Making Mommy Friends: Part Deux

When the hubby and I first made the decision I would stay home, I immediately started looking at what I would do to get out of the house. Luckily, I live in an awesome community where there are tons of opportunities to meet new people, but no matter where you are, there are things for new mommies.

So, let's get to it!

1. Birthing Class. Oh yes, you can start making friends before you even have your baby. A friend of mine was telling me that they met a couple in their birth class and they'd become good friends and best of all, their babies were only a couple of weeks apart. So, the hubby and I walked into our Prepared Childbirth class, took a quick survey of the room and went and plopped (ok, he didn't "plop," but at 34 weeks pregnant, I definitely "plopped") down next to a cute couple that just looked like they could be our friends. We totally bonded with the couple while giggling about some of the more intense couples... 

{Backstory: There came a time when we all had to get down on the floor  and practice our labor breathing techniques we had just learned about. Being an ole prenatal yogi from way back, I wasn't paying much attention to those around me (being busy labor breathing like a champ), but the hubby later reported back that there were some super-creepy couples around us. Lots of not-suitable-for-birth-class lower back rubbing - um, hubbies, your wives are not actually in labor. This is practice.}

Fast-forward to now, our baby boys are 10 days apart, we both had c-sections due to breech babies and live less than 2 miles apart. 

Um, can a girl get a censor bar on those new momma nursing ta-tas? Yikes.

 

2. Hospital Support Groups.  Before you go getting all weird on me thinking this is a "mom-aholics anonymous" group, chill the eff out. The hospital where I delivered my babe, Baylor Frisco, actually has a breastfeeding support group. And if you don't think you need support when breastfeeding, you have clearly never done it. Or maybe you had no problems at all, in which case, I hate you. Kidding. Kind of. 

When I first went, Connor was three weeks old. My mom actually drove us up there as I wasn't even driving yet after my c-section. I wasn't really going to make friends but rather get some advice on a bad latching problem (TMI?), but ended up making quite a few pals that I still keep in touch with and have play dates with. When we first started going it was for advice; later on, it was something to do every week, new mommas to socialize with and they also served delicious cookies . Ummm, ya. Count me in.

3. Get churchy. Now I will admit that I am by NO means the most devout Catholic you will ever meet. But many churches in the area (really any area!) offer new mommy groups. You don't have to be a member of their church and the groups aren't totally religion-focused, but rather they focus on creating a support system as well as a place to learn about parenting, get advice and develop friendships with other mommas.

{For those in the Frisco area, here are a few that I know about.}

Little Legacies at Providence Church

Moms at Preston Trail

Mothers and Others in Plano

MOPS (two locations)

4. Use your friends... To make more friends.    So, I made several friends on my own, but many of the pals I met are friends of friends. At each play date, I always tried to go meet new mommas and many of those gals, have become good friends!

5. Gym. Because every momma needs an hour break. I adore my time with Connor, but one of the smartest things I did after leaving my job was joining a gym. The local athletic center has a daycare or "Fun Club" where you can leave your little one for up to two hours a day. Of course, we only go a couple of times a week but it gives me just a bit of alone time to run or work out and gives the babe a chance to play without me.

So, technically I don't really go to the gym trying to make friends. Can't you just see me walking in the weight room all like:

 

No? Me neither. But getting out of the house, getting a work-out in and just a short break from the little one does a body (and mind) good!

And speaking of getting out of the house... We also do best when we get out of the house at least once a day, even if it's just on a Target run. ;-)

 

Now I'm not saying I pick up friends at Target... I am just saying that I'm not above it! ;-)

Ok, am I missing anything?!

Making Mommy Friends

"Awww, you're blogging again?!"

Before I promise to do better and start blogging more regularly, well, no promises. But yes, for now, I am back with it.

Right, back to it!

When the hubby and I first moved up to the burbs, I was really not concerned with meeting and making new friends. I have my friends. And thank god for them. How else would i know what snapchat is? Or be able to reminisce on funny memories from college? Or still get an occasional drunk text? They are my people. But most of them that live in town are either single or married with no babies. I'm lucky to have sister and nephew close, but I can't show up there, like, everyday. ;-)

So after I had the baby and especially after we made the decision that I would stay home, it occurred to me that I needed to make some mommy friends. Partly, because I wanted my little guy to have some buddies to play with and partly because I needed some adult interaction, in like, a really bad way.

Side note: I also had an extremely terrifying view of what the "Frisco Mom" is... All speed-walking around Target in her bejeweled velour track suit... Oh, I've seen her out and about.

And I don't know why but I kind of expected finding mommy friends to be like: 

You know... "You can't sit with us."

But I am so blessed to have stumbled upon some of the nicest, sweetest friends ever. I have found it so vital to have a support system of mommies who have/are going what I'm going through. 

With these women that I've only just met in the past 6 months, I've been on group texts talking mommas off the ledge during a particularly tough "cry it out" night, had moms assure me that I am in fact not a bad mother because my child fell over and bonked his head because I was so engrossed in eating a delicious brownie (I know, fat girl... ;-) that I couldn't catch his tumble, found things in common with these ladies besides just our babies and gotten the chance to love on Connor's sweet friends and have these gals love on my little one. No matter how much you hear it, it is still music to my ears to hear someone tell me how sweet or cute my little one is. 

I'll be doing a follow-up post on how I went about "picking up" my new friends.