Find Your Mom Tribe and Love Them Hard.....But Where To Find Them?
“I don’t know where I would be without my moms group”
it’s a common statement we hear from our members.
Whether you are a first time mom, the first one out of your group of friends to have a baby or you are new to the neighborhood joining a moms group can make what could potentially be a very lonely time for you a mat leave to remember!
So where do you find these other moms?
Internet forums are a great way to start out. You can connect ask questions and discuss all things pregnancy and post partum with these wonderful ladies going through the same thing at the same time. But there still lacks the connection and face to face with other moms when doing this on line.
You can try the park, but what if your baby is too little or what if it’s the middle of winter? Where do moms and babies hibernate?
A local moms group such as The Common Moms is the answer! www.thecommonmoms.com
Our hope for The Common Moms is that mothers will connect and bond with each other and provide emotional support to one another while having fun with their babies.
The Common Moms was established February 2017 in Waterdown, ON and now currently runs in 3 cities with over 1000 members and growin. It was created in the hopes that this group could meet the needs of new moms and create a space that was inviting, non-judgmental and supportive for all.
The Common Moms offer programming and meet ups for everyone. With over 15 activities per month.
Moms need these kinds of groups. New moms are learning from the veteran moms and veteran moms are joining with their second or third child in tow and they still need support.
A study was done by The University of Waterdown to determine the role that “moms groups” play in helping mothers navigate parenthood. The conclusion of this study found that friendships made in moms groups lowered the occurrence and severity of postpartum depression.
A summary of their findings include:
Mental health support: It’s no secret that more than 80 percent of moms experience the “baby blues”, and about 20 percent develop postpartum depression (PPD).
· Through participating in moms groups, members suffering from PPD were effortlessly able to find other mothers who they could count on for friendship and support. The connections also helped new moms move beyond surviving to thriving throughout their transition to motherhood.
“The findings from this study are significant,” says researcher Diana Parry, PhD. “They demonstrate how powerfully mothers are in need of each other's company yet also how isolated mothers are from one another in today's rapidly changing Canadian culture. These findings underline the need to both explore the reasons why Canadian women are experiencing motherhood as overwhelming and isolating and also investigate how social networking can help.”
Do not be afraid to join a moms group. We show up in sweats, no make up hair not done and we have fun! We lament with eachother and laugh at the spit up stain on our shirt from the day before and no one cares. We are all there for the same reason, to get out of the house, to socialize and to feel somewhat normal on 2 hours of sleep.
Parry, Diana C., Glover, Troy D., Mulcahy, Caitlin M. (2013). From “stroller stalker” to “momancer”: Courting friends through a social networking site for mothers. Journal of Leisure Research, 45(1), 22–45. Google Scholar, Crossref
https://www.therecord.com/living-story/3242763-talking-about-their-babies/