29/01/2022
"Before Baby: 'I’m not becoming one of those mumsy mums. I’m not going to lose myself in nappies and pram chat, thank you.' After Baby: ''When and how did I get so obsessed with these things? What happened to all those things I used to love? What.. uh, were they again?' Yep, it happens - and for that period of time when you’re somewhere deep inside the Mum Vortex, it’ll be crucial that you’ve got a playmate or two to keep you company down there. Because a new mum is akin to a swimmer lost at sea. With a very flimsy life jacket that may just float off at any second – and fellow new mums are the life rafts to which she clings for dear life. The Mum Friend might be from your mother’s group, or a lady you got chatting to purely because you were both pushing prams. Some days you’ll want to talk of nothing but nap schedules and purees - and just like your eyes once glazed over at said topics, they’ll now glaze when the convo veers to anything but baby stuff. (That new book? Politics? Who has the time for such things?) And for this, the Mum Friend is your girl. You may have literally nothing else in common once the baby chat dries up. But that’s OK. At this point in time, you need each other in the kind of primal way that happens when humans just need to connect with others going through exactly the same thing as them. You’ll feel like no one else gets what you’re going through (even – and especially – your partner). But she’ll lend an open ear, throw a knowing glance and offer tips on how to get the baby the f*ck to sleep. She’s there on the days when you just need to vent, cry and feel seen. When they talk of friends being for a reason, a season or a lifetime, this mate likely falls into one of the former. But she’s nevertheless a gem. The beacon of light who reminds you that although you may be lost at sea, at least you're not lost out there alone." | Read the rest of my little ode to 'the 5 types of Mum Friends' written for magazine, link in the bio! Bec x