Hellobee Boards

Make plans, make plans, make plans. Some days I felt alone in a big crowd of people, like when I'd take my son to the pool, but eventually, I would work up the courage to talk to other moms and I am so glad I did.

I think classes are a great idea, as are playgroups. Do you have a MOMS club near you?

Our library has an early literacy class for babies 0-3. The yoga studio downtown has a postnatal yoga class, where young babies are welcome. I'm sure if you look online, or ask around, someone could point you in the right direction of some suitable groups or classes. What's awesome about being a mom is that you immediately have something in common with other parents, so you can feel more comfortable making a connection.

We are in a similar boat, as my daughter is almost 4 months, and I definitely wasn't planning on staying home, initially. I feel lonely and out of my element, sometimes! What I've found helps is to just get out - even if you're flying solo, it's nice to just interact with strangers - be it, baristas, fellow shoppers, or a nanny at the park.

My dad is retired, so I try to see him once or twice a week. I have a few former coworkers who had babies just around the same time I did (pure, lucky chance), so we've been good about making plans once every week or two. I still feel a little isolated at times, so I just try to focus on the positive. Easier said than done, I know.

HUGS!

I joined a mommy group. B is the youngest by far but no one seems to mind. We also do story time at the library. I plan to attend a local baby wearing class and BF group. I'd like to Gymboree but plan to wait a few months for that.

Mommy groups are a major life saver! At his age, a music class or library story time could be good too.

Definitely go to the mommy & me classes, library story times, BF support groups - whatever you can find! I'm a really shy person, but I had to really suck it up and chat with some of the other moms at these groups, and I've made some really good friends that I get together with regularly. The groups may benefit you more than your LO when he's so young - but that still makes it totally worth it!

The best place I met Mommy friends was through my workout class called Baby Bootcamp. I have met almost all my close friends through that, and it makes all the difference. I've also joined a few groups through meetup.com and that helps.

You need some mommy friends, stat. Groups, meetup groups, church groups, groups through your hospital/birthing center, lactation support groups - literally anything. You need to work your network, reconnect with anyone you know who's around during the day. Family, old friends, new friends. See if you can find some parenting groups around activities you like to do - I just found a hiking with babies meetup group, for instance. Check out local toy stores and inside play places, they often have fun activities.

I moved to a new city when I was pregnant, and it took me a while to feel active and busy. It took a lot of effort on my part, but it sure paid off.

@Pepper: Also, any kind of church. I know how hard making those connections is, but it is so worth it.

@Pepper: I'm mostly posting to follow, but I started taking LO to Mommy and me at 7 weeks old, and she was the youngest - but only by a day! And now that she's three months there's plenty of babies smaller than her. And tomorrow we start a Fit4Two class that I'm really looking forward to hopefully meeting more other moms.

I'm on mat leave for a year, and it's definitely isolating sometimes. Back when I worked retail, I thought the people who wanted to chat with me were so strange, and now I'm totally that person... yikes.

But I'm following for other people's ideas too.

My LO is almost five months and we are the youngest at our Mommy and Me class, but it is almost better because he is so little that I can hold him for most of the exercises instead of chasing him around the room the whole time.

We go to that twice a week, a new mom's group once a week and try to get out of the house to the grocery or for a walk on other days.

I listen to a lot of podcasts in the car so I can hear some adults talking. The Boob Group and Parent Savers are my favorite parenting ones, but I also listen to some paleo podcasts, Jillian Michaels and some NPR podcasts.

@redsmarties: Honestly, lots of the outings I take my 2 year old on are more for me. She'd be happy spending a lot of days at home, but I have to get out daily to stay sane. Being a full time parent and setting your own schedule is a blessing and a curse. You have total freedom to engineer the life you want - but that takes a lot of work. I always tell SAH parents to really work to build a life that satisfies both them AND their child - to really make sure that they get their needs met too.

How is your child in a pouch/stroller? At that age, my daughter was my little sidekick. I just went about my life with her in the moby wrap. We went to lunch, museums, coffee, we walked around town, whatever. Mommy and me movies. Hanging out with friends. She let me get away with that for a good 5 months - it was awesome.

We moved to a new city before my sons birth and I was in a similar boat. Meet ups dot com was helpful just look for your city, I also go for a lot of very long walks and I take my son to the tiny tots story hour at our library, they have them at Barnes and noble bookstores too. I personally have also enjoyed some of the time just myself and LO or myself. Have you ever though about picking up a hobby such as blogging, sewing, knitting or crafting of some kind? Many hobbies also have meetips pr uou can meet people who enjoy them at the stores that sell for them. I am Obsessed with Susan Branch, she is like Martha's Stewart if she were not bitchy or cold. She writes and illustrates these wonderful books full of recipes and quotes and crafts. Very simple comforting stuff. I also have this new idea that I think would be fun: skypals! It may have already been invented but its basically a pen pal that you Skype with or call. Perhaps we should start a group here on The Bee!!!

I am so sorry for your loss honey. Sending you huge hugs

@scg00387: I also found my moms group on facebook--it's a range of ages, with a newborn and two babies around a year and everything in between. It's way more for the moms than the babies, so no worries about the baby's age!

I try to make a schedule for chores at home, too... when I'll do laundry, cook for the week, stuff like that, so that I'm not at sea when we are at home.

Can you go meet your partner for lunch? That can provide structure/social interaction for the day when all else fails.