New motherhood is a blur; a whirlwind of joy, doubts, triumphs, and fears. They say it takes a village. But for most millennial women, that village is a virtual one.
Nearly every mom I meet references their baby group in conversation, and to the generations above and below us, it may sound crazy, pathetic even. That one would have to turn to strangers on the internet for advice on raising your child. But, I can say from first hand experience that I am the mother I am today in part because of an online group of women, many of whom I have never met in person.
I stumbled across the posting on The Bump for a Facebook group specific to the birth month of my first son, Calvin: May 2015. At this point, he was about a month old. I hadn’t gathered the courage to even leave the house on my own, and in this posting I saw an opportunity to connect with other new moms who may be in the same boat. The rest is history.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeBf-yHDdE6/?
We’ve shared the joys of each of our children’s milestones together – first steps, first words, first days of preschool; the heartache of illness, injuries, and diagnoses we didn’t quite expect. We’ve celebrated the news of positive pregnancy tests, mourned the babies we hold in our hearts instead of our arms, and wished and hoped and prayed with all we have for those who face the uncertainty of infertility.
We’ve coordinated meal deliveries when tragedy struck. We’ve gifted keepsakes to honor the angel babies amongst us. We’ve shared milk when others lost their stash during hurricanes. We’ve cheered from across the country when each new baby brother or sister was brought safely into this world. We’ve been through it all. And we will continue to lift one another up in whatever ways possible as we navigate the journey of motherhood, together.
The greatest moments over the past two and a half years, as well as my darkest, have all been made better thanks to this group of women.
Do you have an online group that has made you a better parent? I’d love to hear about the special “village” that lifts you up.