You no longer have an income. You want to get out of the house because, as cute as your three-month old is – it’s nice to socialise with some adult people once in awhile. Then you start researching what you can do whilst bringing your little one and you find that a lot of the things out there are not cheap. And you’re thinking – o dear, I need to use my husband’s money for this? Hmm.

Don’t worry, it’s not all that bad. There are a lot of things in Dubai that you can do with your baby, that isn’t too expensive / free. Here’s a few that I have been, with my thoughts on them :

1. Expatwoman’s Bumps and Babes Coffee Mornings

• Cost : 25 AED per person
• What you get : A choice of cake / croissant / muffin and a hot drink, and a few hours of good talk with mums
• What your baby gets : Lots of socialising with other babies.

Dubai Marina Costa Coffee – Every Thursday mornings 

• What I like about it : You get nametags. That you get to talk to every other mum here, due to the setup – a long table, and mum all sit-together, prams are at the side. Mums move around as well, and there’s a playmat at the side for babies who want to crawl around.
• What I don’t like about it : Yes there is AC but it gets a bit hot. And oh yeah, the walk from our tower there (over summer).

Dubai Mall Costa Coffee – Every Monday mornings

• What I like about it : No issues with the AC in Dubai Mall for sure. Bring a cardigan I’ll say! Bigger playmat area for your baby as well.
• What I don’t like about it : The drive to Dubai Mall from the marina in the mornings, hehe.

2. Citispi’s Bump and Beyond Breakfast Mornings 

• When/Where : Tuesday mornings/Gourmet by KCal at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi (varies)
• Cost : Their breakfast meals range from 30AED-80AED
• What you get : With an order from the breakfast menu, you get a free hot drink – and a few good hours of good talk with mums. Sometimes Citispi gets midwifes to come in which is great!
• What your baby gets : Lots of socialising with other babies at your table.
• What I like about it : Gourmet by KCal is a really nice cafe! You get to order from their breakfast menu – gluten-free / organic / all-the-good-healthy-stuff.
• What I don’t like about it : Tables are as they normally are in a restaurant , so you sit in groups rather than in a long table (personal preference!). There are some people who are not expecting or have a baby who comes as well so it does get a bit awkward when you end up sitting with them (when you really want to meet another mum-to-be’s/mums).

Regardless – still another lovely option to meet other mums 🙂

3. Baby Senses 

• When : Tuesday mornings
• Cost : Free
• What you get : Cecile – the midwife who runs the place is amazing. You can ask her if you have any questions, and most weeks she gets a speaker to come in to give a presentation – things like first-aid, how to get back to shape after having your little one, breastfeeding, etc. Also free tea/coffee and biscuits, and most mums stay back after to socialise.
• What your baby gets : Lots of socialising with other babies as well – on the couch, or on the playmats
• What I like about it : I learned a lot from these sessions. It’s a laid-back setup – couches all around (great for when you need to breastfeed), and playmat in the front as well.
• What I don’t like about it : That my car gets cooked in the sun in the parking lot, and so does the car-seat, and my poor little one afterwards! Free heated car-seat, he he. Tip : Get there early so you can park at the parking next to the building which gets more shade 😉

Now if you go to all 3, that’s your Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings sorted. There are a lot of other baby-friendly activities around, but as yet I haven’t found another that didn’t involve me paying a lot of money. Let me know if you know any and I will update this post!

In the meantime, start with this, make some friends, and then the next cheap thing is – home catch-ups and playdates 🙂