Can I be honest? Sometimes parenthood can feel like an incredibly lonely time.
You’ve probably heard the saying “It takes a village to raise a child.” But what about those who don’t have that village? Let me tell you a little story…
I was a first time mama at 24. A second time mama at 39. I’ll admit that with this last pregnancy, I felt a lot of confusion about where I fit in. Essentially, who my village was. When I had my daughter, I didn’t have friends with kids, so to be honest, I felt pretty village-less. Unsupported. Lonely.
The second time around, though (with my son), I knew I wanted that to be different – and it definitely was! But this support did not just show up on my doorstep – I had to seek it out. I forced the introvert in me to reach out to new faces, join mama groups, and show up for other mamas. And the result? A life that has become even richer with friendship and love than I could have imagined.
Do it for you – and do it for them. We are ALL deserving of support and love for one another, especially during these times of growth, change, and learning.
One of the best things about finding my village was knowing that I always had someone I could text at any hour of the night when I was up with a non-sleeping baby, or having breastfeeding or cloth diapering struggles – or if I simply just needed someone to say
“Hey, you are doing awesome at this.”
– your future village
So where do you go? If you already have loving, supportive fellow parents in your life that have your back, yay! You are already halfway there!
But you don’t have to rely simply on those already in your life. Most areas have some local mom groups that you can easily find by a google or facebook search. Join a few, feel them out, and eventually you will find one that is a good fit.
You can also search for groups that have like interests as you. For example, there is a babywearing group local to me that has been an amazing resource for us, as well as an extension of my village.
Yet another great resource is your doula/midwife/OB doctor: ask them for suggestions, as there are usually quite connected with these types of groups.
And when it comes for groups in the online space, you are always welcome to join my private Facebook mama community, GlowMamas. We will always be your virtual village.
Regardless of the age of your child (still pregnant, newborn, toddler, older), having the love and support of a village is key to your wellbeing, as well as your child’s. A supported mama can be a much more supporting mama to their children, plain and simple.
If you are pregnant and in the midst of those planning moments, be sure to check out my Mama-Centered Postpartum Planning course. Sure, I talk about gathering up your “village” even more within the course, but I’m also teaching all about planning for postpartum with YOU in mind. With topics like worthiness, creating your circle of support, nourishment for healing, postpartum recovery, essential oils, and more, you will finish this course feeling relaxed, prepared, and with plenty of time to spare (yay for NO countless hours of researching or stressing!). Added bonus? The course is 100% self-paced, so no schedule to keep up on either!
Still have questions about postpartum or postpartum support? Contact me to set up a FREE 30 minute discovery call where we can connect 1:1 with YOU and YOUR NEEDS front and center.
