Everything seems to change when you are pregnant with your first. Priorities shift and the life you have been living may not be a life you can or want to live any longer. If you are the first in your friend group to have a little one, you may begin to feel a bit isolated and that you need some new connections and activities. EVERYONE needs a community of support in pregnancy. You will find that connecting with other expecting families and people who have recently been there before will make this time more enjoyable and less intimidating.
As the owner of Chicago Family Doulas and Birth & Baby University, I have spent the last 15 years connecting with families who are expecting and building bridges in the community for the families that we support. Here are my top recommendations for you.
Join Facebook Groups
Find groups where you can meet other expecting families in your community. This is also a great place to find like-minded people. Join groups local to the city or suburb you live and also join bigger groups. Some of my favorite Facebook groups are:
These groups are very active and offer so many helpful resources!
Take Pregnancy and Baby Classes
Not everyone has the time to take in-person pregnancy and baby classes, but if you do then I highly recommend taking them. Classes offer accurate and hands-on information and they also offer an opportunity to connect with other couples who are also expecting and have the same concerns, questions and excitement as you.
Chicago Family Doulas offers many amazing in person classes and events. If you do not have time to take in person classes, you can still take high quality online self-paced classes. Here is more about online birth and baby classes.
Join Prenatal Fitness and Yoga Classes
If you can join a prenatal yoga class or a prenatal fitness class and participate weekly or more often you will find an amazing community of like minded expecting parents.
Our clients love Prenatal Fit for this exact reason. The entire gym is dedicated to pregnancy and postpartum fitness. Also, the owner Adina, is a master at building a community both in her studio and online. She helps families make all the connections. There is no other place like this in Chicago. If this gym is out of your travel radius, search prenatal fitness or prenatal yoga classes in your area and you will find many fitness studios offering this.
Attend Pregnancy and Baby Expos
A big part of building your community will be knowing what your community offers. Attending local pregnancy expos will be a place where you can learn about your community and learn from your local experts. It’s typically a day of excitement, learning, celebration and connection.
If you will be expecting in October of 2024 or later, you will not want to miss out on this AMAZING one-of-a-kind birth and baby expo. Baby in Bloom is going to be legendary! This day will be filled with learning, connecting and pampering. Here is more about this incredible event.
Bonus Tip
Last but not least, surround yourself with like-minded people. Find your community in people who are supportive and experiencing similar life circumstances. Of course continue to make time for friends and family, but also make time for new connections. Be gentle on yourself and welcome change.
