Do you know that feeling? The one where you go from having work friends, a routine, and a pelvic floor to being suddenly left alone in your house with a newborn, leaky boobs, and zero adult interaction? Welcome to your new life as a stay-at-home mom.
I always wanted to be a mom. My goal was to get married and have babies. Unfortunately, I didn’t really think too far past the “have babies” part of my plan. So, I got the husband, got pregnant, had the baby, and found myself utterly alone.
Keep reading for how I found my village here in Chandler, and how we’re waiting for YOU to join us, too!
XO,
Jackie
So Then What?
So what did I do when I passed the point of desperation? I went to church. I’d heard through the grapevine that our church had some type of moms support group, so I doused myself in dry shampoo, put my baby in his cutest outfit, and trekked over. If I remember correctly, he screamed the entire way.
I’m not sure if everyone at that first meeting could see that I was actively drowning and dealing with some pretty gnarly undiagnosed postpartum depression, but those ladies scooped me up and didn’t let me go. And 7 years later, I’m still here.
What is MomCo?
MomCo. (Formally MOPS) has been around for over 50 years. Your mom or grandma may have even attended a group. It’s an international organization that has chapters all around the world serving each and every type of mama.
Most of these groups meet in local churches and have childcare available during meetings as well as hot breakfast (praise the Lord). Meeting agendas range from live speakers, to service projects, to games/crafts. Essentially, it’s a two hour long break and it is MAGICAL.
Why It Matters
I don’t care if you’re the best mom in the entire world, we all need a breather from our kids and an opportunity to have uninterrupted connections with other adult humans.
Also, you know that village that you’ve heard about? The one that you need in order to raise your kids? This is where you find them.
But remember, like my wise friend Megan Lankford said in this post about finding her mom friends: These connections will not happen overnight. Any mama in our group will tell you to keep showing up bravely and putting yourself out there. It’s hard work, but the reward is sweet.
I’m not the only one who has found the magic here at MomCo, here’s 3 things another writer here didn’t except to get out of joining a moms group, too.
How to Find a Group
If MomCo. sounds like something that you’d be interested in, we would LOVE to have you at our group. We meet at Cornerstone Church (https://cornerstoneaz.com) twice a month in the morning and evening. You can find us on Instagram and can text “MomCo” to 21999 to sign up. Or you can always reach out to me directly on instagram @stayathomejackie.
If we aren’t the right location for you, you can go to https://www.mops.org/groupsearch/index.php to find one that is a better fit! (We have another writer on the team who found a chapter in Florence closer to her!)
Moral of the Story
When you become a mom, you lose a lot. Your life can become one and endless loop where nobody is cheering you on or even cares if you show up.
MomCo. gave me back myself. It sounds counterintuitive, but MomCo. let me find my identity as more than a mother. It helped me to be a friend, an artist, and a leader.
It helped me to find my value and worth as a human being.
So, don’t give up sweet mama. Your village is waiting for you!
