Everything's better when you can share it with a friend, and motherhood is no exception. I know that I need someone who can give me advice, act like a sounding board, sit in solidarity with me, and celebrate the milestones parenthood brings. Finding that person isn't always easy, though, especially if you're the first of your friends to become a mom. Thats why I asked moms to share the unique way they met their mom BFF, if only to prove that there's no one "right way" to meet your person.
When I found out I was pregnant I assumed that my friends from my 20s would continue to be the people I leaned on. Things changed, though. Slowly but surely calls stopped coming in, messages went ignored, and a palpable distance formed that no one could deny. That's about the time I found myself connecting via Facebook with a girl who was friends with my ex’s sister. We’d met a few times at parties, so I didn't really "know" her, but pretty soon we were chatting about babies and clicking. We found out we had both experienced losses and complicated pregnancies, and she quickly became the best mom friend I didn't know I needed. Since then our kids have played together, we've spent holidays together, and she even flew out to see me a couple weeks ago.
It can be hard to make new mom friends (or, in my case, turn old acquaintances into new mom friends), but it’s not impossible. So with that in mind, here are a few ways the following moms met their other mom half:
Miriam, 33
“I was at the library with my son, and my dad (who was visiting from Miami) and I noticed a woman speaking Spanish to her children. I whispered to my dad, ‘Look, that woman speaks Spanish!’ My dad encouraged me to go a talk to her but I was too shy. I told him that I wanted to spend time with him, that I think I’ve seen her before, and I will approach her after his visit. I did, and she’s an amazing woman, friend, and mom. We’ve been friends for almost three years now. It’s absolutely necessary to get courage and talk to strangers when you're alone in a new place. Turns out she was also new to Grand Rapids and moved here from Honduras, so [she was experiencing] even more of a culture shock then what I was experiencing. We bonded and learned so much from one another.”
Veronica, 43
“Our kids were in the same infant room at daycare! It was a new daycare, so there were only three kids at the time. We hit it off and our kids have grown up together."
Holly, 24
“OK, so my mom best friend is definitely my BFF Lacey. We met at the strip club while working. She came in and auditioned as an amateur, and she definitely was not. We hit it off. She already had her son at the time. She was 20, I think. I was 18. We both had our daughters within a week of each other, and then my second and her third (both boys this time) within a month of each other. We can talk about anything, especially our kids and we even do vacations together.”
Paula, 38
“Joined a parenting forum almost 15 years ago as a stepmom. Fast forward to now and I have thousands of mom friends all over the world because of this group. I travel to cities and have instant friends to show me around. Amazing.”
Jen, 39
“I was working at Planned Parenthood and put a call out for volunteers and she was my only one who showed. We just clicked that day. It's been 11 years and we talk daily and she's my main source of advice and comfort."
Ashley, 24
“Met my mom BFF Caley through our husbands who work at General Motors together. We were both pregnant (me with my first and her with her third and last baby). Our husbands introduced us on a double date. We instantly clicked and she has been my rock ever since.”
Mandy, 31
“Met my mom BFF at work! We both work in nursing and are sh*t talkers. Love at first site.”
Mary, 19
“So me and my mom BFF were homeless and pregnant together (her with her second and me with my first). Our kiddos are only a few months apart. We met at Sox Place and we clicked. She's been my closest friend for almost three years now. I don't know what I would do without her.”
