The minute you have a child, your whole life shifts. I know not only as a Bay Area maternity photographer, but also as a mom of two young children myself.
Mine did a complete 180 — no more last-minute international travel, much earlier nights out (we love to dine at 5pm now, not joking), and getting out the door becomes a task you prepare hours for.
There are so many things we did to help streamline our family lifestyle (I lived off overnight oats every weekday morning for far too long), but there is one thing that has truly made the biggest impact on my overall success and happiness as a mom:
Other moms.
Why Other Moms Are the Ultimate Mom Life Hack
It’s simple, really. Other moms help you feel seen during a completely new and transformative experience. They relate. They commiserate. They listen. And when you want it, they offer advice rooted in lived experience.
The friends I’ve made through my children have become some of my very best friends. As your child (or children) get older, these friendships become absolutely invaluable.
Playdates aren’t just for the kids — they’re social time for you, too. Other moms become your extra eyes and your extra hands. When I had my second, I truly don’t know how I would have survived without the moms I saw every week. They kept me sane, helped me navigate outings with a toddler and a baby, and regularly got me out of the house for much-needed connection (as much as two small children allow for).
How to Connect with / Meet Other Moms
Facebook Community Groups: If you live in Alameda, you may know there are Facebook groups organized by baby’s birth year (search “Alameda Mamas 20XX”). San Francisco has Main Street Mamas. There is also a Bay Area twin mom group I have heard fabulous feedback about. In those early postpartum days, there were other new moms meeting up at least once a week. It gave me a reason to get out of the house and surrounded me with women who were going through the same wild transition — no sleep, endless diapers, and a million new learnings. If you don’t live in the Bay Area, try searching Facebook for mom groups near you — many communities have similar groups.
Facilitated Support Groups for Moms: I also joined a facilitated support group for mothers in Emeryville, one for first time mothers with my first and later one for new moms of multiples with my second. A facilitator guided us through weekly discussion topics and helped coordinate a second weekly social meetup. My first time mom group still meets up monthly — more than three and a half years later.
Other ideas: Pre and post natal yoga classes (I loved Jane Austin‘s classes!) Playgrounds. Libraries. Music Together classes / other children’s activities — 510 families has so many ideas. Peanut.
View another of my Bay Area maternity photographer sessions at Filoli.
Bay Area Maternity Photography
Rebecca Pattison Photography specializes in newborn, maternity and family photography. Based out of Alameda, California, I meet clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and often shoot at Filoli.
I believe in creating a fun, relaxed photography experience that celebrates the radiant glow of pregnancy. Maternity sessions are magical. By capturing the heartfelt connections that make this fleeting time so special, I help you preserve the excitement so your family can revisit this chapter for a lifetime.
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