The Mommy Tribe

2

Recently, I had one of those gut-wrenching, soul-crushing mommy weeks. The kind of week where you really figure out what you’re made of.

My twins and my husband had the flu, and my baby was sick from having to take Tamiflu. We were in quarantine for a full week, and I was at the end of my rope.

My husband was on his death bed. Usually I think he (like all men) is extremely dramatic when sick, but this time it was legit. I’ve never seen him like that, and there was nothing I could do. I was pretty much throwing cups of water and plain English muffins in the room and then running away and letting him fend for himself.

I had the twins who needed mommy snuggles at every second (and of course didn’t want to share me), and a 6-month-old who also needed me every second with the worst case of diarrhea (and diaper rash) I’ve ever experienced. I was trying to comfort the big girls, and then frantically washing my hands before touching the baby.

I was okay like this for a few days, but when day three came around, I almost lost it. Seriously, I thought I wasn’t going to make it through the week. I was in a dark, dark place.

That day was also my 32nd birthday. So, I shed a tear or two when I had to cancel my 90-minute birthday facial and dinner reservations at my favorite restaurant, and then sucked it up, because it was time to go into Supermom mode.

Then, the sweetest thing happened…my tribe, my mommy besties, they brought me back to life.

I got my entire Whole Foods grocery list, a special birthday lunch from my favorite lunch spot, gluten free cupcakes, a bottle of wine, Gatorade for the sickies, all delivered to my front porch, along with a million texts and words of encouragement.

mommy tribe
I don’t have family that lives in town, but these women have become my family. When one of us is down (and it seems like everyone has had their time), the rest of us do whatever it takes to bring them back up.
j
We’ve been through exciting, proud mommy moments, first steps, new babies, miscarriages, emergency room visits, potty training troubleshooting, sleep deprivation desperation, surgeries, a near-death experience, and more, with complete and total support for one another.
k
I wouldn’t be surviving this stage of my life without them.
j
I stay at home with my almost three-year-old twins and my six-month-old baby. In addition to not having family in town, the transition from a full-time job to a stay-at-home mom was very lonely and isolating for me as a first-time mom.
h
I wasn’t prepared for how friendships change when you start having babies. There are certain people that will stay in your life forever, but unfortunately some friendships get lost along the way. At the eight-month mark, one of my best friends moved to town, I got invited to a play date, and another one of my best friends had a baby. The culmination of those events led me to find my mommy tribe.
f
So, new moms…get out there and find your tribe. It’s like freshman year of college when everyone is desperate to find their crew, it’s not just you. Go to the playground (even if your baby can’t really play yet), sign up for all the Mommy and Me classes out there, introduce yourself even if it’s awkward and feels like you’re picking up chicks. You need these people in your life. They will save you and you will save them…over and over again.

How did you find your mommy tribe?

2 COMMENTS

  1. I absolutely love this! I also love that you compare being a new mom to freshman year of college. You embark on this journey into the unknown, not realizing HOW dramatically different it will be from the life you once knew. My friends here in Charleston ( who I took well over a year to meet) have saved me. On too many occasions to count. It just takes a while to realize you’re not alone!
    P.S. Happy belated birthday ?

Comments are closed.