No mum is an island. We all need people around us to support us. My last post was about loneliness and the need to have support. Whilst family and non-mum friends are great for this (they're not exhausted in the same way!) it's important to also have mum friends who are going through what you're going through.
1)They're around during the day.
Not stuck at work an hours commute away. They can pop round at a moment's notice (well maybe not quite a moment - it's not easy getting a baby out at lightning speed!) So when your baby has pooed through ALL your nappies in one morning, they can drop some spares rounds. Or when your washing machine just can't take heat, you can bet their washing machine is up for the challenge! Or if you just need to get out of the house, you can count on them needing to too!
Photo by Victoria Palacios on Unsplash
2)They're around during the night.
You can Whatsapp them complaining about the baby's latch at 1am and get a reply by the time you are up for the 5am feed if not straight away. And it's not a drunken reply wondering why you've locked your baby in their room (latch...no...?).
Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash
3)They understand.
When you break down in tears in the street when they ask how you're doing. When you cancel on them last minute because baby has just thrown up in your hair AGAIN. When you serve them tea with a side of rusks because you ate all the nice treats already this morning. They know you are tired beyond belief, probably in boob-pain, and haven't eaten proper food in weeks.
Photo by The Creative Exchange on Unsplash
4)You can be honest.
Saggy boobs. Bowel issues. Hair falling out. Breast pads. Mastitis. Stitches. Your non-mum friends just don't want to hear about it. And it's probably best you don't tell them eh - would you have signed up for it if you'd known??
Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash
5)You can talk about your baby all the time if you want.
How baby is sleeping. Feeding. Pooping. Eating. Talking. Pooping. Crawling. Teething. Walking. Because that's what they want to talk about too!
Photo by Sadık Kuzu on Unsplash
It's important we all have people around us who we can relate to. So why don't you chat to a new mum today at the park, soft-play, or cafe?