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Having a network of other Moms is as necessary as wearing a good bra.
At first when you find out you’re pregnant, you might think “It’s not a big deal, I can do this alone.” And then you try running around the track a few times (sans a bra) and realize “Damn, this sucks. My boobs hurt!” (and if you have some big girls, you might even be sporting a black eye or two!)
Where am I going with this crazy analogy you might ask?
Well, I have realized very early on that every Mom needs support.
When I first found out I was pregnant this past summer, I went online to babycenter.ca and stumbled across something on their website called “birth clubs.” It’s a forum where you can sign up and chat with other to-be-moms across Canada who are due in the same month as you.
At first, I found the message boards a little strange. I had never done online dating, or had online friends. I was slightly worried that I might be chatting with a 67 year old man named Hubert who was pretending to be a pregnant woman, and that perhaps I was fulfilling some sort of sexual fantasy for him talking about my morning sickness. (Have I lived in the city too long? Watched to many episodes of Criminal Minds? Perhaps...) But the thought did cross my mind.
Eventually one of the lovely girls on the message board created a closed and private facebook group, and there our pregnancy discussions blossomed and my fears about Hubert were put to rest (I could see their profile pictures, afterall. So they had to be real women. Right? Right?)
Well it turns out that all 63 members of the group are very real, very honest and very amazing women (I even met three of them for brunch last week!)
For some of us, we are first time Moms. Others are second, third, fourth and fifth time Moms! From the west coast to the east cost with a mix of religious and spiritual views—we all find ways to support one another and discuss anything and everything from mucus plugs to our sex lives.
This online support group of women has made my first pregnancy experience incredibly positive, and I feel like a lucky member of some secret society.
Except...I want to share that secret with all of you! Whether it’s a birth club online, the forum on the yummy mummy club, a pre-natal yoga class, or a church group, I think it is incredibly important for Moms to connect.
It is easy to feel isolated and alone when you’re an expectant mom-to-be. Your body is going through some major changes, and sometimes you just need to ask other women “Is it normal to cry during Cottonelle commercials?” and “What is this sh*t leaking from my nipples? I haven’t even had the baby yet!” The other first time, second time and tenth time moms will re-assure you, and also confess that they too cry over the exact same commercials. And that sh*t coming from your nipples? Totally normal. Not to worry.
Now, I’d like to share with you a post from one of my fellow February Gals, who has also appreciated the support as much as I have:
“Months ago I was playing around on line and came across a chat/support group for women like me who were pregnant and due Feb 2012... I was not sure how I felt about sharing with the strangers in the group, so I read few posts, commented here and there, then decided to jump head in (no water wings or anything). I talked honestly and told my story, and shared my fears about being pregnant again, and an amazing thing happened; people answered. I felt accepted and comforted by a bunch of women I had never met, and it was amazing. I shared tears over loss, and cheers over each milestone crossed, and found that it helped me feel comfortable with my journey. Now here we are Feb 2012, a bunch of adorable little ones have joined our group with more coming almost everyday! What an amazing family I have found here.” -Nadine Richards
And that totally sums up how I feel about our birth club as well. I couldn’t have said it better myself Nadine (and that’s why I stole it from you!) haha
Now, to conclude this post, I would like to bring a smile to your face with the only thing in the world cuter than puppies...
Babies!
Here are some of my February Gals babies who have already been born: