Make new friends

You might be surprised how easy it is to make new friends with total strangers when you’re both new moms. Your lives revolve around feeding, diapers, peek-a-boo and sleep deprivation. Chances are, you’ll have plenty to talk about with other moms, and you’ll find like-minded friends in the group.

Learn from each other

If you’re a first-time mom, you’re probably unsure about a lot of parenting and baby-related issues. Should you try to get your baby on some kind of a schedule? When should you introduce solid foods into her diet? Is her poop really supposed to look like that? Googling for answers can be helpful, but you get the best scoop directly from moms who are going through exactly the same things.

Instant friends for your kids

One great side benefit of mom’s groups is that they tend to evolve into playgroups for your kids. Join a moms’ group in which the members’ children are around the same age, and your kids will find instant playmates at your group. If your parenting styles and interests mesh with the other members, chances are your kids will have no problem making fast friends of their own.

Babysitting swaps

If you get to know other mothers well enough,  you might consider setting up babysitting swaps. Pick one or two moms from your group who have children you wouldn’t mind watching – and whom you trust to watch your own little one. Work out a schedule according to which you bring your kids to one of your homes on a rotating basis. Alternatively, pick one mom who lives nearby and set an alternating weekly schedule in which you each get a date night while the other babysits.

Join now, or regret it later

Some moms never join moms groups because they don’t feel they’re the moms’-group type. If you’re one of these, reconsider. As time passes and you see the friendships other women form through the groups, you very well might regret not having such a support network. Give the group a try; if it works for you, so much the better — and if not, no harm done.