at mums and tots and she was there and right away she engulfed me and was just all over me, suggesting we meet up just the 2 of us, that my son joins the same activities as hers, that we meet thsi weekend, tomorrow blah blah.
I honestly feel like running for the hills.
I feel she has got her claws into me and I just want her to leave me alone!

What can I do? Does anyoen have any advice? I have been playing it cool, not answering her texts right away etc.... but it's just really annoying me now. She won't leave me be!

Poor woman obviously feels like she's found a kindred spirit. Rather than got her claws into you she probably thinks she's found a new best friend.

I have been this woman :(

If you really don't want as much contact as she does, rather than hinting and playing it cool, tell her. Say that you are happy to meet up, whatever, but only at these times. I had a friend who suddenly just started cutting me dead. I fretted about what I'd done for years. It is very cruel to just drop somebody without telling them.

I opened this up worrying it was me :(

It's really hard trying to make new friends, be gentle on her.

I'm so sorry, I really didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings. She is a lovely girl, but we are just not on the same wavelength.
There are lots of girls in the mums and tots group and a lot of us are friends outside of it, but I don't feel hounded by any of the others simply because they don't hound me like she does.
I feel horrible about it, but I can't help my feelings.
I absolutely don't want to confront her, she is such a sensitive person and I know she would be so hurt. I would just like to be friends iwth her the same as I am friends with the rest of the girls. Meet ups every now and again (not every other day) and seeing one another at the group meetings with the toddler group. She is so intense and negative about everything I just find it really draining. I already have 3 small children and feel I listen to enough whining in my life.
I did like her a lot at the start but the more i get to know her the more I feel uncomfortable at how close she wants to get to me so fast. We only know each other a few months. It's just too intense.
Sorry if I've made anyone cross/sad, it wasn't my intention.

Sorry onlyme, I'm totally projecting.
I guess all I'm trying to say is, tread gently. She might be lonely and struggle with making new friends. It sounds like you are trying to be sensitive to her feelings.
I would just deflect, deflect, deflect rather than say anything direct although I do see tallulah's point.