Tag Archives: baby

Baby Activities in Sønderborg: An update

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In 2015 we published a couple of posts regarding baby activities in Sønderborg. However end of 2017 a new addition arrived in our family so it is well worth seeing what has remained, what is new and what has changed.

Musical Activities

Babysalmesang is still a hit for me. These are sessions that happen in most churches in the Denmark (in Sønderborg they have it in both Christianskirken and Sct Marie Kirken, but also the smaller churches in smaller villages will offer this) aimed at babies at their parent. We sing, we move and we enjoy some musical time with our kids. It is not necessary that you are a member of the church (I am not Danish Protestant for one!) but if you don’t mind that the songs sung are religious it will all be good.

Besides Babysalmesang there is also Baby Rytmik at the music school. This is very similar to Babysalmesang, except that the song topic is not religious (and you need to pay, unlike babysalmesang).

The third musical activity is Baby Tju-Hej that happens in the libraries of Sonderborg Kommune. While the other activities are limited to a small number of parents (maximum 15), this is open to all kids up to 3 years old with no prior booking. It is more of a sing along performance rather than focussed parent-child time, but still highly enjoyable and we try to go to as many as we can.

From what I have seen these have not changed much from 2015.

Active Sessions

The active sessions available can be grouped into 2: Stimulastik/Baby Motorik and Baby Swimming. We had written more about Baby Swimming  in 2015 here and we are not aware of anything new. A friend has also told us that there are limited drop-in sessions at the warm water basin at the Nordals Idrætscenter on Mondays-Wednesdays so if a course is not for you you can try this out, especially if like us you have 2 kids you want to take.

With regards to Motorik sessions, the Stimulastik provider from 2015 has moved away from the area. Instead I am aware of 2 other providers in the area: Ergo-Liv and Massage by Friis. Both seem to offer a ‘course’ rather than open groups. Our son is still too young so have not experienced either. If you have do leave a comment about your experience. We plan to try one later in the year and will update you on the experience, though we haven’t decided on which.

Sessions for Parents/Creative Sessions

Sønderborghus has recently started sessions on the first Monday of the month. These sessions, called Baby Mandag, consist of a talk or activity for the parents, followed by a creative session for the parent+child. I wrote about our experience here.

So since 2015 it seems that the music sessions have remained, the active sessions have changed while parent/creative sessions have been added. Not bad for a town the size of Sonderborg!

Other than that a facebook group for mothers in Sønderborg that had been started in 2015 has been revived, so if you’re in town with a baby/young child in tow (or even none) you can check what we are up to on Mother Group Sonderborg.

Sønderborghus for Children

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Sønderborghus has really stepped up their offerings for children in the last few months, with regular activities available for children from birth to 13 year olds. With our (now 2!) kids in tow, we tried out the age appropriate activities for them.

Baby Mandag (0-2 years)

The first Monday of the month from 9:30-12:00 is baby Monday at Sønderborghus, aimed at parents on parental leave and their child. The first half is generally a talk or activity for the parents, while for the second half we moved into the workshop for a craft activity to do with your kid (it was footprint Christmas cards when I attended) and a chat with the others.

I really enjoyed the session I went to with my then 2 week old. During my first parental leave in 2015 I found I lacked open drop-in events for parent and child, where the interest of the parent and a chat with other parents with babies of different ages (as opposed to the age stratified mother groups) were available. Good to see an opportunity for this now.

Familielørdag (2-13 years)

We went to this event with our oldest child, who’s 3. Every Saturday the workshop in the basement is open for a drop-in creative session between 10:00-13:00. Every Saturday has a theme, which you can find on the Sønderborghus website; the day we went we did paintings with tape and acrylic paints. The creative session is pre-planned and all the materials already prepared for you to just drop in with your kid and have a go, with pointers and support from the staff if needed. Once a month a bigger event with a theme such as Carnival is held.

Again, a very enjoyable time was had. It is the perfect activity especially for a wet Saturday with not much else to do. We would urge you to support this initiative of Sonderborghus to offer something different for kids. If you want to know the specific offering for a session check out the website. Both sessions cost a very fair 30 DKK for the craft supplies. Do remember to take an apron or old clothes though, unlike us!

 

Baby Activities in Sonderborg: Part 2

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In August I wrote about some baby activities in the Sonderborg area. Now that I am getting close to the end of my parental leave, here is the promised second post about further activities.

Baby Stimulastik

As the title alludes to, stimulastik is a combination of stimulation of the baby senses with gymnastics. Occupational therapist Lotte Greve-Thomsen is the person behind this class offered either as an open group on Mondays at 9:45-10:45 or as a fixed group on Fridays.

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We attended five Monday sessions so far. Each session starts with group exercises where the babies are moved up and down and left and right, stimulating the child’s sense of balance and orientation in space. This is followed by individual exercises at a number of stations set out around the room, such as different types of swings, a ball bath and other sensory items. The session then ends with group exercises to calm the children down.

At 90-105 DKK per session (depending on which payment solution you opt for), this was the most expensive class we attended. However, it is also probably the most different from the other (mostly) singing and music-oriented classes. It is also the class that the child potentially gets the most out of. The fact that you can pay as you go, however, means that you only pay for when you are there and can decide week by week.

Note: Since Lotte has moved away from Sonderborg, baby Stimulastik is now being offered by Line Lyneborg.

Baby Swimming

A while ago we wrote about baby swimming possibilities in the Sonderborg area. From these we ended up going to the class offered by Rinkenæs Swimming Club at the Gigthospital in Grasten. We went there as we were looking for somewhere with warm water and this was the first class that started.

As stated, there were 7 babies in the group. One new thing is taught in each session starting with floating on back and front at the first class, then proceeding to diving in different constellations. At 550 DKK (now 560 DKK) this is potentially the most expensive baby swimming class. However, our child really gained confidence in the water and went from being OK but concerned when in water prior to the course to very comfortable in water, splashing around happily. This also translated into happier bath times ;). So it was well worth it.

Baby Psalm Singing: Christianskirken

Before the summer holidays I went to baby psalm singing at Sct Marie Kirken. I enjoyed it so much that I thought of trying it again at Christianskirken. As with the other class it consists of mothers (mostly) and their babies, an organist, glockenspiels and cloths. However, there are also a number of differences.

The Baby psalm singing at Christianskirken is of a more mellow nature than that at Sct Marie Kirken. There is no talking between songs and we just follow what the organist and her two helpers do for 30 minutes. In contrast, at Sct Marie Kirken we sang and laughed and joked for 45 minutes. However, at Christianskirken we then get 1 hr afterwards with coffee and tea to talk and chat together, while at Sct Marie Kirken we brought our own drinks and had 15 minutes.

So the question would be: which would I pick? Well, first of all check which one has place as they are relatively similar. However, if you are spoiled for choice see what you are looking for most: something for the child? Then pick Sct Marie Kirken: Organist Pia has an amazing singing voice and the singing bit is longer. Somewhere where you as a parent can get some adult company? Then maybe pick Christianskirken: You get one hour of adult conversation here.

The picture in this post is used with permission from ErgoLeg.

Baby Swimming

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In Malta children mainly learn to swim by being chucked in the sea with flotation devices on a trip to the beach and they build from there, slowly removing flotation devices as they grow older (or at least this was the way it was done in my time!). In Denmark, however, baby swimming classes are a big thing.

There are a number of different possibilities in the Sonderborg area. Which you choose tends to depend on whether both parents plan to go into the water, time that suits you, as well as whether you prefer a warm or a regular temperature swimming pool. The providers themselves then put in limits on age and/or weight of the child. These are the options we have found:

Sonderborg Swimming Club

Classes in Humlehojhallen. There does not seem to be a set day/time, but they change every time a new group is opened. New groups are announced on the front page of the website. As the pool water is around 29 °C, they recommend that the child is at least 5-6 months old. It costs 400 DKK for 8 sessions (and one parent).

Nord-Als Swimming Club

Classes in the smaller basin at the NordAls Idrætcenter. Again the pool is a regular pool so the water is colder and, hence, preferably the child is a bit older. Costs 300 DKK for 3.5 months.

Rinkenæs Swimming Club

Classes offered at the Gigthospital in Gråsten. The water here is warmer so younger children are accepted, though a minimum weight of 6 kg is asked for. Classes are held on Sundays, with different groups starting every 25 minutes from 13:05 to 14:20. 8 sessions cost 550 DKK and only one parent is allowed in the water.

Baby Swimming at Tangshave (Nordborg)

As with the courses at the gigthospital in Gråsten, the water here is also warm. However, there is precious little information about this possibility online. We got to know about it through word of mouth and then calling the Nordals Idrætcenter. This is what we found:

The organiser is a guy called Søren Hansen. You can contact him on 28 96 97 30. Classes are held on Saturdays with 2 groups, one at 9:00-9:30 and the other 9:30-10:00. At the moment the classes are full, so there is a waiting list. New groups start when there are enough people. Sign up happens by sending an sms to Søren with the name. The price for 10 sessions is 400 DKK for one parent or 550 DKK for two parents.

 

Living with a Newborn in Sonderborg

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A few days after giving birth I published a blog post about being pregnant in the Sonderborg area. But while being pregnant and giving birth is one experience, living with a newborn is a whole other experience!

Getting Home

We left the hospital 3 days after giving birth. Now, this is not normal as the basic expectation is that you stay in hospital for 24 hrs after birth, unless you require extra care (e.g. having had a C-section such as in my case). I feel a bit sad that not everyone gets the opportunity I got to stay in hospital for a couple of days and be supported in becoming a parent.

The care I got in hospital was excellent and I have not found that kind of support in the community as what I got from the nurses in terms of taking care of a baby but, especially, breastfeeding. I must admit that based on this decision I would not be too surprised if parents who would otherwise breastfeed give up when with a bit of support they could have successfully breastfed (if they wanted to, of course).

Leaving hospital was relatively painless. Once it was decided that I could leave (could get out of bed, had no fever etc) I was allowed to leave at my own pace. I am sure if I wanted to stay there too long I would have been moved on, but I was also looking forward to getting home and starting a new chapter.

Care in the community

Care in the community is, same as prenatal care, a two-pronged affair: support is mainly offered through your own sundhedsplejerske (health visitor). Your personal doctor is, however, also involved for medical checkups and vaccinations.

At first I was a bit confused as to what the sundhedsplejerske is. So let me set this straight: the sundhedsplejerske is not a nurse, or a doctor, or even any person who applies for the job. A sundhedsplejerske is a health care professional who has studied to become one (yes! there is a specific course for this, as facebook now constantly reminds me following me searching for more information!).

The sundhedsplejerske is assigned to you within days of giving birth and she contacts you herself in order to make arrangements for the first meeting, typically within the first week at your own home. During this meeting she will give you information leaflets on taking care of the baby, where to find further information if needed etc. She will also measure the baby and sees if you have any questions.

In my case the first sundhedsplejerske assigned was Danish-speaking who didn’t speak any English at all. Of course, good communication is very important as you often can get quite a lot of support from them. Luckily on asking to have someone else assigned who could speak some English this was quickly allowed and within 2 hrs of calling someone new was assigned. I have now also heard that you can also change your sundhedsplejerske if you do not click with the person assigned, so do make sure you feel comfortable with yours or else ask for a change. Nevertheless, I liked both the ones assigned to me (even if I couldn’t communicate perfectly with one of them).

What to do with a newborn?

So far I have been in work since the first day I moved to Sonderborg. So finding myself with whole days to fill did concern me! However, so far I have easily managed to fill my days with getting to grips with having a newborn, going to the shops for food, or going for walks along the water or to the forest (if you see me in town do say hi :D).

If you are interested, however, there are a number of other activities you can take part in that are not as ‘lonely’. First of all there are the ‘mother groups’ (mødregruppe) organised by the sundhedsplejerske, where they put you in a group with other mothers with whom you can go for walks, drop in for coffee, or go for lunch in town or anything else you want. So far, however, I have not been assigned a group as I have been told they are trying to organise an English-speaking group.

There are also other activities. The first I came across was babysalmesang (baby psalm singing). These meetings are, as the name might imply, organised by most of the churches in town. Now, I am not Danish Protestant (even though the churches organising these meetings are) but so far this doesn’t seem to be a problem. The group I am joining will start in April, so I cannot tell you much about what will happen, except that we will sing…psalms I guess? Do sign up early if interested, as there seems to be quite a demand and the groups get full relatively quickly.

Babysalmesang is probably OK for babies from newborn. For a bit older children there are also baby swimming classes. These are offered by different groups, including the Sonderborg swimming club (which recommends that the baby is 5-6 months old at the start). The classes are mainly to start getting the children used to the water. The music school also offers rhythym classes for babies. A new group will start in April.

Well, that is what I have found out about. Is there anything else baby-related I have missed?