In the months leading up to our March of 2007 wedding, I was so busy looking for ideas and came across a great resource at theknot.com. This was obviously before Pinterest, where I’m sure most engaged girls (or any girls, for that matter) are now finding their wedding ideas.
The best part of what I found was the interaction with other girls on the message boards!
Fast forward two years and we were ready to start trying to have a baby. I moved over to thebump.com and found a “Trying to Conceive” forum and learned of so many great resources. I never knew about charting your basal body temperature or any of the other tricks the girls talked about when it came to trying to get pregnant, aside from the obvious. 🙂
It didn’t take long for me to get pregnant, but unfortunately, I wasn’t pregnant for very long. We suffered through a miscarriage at almost 8 weeks and I felt like my excitement had just been ripped away from me! Who knew it was so hard to have a baby!?!
A friend told me about another message board called “Miscarriage or Pregnancy Loss” where I would gain lots of support. I took her advice and she was right! It really helped me push through the emotional struggle I was dealing with.
When we were ready to start trying again, I moved over to “TTC After Loss” and eventually “Pregnant after a Loss”. It was there that I met a great group of supportive women who knew what it was like to be pregnant again, after suffering a miscarriage or pregnancy loss.
Although this board was national, there were several girls from the DFW area who were in the same situation as myself! They became the best support system as I went through my entire pregnancy still a little nervous at the thought of losing another pregnancy. They shared the same fears.
We started to meet up together during our pregnancies and eventually got to meet each other’s new babies.
Obviously, this picture was taken when these babies were fairly new and there are actually several moms and babies not pictured. Now, those babies are almost three and we are still playgroup friends!
This was my very first playgroup in DFW and the funniest thing about it is these girls are my “online friends.” As crazy as it may sound, we became close, and still are. Even when are schedules are too busy to allow for a play date, they are always just an email away and usually my first resource when I need some mom help! We’ve all moved on to our second babies, and some of us, well really just me, are moving on to baby #3 (due this summer!).
I’m so thankful I took that leap to make online connections. If I hadn’t, who knows how long it would have taken me to get involved in a play group that benefitted both my son and myself.
I love making new friends and as a first-time mom, I was desperately looking for other moms, in my same season of life, who I could connect with.
If you are struggling to get involved with a group of moms in your area, try starting out online! I was working full time when I started these relationships and logging on to my computer was so much easier than building up the courage to meet new people face to face.
The bump also has message boards for just about every stage of pregnancy or motherhood you are in, and even a board to find local girls. Take a peek around their community!
And don’t forget, the Dallas Moms Blog Facebook page is a great place to get your questions answered. There are lots of women who are ready and willing to help!
You CAN make online friends and it’s not scary! 🙂
Have you ever used a message board to build relationships with other moms or to have your pregnancy questions answered? Leave us a comment and let us know of some sites/groups that have worked for you!
