5 Tips for Maintaining Your Social Life After Baby

One thing they don’t tell you about becoming a mom is that you’ll have FOMO like a MOFO! Before the baby, Tuesdays were reserved for tacos and tequila; happy hour on Fridays was for celebrating the end to a long work week; I was at the club with my girls on Saturdays because ladies were free before 11 PM; and, of course, I was enjoying bottomless mimosas at brunch on Sundays. Those were the days! Now, my social life after baby looks a lot different.

These days, I’m lucky to have the energy to put on clothes, let alone the energy to get out and be social. Whenever I do get out, I’m thinking about my son and wondering what he’s doing while I’m away. However, as much as I love spending time with my son, I miss hanging with the girls. Thankfully, most of my friends are mothers so they completely understand the struggle of maintaining a social life after baby. If you’re like us and you miss the glory days, here are five tips for maintaining your social life after baby:         

Tips for Maintaining Your Social Life After Baby

• Tip #1: When you’re out, avoid talking about your baby/showing pictures of your baby.
  This is a quick way to send yourself down a path of emotional destruction. You’ll start to have mommy guilt and feel bad for treating yourself. Also, did you ever think about the fact that not everyone wants to hear about how you had to wipe poop off the walls? 

• Tip #2: Make plans once the baby goes to sleep.
  If you are prone to having mommy guilt, plan a night out with the girls once the baby goes to bed for the night. That way, you’re less likely to be wondering what your little one is doing because chances are, they’re enjoying a peaceful sleep. And, as my friend once put it, “they better not be dreaming about another mommy!”

• Tip #3: Don’t be afraid to say you can’t make it.
  Being honest and telling your friends that you can’t make it is way better than making plans and bailing at the last minute. If you have mommy friends like I do, they’ll completely understand. But if you’re constantly canceling, your friends may skip on inviting you the next time because they can count on you not showing anyway.

• Tip #4: Build relationships with other moms.
  Moms understand. If you’re the only friend in your circle with a baby, your friends may not completely get it. They have extremely good intentions when trying to drag you out of the house but sometimes it takes another mother to understand the struggle.

• Tip #5: Plan outings that include the baby.
  Let this be your last resort. The goal is to have some “me time” so that you’re nice and refreshed when you come home to your baby. But, if you must, plan social outings that your baby can also enjoy, like going out for lunch, to the park, or the pool.   

Sometimes you don’t realize how much you need adult interaction. Talking in a high-pitch voice all day and saying “stop,” “no,” and “don’t put that in your mouth” can wear you out! Hopefully, these tips will help you maintain your social life so that you can get back to being yourself again.

Photo by Pineapple Supply Co. on Unsplash