Why Mum Friends Matter - Introducing ‘Gather and Grow’ meet ups

Confession, when I was pregnant I loudly and proudly declared that I ‘won’t need mum friends’ thank you very much. I had a friend who happened to be pregnant at the same time as me and I thought that was perfect, who wants to hang around with a load of mums and babies all day anyway?! (oh how I’ve changed!).

Fast forward to me with a tiny baby desperately wanting to talk to other mums because, honestly, no one else wanted to talk about the colour of my babies poo or the horrors of postnatal hair loss (still grappling with the after effects of this!) Luckily I found some mums to chat to, and they became brilliant friends, we helped each other through the tough bits and cheered each other through the happy bits.

As a solution-focused hypnotherapist and hypnobirthing instructor, I’ve come to learn over and over that parenting, especially being home on maternity leave or being a stay at home parent, can be incredibly isolating, establishing genuine connections with fellow parents can be a lifeline during these transitional months or years. Friendships can make all the difference to how we’re feeling and coping. Recent studies have shown that between 80-90% of mothers have reported that they feel lonely either some or all of the time. We also know that loneliness is detrimental to our mental health and that it can exacerbate issues like postnatal depression and anxiety.

But how do you actually make mum friends? The reality is that building and maintaining these connections can be challenging. Meeting other pregnant people when you’re busy and not yet on maternity leave can be tricky and then when you have your baby, the demands of parenting can get in the way of getting out and meeting people.

This is why we (me and Emma, from Olivia Rose Images) created "Gather and Grow," free, informal meet ups, designed for pregnant and recently postnatal mums, held in different venues across the city (Peterborough). Our aim is to provide a safe and inclusive space for you to connect, share, and grow together. We want to break down barriers and help you create lasting friendships that will extend beyond the sessions.

If you’d like to join us for a meet up join the Gather and Grow Peterborough Facebook group.

And if you know anyone who would be interested then do share this with them! We look forward to seeing you there.