IF YOU’RE ON maternity leave right now, you’ve probably noticed that the number of weekday events that you can happily cart a baby along to is, well… not that high.

Luckily with some sleuthing you’ll find there is quite a bit going on, from one-off events to regular meet-ups. Here’s our pick of what’s on around Ireland in the coming days.

DUBLIN

Baby Book Club: Sara Keating runs a monthly baby book club in Deansgrange Library with experts are on hand for advice on read to your baby. Plus it’ll give you a chance to meet other parents who love reading. There’s also one on at the DLR LexIcon in Dun Laoghaire.

Suits: Parents of kids aged 0 – 3. Time: 10am, final Tuesday of every month. Where: Deansgrange Library. Find out more here.

CORK

Blooming Babies Massage: Baby massage classes are a great way to bond with your baby and come in extremely handy during the no sleep nights that are to come. Laura Cummins of Blooming Babies offers a five-week course of five 90-minute classes for €120. Find more classes from other teachers nationwide on Baby Massage Ireland’s website.

Time: Wednesday mornings (subject to change). Where: Douglas Yoga Centre. Cost: €120 for five-week course. Up to €100 may be redeemable via health insurance. Find out more here.

NATIONWIDE

Baby-friendly swims: There are several nationwide baby swimming schools taking to  local pools on a weekly basis. It’s a brilliant way of introducing babies to swimming, while meeting other parents and getting into the water yourself. Check waterbabies.ie or aquababies.ie for listings.

When: weekly, varies. Where: nationwide, varies. Find out more here and here.

Babywearing Ireland meet-ups: Babywearing Ireland organises meet-ups all over the country. Get advice on how to use baby slings, meet sling consultants who’ll help you find the one for you, and have a cup of tea with other parents.

When: weekly, varies. Where: nationwide, varies. Find out more here. 

Baby-friendly cinema screenings: Most local cinemas show a new movie on a weekday morning that welcomes new parents and their babies. This is an opportunity to meet new parents, but more importantlu, enjoy a whole movie without worrying about your crying baby or exploding nappies.

When: weekly, varies. Where: nationwide, varies. Find out more here (Dundrum), here (Odeons nationwide) and here (Lighthouse).

Parent & toddler groups: Your local HSE nurse will have a list of all parent and toddler groups in your area and it’s well worth checking them out. You may think that you’re not a ‘joiner’, but from one mum to another, these groups are a fantastic way of opening your local social circle.

When: weekly, varies. Where: nationwide, varies. Cost: Free. Find out more here.

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