Lots of new moms feel isolated in postpartum. It can feel like you are stuck at home with your newborn with nowhere to go or no one to talk to.
Days can get long and mundane which will make you consider how to spice things up. A great way to get out of the rut is by creating connections with other mothers.
Sounds easy but not always so simple to execute. Connecting with other mothers can also feel like a daunting task when you have no idea where to find these connections.
These are some of the low pressure ways to get connected with moms who are in the same situation as you are.
Join baby & me classes
When I was struggling with connecting with other parents during my maternity leave, I turned to different baby and me classes. I joined library rhyme time, yoga classes, walks with strollers, or short carrier hikes in the mountains.
It was good for me in many ways:
- I got out of the house
- Breathed some fresh air
- Moved my body
- And connected with people with similar interests.
I always found it easy to connect with others because you know, we both had babies who ate, pooped and (didn’t) sleep. Lots to talk about.
Don’t forget your neighbours
Connecting with other mothers doesn’t have to take you far from your community. I think it’s excellent to go and knock on your neighbor’s door who you know has kids.
Probably they are struggling with the transition to motherhood as much as you are and would be happy to connect with another mom.
There are several benefits for keeping the connection in your community:
- You don’t need to put your baby to car seat
- Again, you can move your body and breathe fresh air while you walk to your neighbor’s house
- In the future, the kids can independently go between the houses, so no carpooling is needed!
- It’s easy for moms to connect in the evening to drink adult beverages
Follow up on connections
Joining groups and making friends with neighbours probably will give you plenty of new moms to connect with. Most of the time, you will meet someone once and that’s it.
That is totally normal.
But let’s say you really hit it off with someone and can imagine regularly chatting with them or even meeting up? How do you keep the connection with that mom?
Easy ways to do it are:
- Ask for their phone number
- Less intimidating option is to connect through social media
- Or schedule another “date” on the spot.
I prefer the last option as otherwise, I would forget all about connecting with this mother.
Schedule recurring (play)dates
You’ve made the connection with the other mom, gathered up the courage and asked for their phone number, and now you are meeting them again. By the end of that meetup you feel like this is someone you would like to have in your life. What next?
My recommendation would be to set up a recurring playdate. There are many benefits to having regularly schedule (play)dates:
- Lessens the mental load of planning for it EVERY TIME
- Helps you deepen the relationship
- Gives you double the positive emotions – once when you are looking forward to the date and when it actually happens
It will actually keep this connection going and has a bigger likelihood of turning into a good friendship.
Create connections that lasts
When you are looking to connect with other mothers, I would recommend starting with your local community. Joining various baby and me classes or groups is another way to connect with moms who have similar interests to you.
Hopefully you’ll be able to find someone you connect with and then the next step is to ask for their contact information. To make it even easier to keep the connection, schedule recurring (play)dates and enjoy learning to know each other.
If connecting with other mothers still seems daunting to you, reach out for a session, so we can help you create the village you crave for!
#Parenting #Postpartum
