sigh... why are you guys so far away?

[magpiedee]

I met with my mothers' group today, and although they have really become an amazing support group of friends, I wish there were more crunchy moms in my area. They spend a lot of time talking about starting rice cereal at 4 months, Ferberizing, expensive strollers, pacifiers, crying it out, etc. And I just kinda sit there and smile. I'm by far the crunchiest there, and i'm not even that crunchy, compared to lots of moms on MDC. I keep trying to find local groups, but they're all really far on either side of the fence, with nothing I can find that's my speed, local and with moms of babies within 6 months of mine.

I dunno, i'm just down that I can't seem to find a playgroup of like-minded people, that's all. Can't we all just meet once a week in Kansas or something to hang out with our babies?

[peilover010202]

Oh mama I feel ya! I only know 2 people near me that are like-minded, everyone else is so far away!

I work for a dr's office and everyone here thinks I'm a freak because I pump for a full 12mos (or longer) and nurse even longer than that. At a dr's office! HELLO, shouldn't these dr's and nurses be recommending bf'ing NOT discouraging it???!! /end rant

I just wanted you to know that I completely understand, I really do!

[BetsyS]

Magpie, I'm not sure how you feel about Christianity, but I go to a MOPS group in Norcross that is pretty good. Not perfect, but pretty good.

It meets at the Atlanta Vineyard every 1st and 3rd Friday from 10-12. Next meeting is 2/2. It's at the corner of Jimmy Carter and Hwy 141. It's a Christian group.

Almost everyone in there breastfeeds (although I noticed someone today with formula for her *1* month old baby)

Two of the moms that I know of see Margaret. One just had a waterbirth in November; one is pregnant with twins and due in March. They both had their first babies with Margaret, too. A few sling wearers. Lots of Whole Foods and Trader Joes shoppers.

http://www.atlantavineyard.com/women/mops.html

[ColoradoMama]

I hear you Magpiedee. I was just thinking how cool it would be if we could have a "reunion" this summer. Wouldn't that be cool? Hang in there though - I didn't really start meeting people AT ALL until dd1 was six months old. Now I have an awesome group of local friends.

[mamamilkers]

I am starting to "meet" people through the FYT area here on MDC. Of course, I live in Seattle, where you can't even turn around without seeing a sling or a mama BFing in public . Honestly, it's still hard to meet mamas, though. We're all chatting on line and will hopefully make a time to meet up. Can you search for other mamas here? It looks like you ad BetsyS are in the same area!

It's hard. It doesn't get any easier when you have more, either, because you have so little attention for anything else and then have to match up playdates to your children's ages . . . sigh.

I wish we could all have a get together from the August mamas! How fun would that be? Who wants to host us all, hmmm?

[veganf]

My husband could set up the event . Kind of his line of work.

The friends with kids that I've really kept I met through the YMCA at prenatal/postpartum aerobics. Even Gymboree, Sprouts veg playgroup, MOMS Club, other moms' groups, library groups haven't really found me or the kids much in the way of new friends. I'm making some new ones via the boys cooperative preschool. And many of me and my husband's old friends are now having kids so that's been good--a few of them local. But the Y here is the best.

You could always put up a flier at libraries and natural foods stores or wherever you frequent, just saying you're looking to form a natural parenting playgroup.

[JenMidwife]

Originally Posted by magpiedee

Can't we all just meet once a week in Kansas or something to hang out with our babies?

:

I've honestly been a bit of a hermit these first few months (we've traveled a lot & when we've been home it's just been good to chill). but I'm going to experiment w/ MOMS Club & MOPS.

Betsy, how conservative is MOPS?

My hb midwives do a neat thing... they host a potluck each season. This is great cause we get to see them & they us (watching babes grow), but also gives us like-minded parents a chance to meet & network.

[ColoradoMama]

I met most of my friends through LLL. It's actually the reason I went to my first meeting - I was lonely. Dd was six months old and we weren't having nursing problems - I was just lonely! I still hang out with the same people I started hanging out with then (plus a few), AND I was a La Leche League leader for four years! So, needless to say - I'm a big LLL supporter! Try going to a meeting!

[Robynee]

I'll second the LLL recommendation. It is so refreshing to talk to other moms that breastfeed, babywear, cosleep, etc. I am really lucky because my cousin and I had our babies a month apart and we have very similar parenting ideals. We go to LLL meeting together too. Outside that little circle though, most people think I am a bit of a freak.:

[SummerTwilight]

Agreed. There is only one mama I have met in my town and if we didn't both have kids we would have NOTHING in common. My old roommate and other childhood friend have similar parrenting styles but both live in RI about an hour away so we only meet up every month or two at a barnes and noble/starbucks halfway.

[2 in August]

It's hard around here too. Even the nursing group I go to, even though they are les likely to start cereal at 4mo they still talk about cio, shots, etc that I can't relate to. I go to a mom's froup at a local church but my friends there are still not crunchy at all. My other friend keeps telling me that sooner or later I'll get tired of nursing and now that Ian hates to under a blankie to nurse she keeps making comments about just bringing a bottle for him. And she knows what I've been through to still be nursing. ugh...

[taradt]

I have found a couple of mama's in the FYT section

tara

[Ursula Rose]

i would love to meet you all in person. if any of you ever come to portland, oregon, please look me up. i think it's especially wonderful to have gone through the pregnancy and infancy phases with you.

[JenMidwife]

Originally Posted by Ursula Rose

i would love to meet you all in person. if any of you ever come to portland, oregon, please look me up. i think it's especially wonderful to have gone through the pregnancy and infancy phases with you.

Thanks! I Portland! My aunt & uncle used to live in the most amazing house in Sellwood (?) & I would have loved to have gone to Lewis & Clark if I could have afforded it (ended up @ Pacific U in Forest Grove!)

[Ursula Rose]

it might be nice to know where you all live because some of us must travel at some point in our baby's lives.

i live in se portland, oregon.

next weekend, we are flying to san diego so calliope can meet her great grandparents.

[veganf]

Well, we're near Boston. Willing to drive an hour for a good time .
I've never been to Portland. But my oldest sister lives in Eugene, OR.

[coop_mom]

I was just thinking about this yesterday, about how great it would be to meet the mothering mamas in real life

veganf -- I'm coming up to NH, we're driving up tomorrow! maybe we could try to meet somewhere? We'll be in NH for about a week.

any other mamas in the MA/Boston/NH area?

[JenMidwife]

kristin, where do you live in NJ? I'm not far from Philly...

[ColoradoMama]

I thought you lived in NH Kristin. Did you move, or am I just wrong?

[coop_mom]

We just relocated down to NJ...

Jen, we're living on Long Beach Island right now, enjoying the winter at the shore

We're still tying up loose ends up in NH...somehow we ended up with two houses (one we were living in, one we were renting out), so now we're selling both of them. We are going up for the closing for one at the end of this week, and have the other one under agreement (thank goodness!).