Maternity leave in Aalborg: What to do with your baby

If you’re a new mother in town and starting to emerge from the intense baby bubble, you might be thinking about how to fill your days with your baby.

Maternity leave can seem long if you don’t have activities to keep you occupied, and everything must, of course, revolve around your baby’s needs.

So, what can you do?

In this guide, we will provide suggestions for activities for both mother and baby, based on the experiences of the journalist who created this guide during her maternity leave in Aalborg.

None of the mentioned places have paid for this mention.

Baby Psalm Singing

If you want something different from church services and aren’t a regular churchgoer, several churches in Aalborg offer a cute alternative.

This free event is designed for babies (and their mothers) aged 4-11 months.

Once a week, you gather in the beautiful church space, where the singing pedagogue Henriette guides you through a lovely, rhythmic experience.

Everything takes place on mats on the floor and includes balls, veils, and a variety of sensory tools that the little ones can listen to and observe.

After the session, there is shared coffee and pastries in the church’s cozy café, where you can chat with other mothers, and the babies can play and, of course, be fed and changed.

This class is extremely popular, so you need to be quick to sign up when registration opens.

Personal input: I started attending Baby Psalm Singing when my baby was five months old. Personally, I think this offer is best when babies are younger and can still stay relatively still. Therefore, starting at four months would likely also be a good time.

You can learn more about Baby Psalm Singing here.

Baby Swimming

A classic option for maternity leave is baby swimming.

Here, the little ones can develop their motor skills, learn to dive, and, most importantly, make eye contact with each other while splashing around in the pool.

If you’re trying to choose a place in Aalborg that offers baby swimming, Skansebadet in Nørresundby is a favorite among mothers and babies. They have several weekly classes and different levels so you can tailor the activity to your baby’s age and abilities.

Personal input: I started baby swimming when my baby was three months old.

Personally, I think this offer is better suited for older babies because it can be challenging to coordinate the fixed schedule with a baby’s nap times. If the baby gets too tired, it can be a stressful experience for everyone involved.

You can find more about Baby Swimming in Aalborg here.

Stimulating play with your baby

As a journalist, I covered FOKUS’ baby class “Stimulating Play with Your Baby” several times before I became a mother myself.

It seemed so enjoyable that I knew I had to try it with a baby in my arms during maternity leave.

I convinced a couple from my mom’s group to join me so we could experience it together and have lunch at KaffeFair afterward.

Over eight sessions, the (lovely!) instructor, Lone Rohde, guides both parents and their babies through a delightful hour filled with dancing, baby massage, spinning around, soap bubbles, and happy giggles to lively music.

This class allows you to connect with your baby in a whole new way, emphasizing eye contact and interaction. At the same time, your baby’s senses are stimulated, and they end up pleasantly tired.

The class is designed for babies aged 2-9 months.

Personal input: I joined the class when my baby was just under three months old.

Personally, I found it to be an appropriate time since the level of stimulation wasn’t overwhelming for the baby, but she was still small enough to not wander off during the various activities.

The library

A place that’s both free and easily accessible is the Main Library in the center of Aalborg.

They have an entire section dedicated to babies and children, where kids of all ages can enjoy books, toys, and various forms of entertainment.

The area is excellent if you have children who have achieved some level of mobility, such as crawling or walking, as there are plenty of things within reach – and many books that can be pulled off the shelves.

Additionally, there are convenient changing stations, a microwave, and baby chairs and tables if you need to have lunch there.

Personal input: I first visited the library when my baby was around 8 months old.

She had learned to crawl by then, so she had a blast exploring. It only got more fun as she grew older.

Baby Cinema

If you thought that going to the movies was off the table after becoming a mother, think again.

Nordisk Film Biografer offers a cinema experience tailored to you, whether you’re on maternity leave or just want to watch a film as a new parent.

At Baby Cinema, they show current movies with dimmed lighting and lower sound levels than usual, so you can bring your baby into the theater. There’s also an area outside the theater where you can set up your baby stroller.

Personal input: I attended Baby Cinema for the first time when my baby was just under three months old.

This seemed to be the perfect age as she still slept so much that she slept through most of the film, allowing me to actually watch it.

However, other mothers in the theater struggled if they had fussy babies, so if you have a baby who doesn’t like to sleep, I wouldn’t recommend a trip to the cinema.

Learn more about Baby Cinema here.