Bouncing off of my last post and feelings of having a lack of resources sent me on a hunt to see what else was out there that might be a bit more creative in these trying times. After all, I couldn’t be the only one feeling a bit lost; right?
Facebook was the first place I turned to, naturally. 😂 The great thing is that you can type just about anything into the search box and groups will most likely come up! I can’t remember what exactly I searched, but in looking now anything close to pregnancy group, pregnancy support group, etc. are all great!
One group I found is called ‘Pregnant Moms due 2020-2021.’ This has thousands of members, and constant posts. So many great questions that I am probably wondering as well, but someone has already asked. You can also search topics to see previous posts. Everything from baby showers, favorite products, fears, anxiety, symptoms, you name it. Nothing is too taboo. Also plenty of bump pics, and who doesn’t love looking at bump pics!!! It feels like a safe place if you need to rant about your mother-in-law, or if you’re wondering if something is normal. Pregnancy is such an emotional time, and sometimes it can be nice to have people outside of your little circle help with advice, or to justify how you are feeling when no one else seems to understand.
From the group above, I had stumbled upon a comment that someone mentioned there are typically subgroups for each month as well. So next, I found ‘September 2020 Due Date Group.” Though significantly smaller, this group still has over 3,000 members. While the large pregnancy group is really helpful for all things pregnancy, it’s also great to be a part of the smaller group where everyone is around the same point in their pregnancy, so the questions feel a bit more focused and relatable. We’re all gearing up for baby shower time, packing our hospital bags, finalizing the nursery, and entering into the home stretch! It is so exciting to share in this joyous time with other mamas.
Both of these have been hugely helpful in not feeling so alone, and I am so grateful to have found them.
Aside from these groups that have moms from all over the country/world, I also searched for any local mom groups to my area. These aren’t so much geared toward pregnancy itself, but more so parenting/kids activities etc. Many people will also list free, or sale items that their baby has outgrown, so it can be great for finding gently used baby goods!
Other than Facebook, another great resource that my OB actually mentioned to me is Mamistad. The owner pairs you with other moms in your area that have due dates within a few months of each other so you can connect and have a support system. She typically encourages weekly meet-ups, but because of COVID, she has recommended online gatherings. I was a little late to joining, but have been in my group for a few weeks now, and we have a weekly zoom meeting. It has been so much fun so far!!! It’s of course fun to talk about pregnancy things, but also just nice to have some girl time. One of the girls just had her baby, so she has been able to tell us about her experience which has been really great. We also can’t wait to get together more regularly once the world gets to a better place. And of course to introduce our little ones once they are all here!! It is amazing how quickly friendships can form through this common bond, and I am excited to keep in touch with these ladies!
Mamistad unfortunately is only in a few states currently, but has been such a great resource so far! I believe Northern Virginia/the DC area is the main starting point for Mamistad, so I would imagine there are more or larger groups over there. She has also branched out into Austin, TX, and Denver, CO, for which I am so grateful!! If you are in any of these areas, I highly recommend checking it out, because it’s such an incredible resource. The owner has so much passion for what she does, and has everyone do an intro zoom call before adding you to a local group so she can talk about why she does this, and explain what it’s all about. By the way, I consider myself to be a shy person, and jumping on a zoom call with strangers was a little bit intimidating at first, but I am so glad I joined!
Good luck, mamas – take advantage of any great resources that you can find!
Laugh Often – Rachel
Simply Stoops 