Combatting Mummy Loneliness

Being pregnant is such a special time in a woman’s life, and the excitement surrounding the arrival of your new baby is often shared by friends, family and work colleagues.

Once the baby arrives and people around you go back to their normal lives, it can be a very lonely time for a new mum. People you spoke to daily at work can drift away, and you can easily feel isolated and alone.

Here are a few tips to get out with your baby and maybe even make new friends too.

~ Rhyme Time at your local library.

This was an absolutely lovely time for Isla and I. Rhyme Time is run weekly at a range of libraries in our city, the session goes for 30 minutes and is filled with nursery rhymes, songs and dancing too. At our local library a space is made and it is JAM-PACKED with first time mums with their new babies, so get there early! It’s a great opportunity to meet other mums, and enjoy some special time with your little one too. Best of all, they’re free.

GC library events:

http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/library/documents/Libraries_Calendar_of_Events_Feb-Mar_2016_WEB.pdf

~ New Parent Information Sessions conducted by Queensland Health

My local QLD Health Community Child Health Service Centre conducted these free sessions weekly over a 6-week period. Recommended for parents with babies up to 6 months, they were facilitated by midwives and covered a range of topics including feeding, sleep patterns, settling techniques, teething, food intolerances and much more. I found these sessions to be a great source of knowledge. The midwives were lovely, open and happy to take questions too.

~ Join a mother’s group

Easier said than done right? Well at the end of my 6 week sessions with QLD health, the mums exchanged details and organized a catch-up. This is how my mother’s group was born. I NEVER thought I’d join a mother’s group, but honestly I am so glad I did. The women I met have been by my side through some of the toughest parenting moments without judgment, and have always provided nothing but support and love to Isla and I. So much so that I am now Godmother to the 2^nd child of a mum I met through mothers group. Fellow 1^st time mums can very easily become some of the closest friends you’ll ever have.

~Mummy & Me Group Fitness

Once the newborn fog lifts it is SO good for both mum and baby to get into the sun and enjoy the outdoors. Our local city council hosts a range of low cost fitness classes designed to get parents moving, meeting other new parents and enjoying the outdoors. Check your local council website and see what’s on offer in your area.

GCCC Active Healthy Parents Program:

http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/documents/bf/active-healthy-program-parents.pdf

So make sure you venture outside the ‘new mum bubble’ and seek some like-minded people. Not only will you and your baby enjoy it, you may be lucky and meet new life-long friends.