New mums quickly become new friends

Airlie and Emily were two of 11 new mums who joined the group for the first term in 2020. They had the early sessions at Intereach, facilitated by Deidre McCalman who runs the program, however when the COVID-19 restrictions were introduced the sessions were held via Zoom.

Fortunately these mums had developed strong friendships before this occurred, and this has helped them immensely.
Airlie and Emily were both glowing in their praise of Deidre and the support she provided. When the initial ‘face to face’ sessions were held, Deidre was there with a smiling face to meet them, complete with the tea and cakes that had been prepared.

“It was really inviting,” Emily said.

When they were forced into Zoom gatherings, Deidre ensured all the information the new parents may need was emailed to them, and the group was able to continue having professionals join them online.
New Parents Group members. With strong friendships being forged, group members decided to have an additional Zoom gathering, which was generally an informal catch-up. Sometimes their baby was ‘on screen’, other times it may be napping, or on occasions they enjoyed wine and cheese while partners took their turn at caring for the baby.

This group has now moved on to Playgroup, but they also continue to meet casually on a Tuesday. “We have all become great friends,” Airlie explained. “We have a Facebook Messenger group that we are active on daily, sharing news, support, as well as tips and tricks for each other. We are uniquely bonded by becoming first time mums within a three-month period … that’s pretty special.”

The group is especially beneficial for Airlie and other group members who live on properties throughout the region, and as such can be more isolated. Emily added: “The 11 of us just get along really
well; it’s such a nice open group where no-one is judgemental. I would have been lost without the group. It’s been amazing.”