Even if you have a great group of friends and family around you, having mom friends can be a helpful part of your pregnancy journey.
Besides having someone you can relate to, the more support you can get, the better. Research shows that having social support during pregnancy may lower your risk of mental health issues and stress-related complications.
In this post, we’re sharing 8 new ways you can meet other pregnant mamas.
Meeting New Friends During Pregnancy
There could be several reasons why you may want to meet friends during pregnancy.
- No mother friends— This may be especially true if you’re the first of your friends to get pregnant. While they’re out clubbing or gossiping about dating, you’re at home with your feet elevated to prevent more ankle swelling. When you’re expecting, sometimes it can feel hard to relate to others. And they may not understand what you’re going through either.
- Single friends begin to taper off— If the majority of your friends are single and know you for being the life of the party, you may experience them pulling away when pregnancy makes you less “fun.” Another problem could be friends getting jealous about your success starting a family. While this can be painful, seeing who sticks with you can show you who your real friends are.
- Someone to rant to— Even if your friends are awesome, sometimes it still helps to have someone who knows what you’re going through who you can rant to. And, sometimes it’s easier to open up to a new, almost anonymous person outside of your friend group.
#1 Strengthen Bonds with Existing Friends
While it’s not exactly meeting “new” friends, pregnancy can show you a new side of your friendship. If all of your friends are single and don’t seem to have a clue about babies, try to explain things rather than rolling your eyes. When you’re venting about symptoms, pregnancy problems or decisions, they may not be able to fully understand. But, if they’re true friends, they will care about what you’re going through anyway and try to be there for you. With that being said, asking them questions about their life is important to show you care, too.
Whether it’s carving time out of your busy pregnancy schedule or sending texts, making the friendship stronger can reduce the energy you need to spend creating new social supports.
#2 Prenatal Classes
Prenatal classes are great to attend not only because of the education but because you’re introduced to a group of women who are going through exactly what you are. A 2012 U.K. study found that friendships made in prenatal classes are unique and improved mental health. The women also gained confidence as mothers by giving and receiving reassurance that their babes were developing normally.
If you’re a shy person, you may talk to classmates but may not know how to take the relationship further. Here’s some conversation starters to take the friendship outside of the classroom:
- “You seem really cool/nice. Do you mind if I get your number/Instagram handle/Facebook?” (But be sure to follow-up with them!)
- “I’ve been thinking about trying this prenatal yoga class/other type of class but don’t want to go alone. Would you want to try it with me?”
- “I’m doing some baby shopping this week. Let me know if you’re free because I’d love to have some company.”
- “When I have a girl crush, I usually ask the person to go out for drinks. But now that that’s out of the question, are you up for some mocktails sometime?”
- “Pregnancy is making me a bit of a homebody, but I’m trying to get out more, so let me know if you ever want to go for a walk sometime or something.”
#3 Prenatal Meet-Ups
If you live in a bigger city, there’s probably plenty of in-person groups catered to pregnant women. One of the easiest ways to find these groups is to enter your city on Meetup.com and search for “pregnancy” or “prenatal” or even “mom” groups. Another option is to search Eventbrite.com for a pregnancy class or event you’d like to attend.
#4 Facebook Groups for Parents and Moms-to-Be
Facebook groups are another great way to connect with other expecting women. You can choose a group specific to your city so you can meet the members in person too.
However, if you live in a rural area with limited access to classes, groups and friend-making opportunities, choosing a general pregnancy group can be the start to a great online friendship. Even if you never meet them in person, sharing your experiences and advice through text, email or phone calls can also be a helpful support. You can find these groups by simply searching “pregnancy” and clicking the “groups” search tab. Many groups are also created by due date. For example, if you’re due January 2020, search “due date Jan 2020” and click the “groups” search tab.
You can also find more specific groups, such as ones for mothers choosing natural birth, home birth or water birth.
#5 Apps for Mom Friends
Another way to use technology to meet new mom friends is to download a few apps.
- life— This app is a place where modern moms can meet, chat and support each other in a judgment-free zone. There’s groups, or you can talk individually to someone in the “Moms similar to you” section.
- Peanut— Peanut is a Tinder-style app that allows you to meet other moms and pregnant women. When you register, you’ll be asked to enter if you’re expecting or already have children. Then, you can be matched with other women you can meet up with in real life. You can also use it to arrange playdates if you already have kids.
- Bumble BFF— Bumble BFF is a mode on Bumble that allows you to meet friends instead of dates. While there’s all sorts of women on the app, you can look for and specify in your profile that you’re searching for new pregnant friends.
#6 Pregnancy Forums
If you’d rather meet moms-to-be in group conversations rather than one-on-one, forums may be the right choice for you. You can post about your own worries or questions, or you can comment on someone else’s. Here are a few popular pregnancy forums:
- com— One of the most well-known pregnancy forums, you can find sections here by trimester, location and more. There’s also groups for women who are first-time moms, young moms, struggling with mental health and other challenges.
- com— Although this forum caters to both pregnant ladies and moms, you can find specific groups and sections made of women who are also expecting.
- com— There’s sections for those trying to conceive, those who’ve went through miscarriages and more. If you’re pregnant, you may want to start out in their “due dates club” section.
- Pregnancy forum— This forum allows you to meet women through every stage of your journey: conception, pregnancy, post-pregnancy and family.
#7 Ask Around
If you don’t like using technology to meet people, you can ask around to see if anyone you know can put you in touch with other expecting moms.
- Ask your midwife or doula if she knows any moms-to-be also looking for friends
- Ask your doctor if he or she knows of any community pregnancy groups
- Ask for friend recommendations on your Facebook or other social media
- If you know a friend-of-a-friend is pregnant, ask if they’d like to grab a coffee sometime
#8 Approaching Another Pregnant Lady
In the age of apps, it’s almost rare for strangers to approach each other—but that’s how many good friendships are made. When you see another pregnant lady who looks friendly, try to reach out and see if there’s any potential for a friendship. Of course, you want to be certain that the woman is pregnant before making a pregnancy-related comment. Here are some good places to spot other expecting moms:
- Doctor’s office waiting rooms
- Park (while women at parks are likely there because they already have children, you may meet pregnant second or third-time mothers)
- Baby stores
- Starbucks or other coffee shops
How to Approach
When you see a potential pregnant friend, you can open a conversation by asking a question, such as “Can I ask, do you like this green or blue baby hat better?” Another way is to give them a compliment about their clothes, purse, hair or whatever else comes to mind. From there, you can see if the conversation naturally flows. If you want to be sure she’s pregnant, wait until she says something or observe if she lays her hands on her belly, etc. If she’s friendly, mention that you’re pregnant and looking for other expecting women and ask if she would like to go out for lunch, a walk or a coffee.
What are your tips for meeting new friends during pregnancy? Share them in the comments below! If you have friends who are also expecting, be sure to send them this post, too!
P.S. Have you used a fetal doppler yet? These amazing handheld devices allow you to hear your baby’s heartbeat, similar to an ultrasound. Many mothers say it eases anxiety and creates family bonding. Get yours today!