Keep in touch with friends – your wellbeing matters

Are your friendships changing now you've had a baby? Lots of people experience changes in their social groups when they become parents.

Only one in your friendship group with a baby?  

Some people can find being a parent a bit of an isolating experience at times. This can feel especially true when you are the only one in your friendship group with a small baby – your friends may be child-free, or might have older children.  

It’s still important to speak to people outside of your household, even if it’s just a brief check-in with a friend once in a while.  

New friends and old – the importance of keeping the connection 

You might find yourself gravitating towards new friendships, or reconnecting with people from your past who are having children at a similar time to you.  

Finding time for others might be tricky, especially in the early days of parenthood, but keeping connections to others is great for your mental health.  

Having someone supportive to listen to your worries and concerns, whether they are in a similar situation to you or not, can help. Don't feel guilty about talking about the downs as well as the ups; getting things out in the open, without feeling judged, can feel like a tonic.   

Friends with a baby around the same age might have similar experiences and could be good company for a chat and walk with the pram or going along to a baby group together.

Our top tips for staying in touch 

• Be honest – if you have friends who don’t have a small baby, they might not realise just how tired you are. Let them know how you are feeling and the best way for you to keep in touch now – this might be a quick message rather than a phone call.  
• Decide what works for you – your friends might be unsure if a meet-up without baby might be better than bringing baby along. And that is probably different for everyone, so let your friends know what suits you on that particular day.  
• Keep time to chat, message or meet your friends on your to do list – life might feel busy at times so make sure keeping in touch with friends doesn’t drop off your list!