Category — Teensy Babies (and New Mamas!)

After publishing the weekly roundup, I realized that the monthly Sling Babies meeting will be tomorrow, Wednesday, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Guilderland Public Library.

Roots & Wisdom will be holding a three week series, Wee Ones in the Garden on Tuesdays, from 10-11 am at the Fehr Avenue Garden in Schenectady.  It’s $15 per child (ages 3 to 5), and you can email mc868@cornell.edu or call 372-1622 X286  to register or for more information.  Haven’t heard about Roots & Wisdom?  They get youth and other members of the community involved working in gardens in urban settings to sell locally and provide for community food pantries.

I’m also starting to get various notices about the free movies and concerts and all sorts of other things that will be happening this summer, so I’ve been pondering how I’m going to tell you about all of it.   My current plan is that perhaps once or twice a week, when I’ve collected a couple of different series that you’d like to know about, I’ll post them with a brief description and, when possible, a link.  Then I’ll pop the links into the Big Ol’ List under Summer Fun.  In the tragic cases when the planners aren’t cool enough to provide a link, I will put the complete list into a post once, so that you can use the Search the Blog function to find it again.  And after that I’ll do my best to keep up with popping them individually into my weekly/weekend posts so that if you find yourselves restless on a beautiful afternoon, you can take a quick look to see if there’s a good place to go for an evening picnic.  So in the next couple of days I’ll have one of these “summer preview” posts.

And as long as we’re starting to make plans for summer, can I make a plea to businesses, nonprofits, and other folks who would like to plan events for children and families?  Late June would be great.  Seriously.  Many nursery schools end, then the public schools end, and many library programs take a little end-of-school hiatus, and it may or may not be warm enough to swim at pools that may or may not be open yet.    And meanwhile we’re all supposed to be in suspended animation until summer kicks in after July 4th.   Or so it seems to me.  And the same thing happens, incidentally, at the end of August.  So many summer programs grind to a halt, but meanwhile school hasn’t started yet.  Am I the only one who finds these times difficult?

So, I’ve just heard that Breathing Room is starting a Baby and Me Yoga class this Sunday at 2 pm (6 mos. to beginning crawlers).   I know, I know:  there are all sorts of classes starting all the time.  But I know that moms with teensy babies often are looking for anything, anywhere, please-please-please, so I thought that I’d put it here.  If you are looking for a particular type of class, send me an email or comment and I’ll pass it on if I find one.  Or if you know about a teensy baby class or activity that I haven’t shared yet, then I’d love to hear about it.  And if you are someone who’s trying to get people to your class/business, I’ll almost definitely at least add you to my list of links.  So let me know.

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A couple of days ago, I was reading in a magazine about ways to get organized.  And then I was a little disappointed, because I was already doing so many of their tips already.  And the house is still chaos. I thought about it for a bit, and, the truth?

I blame the children.

Now, really, in the vast scheme of all children everywhere, they don’t suck.  M is 7, J is 5, and they do help.  They both know how to make their beds and clean their rooms, and they’ll do both.  Not, you know, consistently, but occasionally unprompted.  They help with setting the table, and they’ve been trained to clear their plates, etc. (although frankly, we’ve been slipping in that category).  And you’ve heard that they put away their own laundry.  So, you know. . . great.  That’s all well and good.

But their belongings are like. . . you know what it’s like?  Did you ever try to make sure that your basement was dry? And so you put those rocks in a trench around the outside of your house, but the water’s still oozing in through the walls, so then you get it painted with some special no-water-oozing-in protective sealant, but it’s not completely dry, so then you hire someone to cut French drains into your basement floor, and now you need a new sump pump, and next thing you know you’ve dropped thousands of dollars and your basement still smells like mildew?

Actually, our basement’s not too bad–we only had to do 3 out of 4 of those things and it’s pretty dry now (knock on wood!), although I’d certainly love to have spent that money on, you know, furniture or something purty.  I’m just generally bitter about home repairs right now because we had a roof-shingle shower during that recent wind storm–are we the only ones?  I’ll try to get over it, but I’ll probably remain peeved until the check has cleared for that one.  My point was. . . about the girls, remember?  It’s insidious, the way every square inch of my house becomes populated by their stuff.

Exhibit A: Random Sock in Front of Fireplace, Scarf & Sandals on the Floor, String of Dress-Up Pearls on Coffee Table.

So, just as an example, note that the otherwise clean living room is marred by J’s items which were abandoned hither, thither, and yon.  Like I haven’t said approximately 600 times per year to pick up these things and put them where they belong (and yes, I did do a math-estimation thing to try to come up with a fairly accurate number).

The sheer number of items cast aside is  staggering.  Which is why I am awed by parents who are truly outnumbered.  M arrives home and likes to peel her socks off and leave them on the floor by the back door every. single. damn. day.  How many times do we have to discuss this? And I refuse to do laundry unless it is put in a hamper or on the washer, so then we have a Horrifying Sock Crisis which causes Great Turmoil and Gnashing of Teeth.  And yet the lesson is never (or, at least, not yet) learned.  And, you know, it doesn’t bother them in the slightest to have dirty socks rotting on the floor, but it drives me nutty.

Another habit that drives me nutty is that they’ll quietly create elaborate set-ups while I’m off doing something else. For example, they help clear the table and set it for dinner, sure, but I don’t realize that several mini-American girls are also invited to dinner, and two of them are “riding” in their slipper vehicles, and they all use several books as a booster seat.  I don’t realize this until after the children have been sent to bed, and the next day I forget entirely until the following day, just after the children have been sent to bed.

Dinner Time for Dolls!

(By the way, I’ll  make a quick plug for that top book, We Were There, Too!:  Young People in US History.  Super cool and interesting stories from kids from early Colonial times right up to Ryan White being ostracized in school because he had AIDS.  Okay:   end of history geek commercial.)

Here, they’ve made some sort of stuffed animal palace by taking our nice master bedroom cushions and putting them on the dusty, dusty floor.  In this case, they’ve scrupulously avoided making a mess in the master bedroom–which is forbidden.  Instead, they take pieces from the bedroom and arrange them all over the house.  It hadn’t occurred to me to tell them not to do this.

And what’s difficult is, part of me likes that they spend all of this time coming up with these alternate universes filled with re-purposed household items.  Especially when they’re doing it happily together.  I mean, we’ve got some creative, imaginative play with strong  narratives.  I recognize this, and it makes me reluctant to rip their creations apart.  Or is that just because I am Wimp Mom?  (Here is where I tried and failed to find an appropriate Roz Chast cartoon, so you’ll just have to content yourself with a not-quite-on-target Roz Chast cartoon.)

Truth be told, the girls aren’t the only perpetrators against the poor bedroom cushions.  Our cat, Isis, thought that the lovely decorative tassle was a fancy-pants rodent that needed to be vanquished.  Hail the Conquering Heroine.

Tattered Remains

So, I’ve been trying to decide lately if I need to just bring the hammer down on the current irritations (leaving belongings and creating fabulous set ups with wild abandon), or acquire some additional chores, or come up with a whole new combination system.  Sigh. . . I hate instituting systems.  For years, it seemed, every several months I’d hit a new parenting crisis and I’d skim about 8 parenting books on the topic and glean maybe two parenting tips that might help a teensy bit.  It’s freaking exhausting.  But I’ve done this one before, albeit with no lasting success. There’s always the Saturday Box, although I often forget to go around and pick up the stuff at night.  Or a chart–I’m just so tired of charts.  I mean, seriously?  I have to go pull out the markers and stickers again?  Aren’t we over this already?  Do I add a disgusting chore as a stick to supplement my carrot stickers?  Or I could just start throwing it all in the garbage, which is exactly what would have happened to me circa 1977.   And which is actually what W  threatens (emptily) when the spirit moves him.   I guess I’ll have to come up with something.

And you know the worst part about trying to re-institute a Keep-The-House-Clean system, right?  You have to manage to get the house clean in the first place.

So a mom of a teensy baby requested Saturday classes.  You know I have a soft spot for moms of teensy babies.  Lucky for me she lives right near me in Schenectady, which made things a little easier for me.

One disclaimer:  some of these are just the pre-set schedules, so it’s possible that not all of these are definitely running.  But at least it should give you a head start.

Tumbling Tykes has a Saturday morning class for the 12- to 18-month-old set.

There are Music Together classes on Saturday mornings for kids 0 to 5  in  Schenectady–the Eastern Parkway/Ashmore Avenue location’s where I used to go!

Schenectady Public Library is currently running a drop-in storytime for kids under 5 on Saturday mornings at their main branch.

There are Saturday and Sunday swimming classes at the various locations of the Capital District YMCA.  It’s a little bit tough to find–click here for the swimming schedule and then you can can click the program for parents with little ones, which is listed as “Parent & Child” or “Parent Child” or “Parent/Child”.

Gatesway Health & Massage has an infant massage class on Saturday mornings.

I was going to talk about breastfeeding in my Teensy Babies posts (here & here), but after I’d asked for suggestions on where to breastfeed, I realized that there was way too much information.  I’ve divided the list into easy places to nurse for the brand-new mom, who’s really looking for privacy and quiet, and a second list for the mom who’s trying to nurse one child while keeping the older child(ren) happy. Brand-new moms can certainly use the places on the second list, too.  In fact, once you get the baby settled in and happy, you might get a chance for some adult conversation. Moms had all sorts of helpful advice for the new-to-nursing folks, so there are some random tips, too.

But first, a disclaimer:  you don’t “need” to go to any special place, because it is your right to breastfeed anywhere you happen to be. I wish I’d really known that early on.  When M was probably about 4 months old, I took her along to a moms’ group outing to a local farm where the kids were picking pumpkins.  I was suffering a bit from what I called one of the new mom Panic Attacks when I realized that I was climbing onto a hayride with a bunch of people who actually had children who could appreciate being on a hayride.  I felt a little bit stupid, but I was persevering.  Then, in the middle of a large field, M started fussing.  Various members of the moms’ group were picking pumpkins, and I was waiting for the hayride back, so I planted (get it?  planted?  at the farm?) myself on a couple of bales of hay.  I was tucked into a corner and feeling relatively sheltered when a lady who worked at the orchard came and told me that I could not feed my baby.  I didn’t know what to do.  I was mortified.  I mean, how did she even find me and notice what I was doing?  I started crying.  M was finished, anyway (or perhaps there’s such a thing as mortification curdling?), and so I just mumbled something about being done and walked away.  Now, what I should have done is said that, yes, I can breastfeed here. Or, if I was scared, I should have gone and told the closest experienced mom in my group, and surely someone would go to whoever was the biggest lactivist at the orchard that day, and someone would have helped me.  But I was new to the group, and a new mom.  In fact, the only real friend I had to tell was another brand-new mom who was still reeling with guilt because she’d stopped breastfeeding (both of our kids are happy, healthy 2nd graders now).  I tried not to show that I was crying through the hayride.  And then I sobbed as I nursed M in my car later.

When I got home, I found the New York State Law:

NY CLS Civ R § 79-e (Article 7 Miscellaneous Provisions).

 

1994 N.Y. ALS 98; 1994 N.Y. LAWS 98; 1994 N.Y. S.N. 3999

 

§ 79-E. Right To Breast Feed.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a mother may breast feed her baby in any location, public or private, where the mother is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether or not the nipple of the mother’s breast is covered during or incidental to the breast feeding.

I printed it out and put it into my diaper bag, where it stayed for the next three years or so.  I never had a problem again, but it felt good to be prepared.  You can find a summary of all different state laws on breastfeeding here.

But don’t let that story scare you.  Most people and places are pefectly lovely about breastfeeding.  Here’s a little icon someone showed me:

Businesses post this to let you now that they’re breastfeeding-friendly, or to help you find a good spot for nursing.  In fact, if you know someone with a breastfeeding-friendly business, you should make sure that they know about this so that they can communicate this clearly and score some extra goodwill with moms in the know.  There’s more information here.

Meanwhile, here’s our list of favorite breastfeeding places, with contributions from folks from LLL and Albany Yoga Mamas among others (thank you!):

Good, easy places to nurse:

• Dressing rooms, if it’s not super-busy.  Moms have reported kind and helpful staff people who’ve let them breastfeed at LL Bean, the Gap, and Target.
• Peaches n’ Cream Cafe in Stuyvesant Plaza has a back dining room that’s often quiet when they’re not busy.
• The Albany airport has a “Nursing Lounge” connected to one of the restrooms.
• The Babies R Us in Latham (the same shopping center as Target) has a nursing mothers’ room with a glider rocker, sofa, and changing table.
• At Colonie Center, moms report they like the Macy’s restroom next to lingerie on the second floor.
• There are rumors that Pottery Barn Kids in Crossgates is pretty friendly, but I didn’t get a firsthand account on this one.
• When it warms up, a nice starter place is a quiet park bench.
• Professor Java’s on Wolf Road and many Starbucks locations have sofas, although there’s frequently quite a bit of foot traffic as well.
• Virgil’s House is a coffee place in Saratoga Springs.
• Honest Weight Food Co-op welcomes breastfeeders.

Places to nurse the little one while your older child(ren) will be entertained:

• Colonie Center has a “Family Restroom” with  a rocker and toys for older kids to play with while you nurse the baby.  Their play area has pretty high-backed comfortable benches, too.
• Joyful Jumpers has several couches on one end while the big kids are off playing.  I don’t think I’ve ever gone there and not seen at least one person nursing a baby.
• At the New York State Museum, there are quiet spots near the Iroquois Long House or in the Discovery Center by the puzzles.
• Tiny Tots Tea Room in Clifton Park.
• At the Children’s Museum at Saratoga, moms report good nursing at “little theater” downstairs and the activity room upstairs.
• The Albany Art Room has a nice sofa and is fairly quiet on weekdays.
• At the Clifton Park Library, a mom reports that there  is a “parent’s book” alcove in the left corner of the children’s area that is semi-private and comfortable (with no kids running around) as well as chairs that face outside on the edge of the children’s library area.
• A commenter let us know that The Great Escape now has a nursing room.

• Don’t forget nursing pads when you start to get out of the house.  You can also bring an extra cardigan just in case.
• A couple of different moms recommended Hooter Hiders.
• It’s easy to breastfeed discreetly if you have the right carrier.  Some suggestions: the Mei Tai, the ERGO, the Moby, the Maya Wrap, or other wraps or slings.
• My own very favorite nursing bra was Japanese Weekend’s Hug bra.  No, I couldn’t do jumping jacks in it, but it was comfortable and easy to use.  I bought one and after I tried it I tossed all the other ones bras and just got a couple more of these.
• You might find you’re more worried about exposing that postpartum belly flab than a breast.  Tank tops help. Two that were recommended:  Bravado! tank & Target tanks.
• One mom said that the best piece of advice that she received was think bring the baby in, not bring the breast out.

Experienced parents:  any additions or other advice?

And new moms:  don’t stay home.  Get out there and have some fun.  If you need a little more inspiration, click here.

Last time I talked about teensy babies, I was urging those just-post-partum mommies to get out there and find their just-post-partum sisters.   And you should.  But there’s no need to limit yourself.  You can take that teensy baby almost anywhere.

The summer after M was born, our first year in the Capital District after years in New York City, my husband and I spent much more time out at events than we had, ever.   I know that sounds crazy.  But here’s the deal:  prior to M’s birth, it was relaxing at home.  On a Sunday, we might lounge in bed with the paper for hours.  M arrived and she preferred to be held at all times, and I felt guilty having the tv on in her presence (because I was a new mommy–is that freakish?)  Honestly, it’s a little bit baffling now  that I have walking, talking, squabbling children. . . I see other people’s infants sleeping and I can’t remember why it felt so difficult, but it sure did.  Maybe it was the sleep deprivation?  So to pass the time, and in an attempt to “tire her out” before night fell, we’d often take advantage of free concerts and all sorts of events.

Now, at any time, you might have a fussy baby or you might even have to Abort the Mission.  So I wouldn’t spend a great deal of money or go anyplace fancy.  But you have time, now, and it’s a nice opportunity to pursue places that you’ve always been interested in.  What’s nice about this is that you can do some stuff for yourself instead of focusing entirely on your baby’s schedule and the contents of each diaper.

Museums & Historic Houses: Your baby will be happy to be with you anywhere, so you might as well sway in front of a lovely work of art.

Businesses: You can browse while it’s not too busy and the sales clerk  is likely to chit chat.  Now’s the time to check out that cute little independent shop that you never had time for before.  Or if you’ve always wondered, say, about a gym or yoga studio, you can stop by for a tour.  This can also give you a little boost because it will remind you that your body will get back to normal (even if it’s a “new normal”).

Kids’ destinations: Especially if you know that you’re going back to work soon, now’s the opportunity to research activities that you might want to do a little bit later.  Most kiddie gyms and dance classes have evening options, but you can visit now during the day while you have a bit more “leisure” time.

Free Concerts, Lectures, or  Lunch Hour Activities: There are often casual activities that take place in downtown areas for the entertainment of folks on their lunch hours, but you don’t have to be wearing a suit.  Pack a lunch and people watch.  Or libraries, churches, and non-profits will often have daytime programs that you normally couldn’t attend–they usually welcome any attendees, and they’ll be charmed by the baby.

Movies: Some small babies hardly make a peep, and even older ones can be relied on to settle down whenever you nurse.  Some moms take their babies along to an early matinee.  I had a vague recollection that one of the big multiplexes had an occasional showing designed for moms, but when I called, no one knew what I was talking about.  Still, it made me wonder if one of the independents, like Scotia Cinema or  the Spectrum 8 Theatres, would be willing to show a mom-and-baby friendly-chick flick some late morning or early afternoon.  Would anyone out there be interested in this? If enough people are, I could call and ask if they’ll try it and then we could spread the word.

Walks: Take yourself for a walk.  It’s an opportunity to do a little Robert Frost nature-trail-not-taken (emphasis, alas, on the Frost part right now).  Here’s where I urge you to find a sling or carrier that you and your baby can agree on.  And I know, you’re worried that your baby will be too cold or too hot.  My pediatrician used to say, “You know, there are babies born in igloos and babies born in the desert.  And they manage and so do their mothers.”   If you’re starved for adult conversation, go to a business district or mall.  There’s sure to be someone who’ll start cooing over the  baby.

M & I bundled up for an Autumn walk

Moms’ Groups: I’ve added more moms’ groups to the links page just for this occasion.  For those who hesitate about going to join up with an entire group of strangers, keep in mind that you’ve already got something in common:  you’re all parents.  It’s easy to start a conversation by noting how adorable a child is and asking how old (s)he is, what’s his name.  Of course, you might not have anything else in common. I showed up to one playgroup and the hostess had expensive bottled water and crystal goblets  arranged on the table for the moms along with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwiches for our toddlers.  I met another mommy on a walk  and she mentioned that her husband wouldn’t “let” her go out more than once a week.  The point is, you might have to kiss a few frogs, so to speak.  Second, once you get to a moms’ group, you are likely to have small panic attacks, and that is normal. Allow me to talk you off the ledge in advance, okay?   PA #1 “Oh my God, I’ve just brought my child who cannot even sit up to a playground/apple orchard/outdoor fountain and all of the other moms have children who can actually play and I must be an idiot.”  No.  You needed to get out of the house.  If you feel the need to explain yourself you can say, “I just really needed to get out of the house.”  All of the parents will understand.  PA #2 “These toddlers are the most colossal, loud, terrifying, destructive creatures imaginable, and they are sure to maul my darling infant.”  I remember seeing my beloved niece shortly after my first child was born.  She was 18 months old and she suddenly seemed obscenely huge.  Poor thing–it was my perspective that had changed.  The toddlers are being toddlers.  Their mothers may be more or less observant of their behavior, but it’s true that no one will be as vigilant as you in protecting your baby.  That said, if a mom notices that you’re clearly unnerved or even appalled by her child’s actions, it will absolutely hurt her feelings, even if the “big kid” is acting abominably.   You might want to keep your baby stowed in the car seat or a sling for your first visit.  If you want to give the tyke some tummy time, take an extra baby blanket that will sort of “mark your territory”–generally moms will tell their children not to go on a baby’s blanket.

Finally, do try to keep your baby sheltered from the rampant germs.  Especially in the first two months, if your baby gets a fever, you’re likely to get sent to the hospital to determine that it’s not something really serious.  Not fun.  But you don’t have to freak out–just keep the baby cuddled up to you or nestled in the infant car seat and don’t start passing the bundle of joy around with wild abandon.

Okay, I know that the last Teeny Baby post had all sorts of specifics and this is all general, so thank you if you’ve been patient enough to read through my New Mommy Pep Talk.  I do have more specific information coming up:  I’ve been asking people for suggestions about good places for that first time you go out and breastfeed in public. There were so many good suggestions that it needs its own post, so that’s coming up soon.  If you have suggestions for that, or if you have more “teensy baby” tips to pass on to the brand-new mommies who read this post, please add them to comments. It’s so nice to receive actual comments between all the auto insurance and cialis spam.

UPDATED: I’ve been finding more activities and throwing them onto this post since it was first published. -K.

This topic is so very close to my heart that I know I’ll ramble.  So if you want to cut to the chase, head on down to the bolds & bullet points.   And of course this post–the first of two–is for the new parents, because the truth is, when you’ve got a second or third child, your teensy baby just goes wherever the big kids go.  My suggestions fall into two broad categories: 1). Places especially for you & your teensy baby, and 2). Babies can go pretty much anywhere that you would like to go. So, here goes:

Places especially for you & your teensy baby:
There’s something especially wonderful about finding an activity that’s designed especially for you & your new baby.  I think first-time motherhood is one of those crazy, difficult times when each person is vulnerable and needy, like new student orientation at college or the very first day of kindergarten.  There’s so much emotion and stress involved in becoming a parent that it’s  a unique opportunity to bond with people who will be some of your very best friends ever.  And you’ll need some new friends.

I say that because, even though it’s wonderful to have friends who already have kids, it’s also crucial to spend time with people who are at your parenting stage.  It’s as if parents have very short generations–infancy, toddler, preschool, big kid, tween, teen, empty nest.  Just like 6 months in the life of a baby counts for a lot, so too does 6 months in the life of a new parent.  Your friends who have kids already are great:  they can tell you which shiny baby products aren’t worth buying, and they can talk you off the ledge when you’re feeling overwhelmed.  But you also might think that they are perhaps not as vigilant or attentive as they should be, or you might feel frustrated because they seem to have  everything under control while you . . . don’t.

When I first had M, I went to the nursing support group at Bellevue every other Tuesday.  It was designed for mothers of babies who were 0 to 9 months old.  When I first showed up, I was so impressed by these “older” moms who breezed in, popped their sitting-up children on blankets, and started chatting.  By contrast, I felt shell-shocked.

The group was supposed to end at noon, and the lactation consultant would gently shoo us out because the room was inevitably reserved for another program. All the new moms would take turns going to the bathroom while we had someone to “keep an eye” on our babies. . . which, of course, sounds silly to any mom who’s had more than one child. And then we’d reluctantly shuffle out, leaning into the weight of those infant car seats. Gosh, it’s sounding more tragic than it was, but. . . it was hard back then. And it was such a comforting place to be.  I remember that I kept going until M was turning a year old.  No one was going to kick me out of the support group, but I knew, deep down, that our expiration date had passed.

On the last day that I went, I looked around the room at noon as all of the mothers reluctantly gathered up their burp cloths and car keys and fake car keys.  Impulsively, I asked if anyone wanted to come to my house for lunch. The relief was palpable. We caravanned–I lived very close–and 8 or 10 women piled themselves and their babies onto my living room floor.  I ordered from Pizza Hut. And as I ran around passing out cups of water and paper napkins, I realized that I’d become one of those easy-breezy mothers. It clicked, then, that it wasn’t that those mothers were extraordinary. It was just that they, and now I, had made it through that first storm and passed into the next generation of parenthood.

So, if you’ve got a teensy baby, where are you going to find mothers who are in your “generation”?

Support Groups
You might not think of yourself as the “support group type”, but it’s worth a try.  They’re free, you don’t have to plan ahead too far, and if you think about it, you probably have some questions that you’d like to ask somebody.  So give a support group a shot–you don’t have to go twice.

• That Bellevue nursing group still meets on the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of the month.
• Bellevue also has a postpartum depression support group called “Out of the Blue“.  Call their social worker’s office at 347-3399 for more information.
• La Leche League supports breastfeeding moms.  There are chapters for Schenectady, Albany, Rensselaer, & Saratoga counties as well as a Troy site.  These websites aren’t super-helpful, so pick a name & number from the website and call for the scoop.   My friend who works with Schenectady LLL confirmed that the regular meetings do, in fact, meet every third Wednesday morning (see link for details), and that they’ll be raffling off baby slings in April to people who attend events and/or buy raffle tickets.
• Community Cradle can connect you to a Postpartum Depression support group.
• The Family Life Center at Albany has a “Mother to Mother” group.  It also has an occasional “babywearing” class where you can try a variety of slings and carriers.
• St. Mary’s Hospital in Troy has a Moms Supporting Moms group that meets once a month on Monday mornings.
• Sling Babies can help you find the right sling, plus they have monthly meetings to get to know other babywearers.

Baby-oriented Storytimes
Most local libraries do storytimes for very specific age groups, and for your purposes, that’s really good. Do a little research ahead of time, because pre-registration is required for many. There are multiple branches , so you might try a couple of different destinations, especially if you don’t get a great vibe from your first place.

• Clifton Park-Halfmoon Library Storytimes
• Guilderland Library Storytimes
• Albany Public Library
• Schenectady Public Library

Swimming Lessons
You might not feel particularly swimsuit-ready, but classes where you take your baby into the water with you are pretty common, and this time of year it’s a nice change of pace.

• The Schenectady JCC has swimming lessons for babies 6 months and older.
• Various branches of the YMCA of the Capital District have swimming lessons for parent & baby beginning at 6 months old.
• I also found an infant swimming instructor in Troy–looks like it will cost a bit more.

Yoga with Baby Classes

More classes for parents and new babies

There’s a huge variety of classes that you can take.  Maybe you’re feeling guilty about spending the money if you’re not currently working for pay.  Consider it an investment in your sanity.

• Gatesway Health & Massage in Colonie has infant massage classes.
• The Center for Women’s Wellness in Latham has a Post-Natal Fitness class for moms with their infants, and it even incorporates infant massage.  It’s designed for moms with babies 0 to 6 months old.
• The Southern  Saratoga YMCA has a Stroller Club spring through fall for moms of children 2 mos. to 3 1/2 years.
• The Language Learning Institute has a Mommy & Me French class for kids aged 2 months to 4 years and a caregiver.
• Tumbling Tykes has classes specifically for 6-18 month old babies as well as for other children.
• Albany Med has a class on Breastfeeding and Returning to Work.

Be Assertive and form your own playgroup
This is exactly the sort of thing I was generally too shy for, but if you’re cooler than me, go nuts.

• If you’re reading this while still pregnant, notice which moms you like at your childbirth or prenatal classes and try to chat them up.  Or, if you like most of the group, ask in class if groups ever have a post-birth reunion.  You can also ask if you can post a note on the bulletin board at your mid-wife or ob-gyn’s, you know, like, “Baby Due in February or close to it?  Email or call Katie if you’d like to join a playgroup.”
• Join a moms’ group (there are some listed on the links page) and call people with children your age to set up a playgroup, or post to 518 Moms.
• Keep your eyes open and don’t be afraid to talk to people you see.  I used to run outside to say hello when I saw women with strollers walk by my house.  I was approached by another mom in the grocery store–we had a playdate, and now we’re class mothers together.

Hopefully, at least one of these activities sounds to you like it’s worth trying.  If it’s a class that you have to pay for, ask if you can take try it once for free.   Remember, the activity itself is largely a means to an end–getting you out of the house and in touch with some other new moms is the key.  But, meanwhile, keep in mind that various activities will attract vastly different crowds. So, for example, if roll your eyes at organic food & holistic medicine, your peeps won’t be hanging out at the infant massage class.  And if you invest in a particularly expensive class, you might find yourself in a crowd of snotty mommies.

One last piece of advice: be prepared to piggyback outings.  If you’ve got a 10:30 am class, be sure to bring along cash & extra baby necessities so that you’ll have the freedom to join someone (or ask someone! what can it hurt?) to go to lunch afterwards.   When M was teensy I was so excited when the mommy I liked from moms’ group asked if I wanted to come out to lunch–and then at the restaurant I realized that I’d left home without a wallet.  Since then hundreds of dollars have been loaned back and forth between us, but the first time, I was mortified.

Good luck!

And, if you’re an experienced mom and you had the patience to skim through this, please add ideas that I’ve missed to the comments or send this along to families who are expecting.  And thanks to M & C for helping to brainstorm ideas.