This guide to East Bay new parent support groups, activity groups, and great places to meet other moms is sponsored by GoldenBug Children’s Shoes in Oakland and GoldenBug Kids in Berkeley. Visit either location or the website now through September 30, 2020 to receive 15% off when you mention {510} families (code online is 510families).
Well, gosh, Covid-19 has sure made it more challenging to meet new moms! Am I right? Most of our favorite new parent classes and support groups have gone virtual.
A note for dads: Some of these groups and outings welcome parents of all genders while others are more mom-specific. When in doubt, please contact the business directly.
Push your stroller down Fourth Street
In order to make new parent friends, you will need to put yourself out there. Though it can be easier just to stay home, the simple act of putting on your shoes (and mask!) and making sure you know all the features of your stroller will give you confidence to keep on keeping on.
Start simple: walk around your block and neighborhood. Broaden your activities to scope out the playgrounds (for when they reopen) and coffee shops (can you push the stroller and sip a latte?). When you’re ready for a more exciting destination, push your stroller through a shopping district like Fourth Street or College Ave. in Rockridge. Visit a cafe and a family-friendly business as your destination. You got this.
S P O N S O R M E S S A G E
| Both GoldenBug stores are open!
GoldenBug Children’s Shoes in Oakland is the Bay Area’s outpost for all things kids shoes. GoldenBug provides real shoe fittings, an old-school feel, and wall-to-wall shoes, all for KIDS! GoldenBug carries shoe sizes for babies, toddlers, and big kids, up to 5 Youth. Now with appointments or walk-ins available. GoldenBug Kids in Berkeley carries some of your favorite clothing brands for babies and kids, up to size 10. GoldenBug focuses on clothing that is great for every-day play, with a few cute-as-pie fancy pieces thrown in. Tea Collection, Jojo Maman Bebe, Vignette, Little Green Radicals, and L’oved Baby are some of our favorite brands. Looking for cute stuff for boys? Come check out Me & Henry – you’ll love it! |
Support Groups for New Parents
When I joined Support Group For Mothers way back when, I had one simple goal: to make a friend with the same-age baby. I knew I was about to meet ten women with babies close in age to mine, and I thought, “If I truly like just one of them, this will be money well spent.” The support of fellow postpartum women turned out to be invaluable, but I was just thinking it would be nice to have someone to hang out with while I was on maternity leave.
I liked ALL of them, and some of us still get together. A handful of the kids are in high school together now, and they have a special (awkward?) bond, knowing that they were in the same “Moms Group”.
Looking for an opening to connect with other new mothers? Here are some resources that are still operating to serve new parents, divided between support groups and activity groups:
BANANAS Support Groups
Classes now remote. Offered periodically on the “parent workshops” calendar, moms will get to share their feelings, ask questions, and build friendships with one another. Facilitated by Alexis Azzam, MFT in North Oakland. Check schedule to find the next group >
Family Room in Albany
Classes and groups now remote. On the same block as Five Little Monkeys in Albany, the Family Room has a birthing parents/mom and baby group, prenatal yoga class, prenatal self care as well as a fertility support group and a fertility awareness method workshop. Find out if a class or group works for you >
Jewish Baby Network
No updates. Jewish Baby Network welcomes everyone, including unaffiliated, single and multi-parent, multi-faith, multi-ethnic, multi abled, and LGBTQ families. Sign up to learn more at www.jewishbabynetwork.org
Kaiser new parents support groups (Multiple)
Classes and groups now remote. Groups for Kaiser members and are facilitated by a lactation consultant or licensed therapist in Oakland, San Leandro, Fremont, and more. Find a new parent support group near you >
MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)
Classes and groups now remote. If you are pregnant or have a kid through kindergarten age, MOPS might be the group for you. They meet in many different locations across the country, including Alameda at this time. They have Moppets for the kids so the moms can connect while the kids play in a preschool setting. It includes breakfast, speakers, creative activities, and opportunities to meet many new moms in your group. Find out if there’s a group near you >
Support Groups For Mothers (N. Oakland)
Classes and groups now remote. Facilitated weekly meetings put new moms on a path to a support group and a baby-friendly social life in these non-hospital affiliated groups held at a lactation support office in North Oakland. Learn more >
Then Comes Baby (Oakland)
Classes and groups now remote. This sweet spot for moms in the Grand Lake area of Oakland offers a full schedule of classes from prenatal to Potty Training as well as support and connection groups for new parents. See the website >
Activity-based new mom meeting opportunities
Momleta, formerly Baby Bootcamp (Oakland)
Classes now virtual. These classes coach postpartum women through a fun outdoor workout with their jogging strollers. The current schedule has energetic classes at Lake Temescal with lots of free parking.
Fit4Mom (Berkeley, Emeryville)
Classes now virtual. A bring-your-baby (or toddler) fitness class with playgroup events incorporated. Locations for stroller-based classes are Grove Park in Berkeley and Doyle-Hollis Park in Emeryville. Additional events take place around the East Bay at locations like Sports Basement in Berkeley. Learn more >
Berkeley Rose Waldorf Sweet Pea Class (Near UC Berkeley)
Classes and groups now remote. Session-based toddler groups run in eight-week cycles and are divided between older and younger toddlers. Learn more >
Music Together (Various East Bay)
Classes and groups now remote. We love East Bay Music Together for its music curriculum and getting to know so many other families of similar age babies during circle time when we let down our guard a little. Learn more>
Library storytimes (Various)
Many storytimes are now virtual. For babies over 6 months, there are baby-friendly circle time activities at nearly every East Bay library. Check our round-up of East Bay storytimes to see if there’s one you want to try.
tum-e-time (Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda)
Classes and groups now remote. 4-week sessions offer new parents tips on infant massage, baby songs, and tips on how to spend time together. See dates, times, and locations.
[Find more places to meet parents in an active setting in our round-up of Best Classes for Babies and Parents]
Remember to visit either location now through September 30, 2020 and receive 15% off when you mention 510families. Online discount code is 510families.
[Photo credit as noted. The top photo and our feature photo were taken by Nissa Brehmer Photography]
xxx
9 thoughts on “Where Can Moms Meet Other New Moms in the East Bay?”
I definitely made some good mom friends from the moms group I joined! Here are other things that worked for me.
1. Hanging out at our neighborhood playground!
2. Standing outside where I live with my baby. I made one of my best mom friends because she was walking by our house pushing her baby. Our babies were the same age, and they lived nearby. She gave me her email address; I emailed her and it was a great friendship both for the moms and our kids. (We’re still friends, but they have since moved away. Sad!)
3. Craigslist! I made another one of my favorite mom friends because I posted something for sale which she bought. She came over, we figured out our girls were the same age, and we’ve been friends ever since. I refunded her money after we became friends. 😉
Jennifer, your comment reminds me that my dad was “walking me” when I was 18 months old in our apartment complex when another dad who was taking out the trash stopped him to ask how old his daughter was. Turns out the garbage dad had a daughter too and she was just 3 days older. Fast forward to 2015 … his daughter flew in from Minnesota recently and the two of us had a super fun weekend in San Francisco celebrating 49 years of friendship! You very likely created the same special bond for your baby just from standing outside!
I loved being in a MOPs group. It stands for Mother’s Of Preschoolers…basically, if you are pregnant or have a kid through kindergarten age, then this is the group for you. The meet in many different locations across the country.
They have Moppets for the kids so the moms can connect while the kids play in a preschool setting. It includes breakfast, speakers, creative activities, and opportunities to meet many new moms in your group.
Monica, where in the 510 is there a MOPS group?
There’s also the F.U.N. (Fremont, Union City, Newark) Mother’s Club (https://www.funmothersclub.org/). There’s an annual fee but it goes to paying for family events, Mom’s Night Out, Coffee Socials, and the Mother’s Day event.
There’s something similar based in Point Richmond called PRAM (Parents, Resources and More) – http://www.pram.net.
Spring Parent-infant and Parent-toddler classes are now enrolling at the East Bay Waldorf School in El Sobrante. Our RIE- and Waldorf-inspired classes, taught by a RIE Associate, help parents learn how to read their baby’s cues, take care of baby in a way that builds a strong emotional foundation, and support baby’s developing movement, play and social skills. Meet a great community of parents. Parent-infant classes are Fridays, 9:30-11 am from March 23-May 24, 2018. Toddler classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Visit our web site for more details or call Lauren Gerig at 510-222-3297.
Hey Heather! It’s Paula. I’d love to connect with other new moms but I’m not sure how that’s going to happen with the pandemic going on. Any tips?
It’s also a bummer these are so mom focused! Where are the dads?!