We’ve all heard the expression before: It Takes a Village to Raise a Baby.
Such a great sentiment. There is so much that goes in to raising a child and so many hands and hearts that help out. A more important idea might be that it takes a village to raise a mother. Becoming a mother is a huge transition and one that requires so much love and support- a village, really. But in 2015 we think a lot of new moms are wondering where exactly that village is. Motherhood can seem a lot more like a deserted island than a busy, friendly village for many out there.
There are so many reasons this has happened:
- we don’t live in small villages with our entire extended family anymore
- sometimes we don’t even live in the same city or province as our family
- we aren’t always choosing to have children at the same time as our friends
- technology has made it so we can stay in touch without ever sitting in the same room
This means that a lot of new mothers are taking their baby home from the hospital without knowing how they’ll fill their time on maternity leave, who will help them or give them advice, and there is certainly no feeling of a village helping them along their journey.
That’s one of the reasons why a big focus of our class is not only on preparing for birth, but preparing for what happens AFTER the birth. You know, the next year or so of motherhood. It’s a time that is often overlooked and many women assume that everyone who has been anxiously awaiting the arrival of their baby will still be hanging around for months afterwards. Unfortunately, it’s not the case. Sometimes the first 2 weeks are the easiest because a lot of family and friends may swoop in and bring food and gifts and offers to hold the baby. And then, just like that, you look around and suddenly, everyone has gone back to their regular lives.
What’s a new mom to do?
GET CONNECTED! Find your local resources, know where to go if you need help or support, know where to look if you want to meet like-minded moms or even just other parents with kids the same age. Build yourself a village.
We’ll help. At our prenatal classes for Montreal parents, we get you ready for parenthood in your ‘hood.
***Did you know we host bi-weekly Pregnancy Discussion Groups? This is a great way to find some local moms who are expecting at the same time as you. Our next meetings are: September 8th (Today!) and September 28th at 6:30pm at Melons et Clementines in NDG. ***
