Excuse me, are you a new mom?

When you have a baby, you can't help trying to make eye contact or passively smiling at other women pushing a baby stroller. It's like learning to flirt all over again. Let's face it. All of a sudden, you're home all day and night with a newborn and after the initial adjustment period passes (for me after about 2 weeks), you want to get out. I started feeling a little cabin fever last week once my husband went back to work. And since pretty much everyone I know is at work during the daytime hours, I need to make some new mom friends.

Thankfully, I've been able to meet up with my prenatal yoga buddy a couple times in the past week to walk along the Hudson. We compare notes about our baby's sleep patterns and poop and spit up and boobs. And most importantly, we keep our sanity. I need to just start hitting on other moms in general. I see quite a few women pushing young babies along the River. What should my pick up line be? "Nice stroller! How about this weather?! How old is he? Are you a new mom too?".

I'm actually meeting another new mom for the first time on Friday for a walking date. I joined an online community group for West Village Parents and posted an open invite on the message boards calling other new moms to meet up. I've received a few replies from women who have recently had babies or are due this summer. So I'm online dating other moms I guess (it worked for my husband and me).

I searched Meetup.com and found a few other organized community events like baby story time at our local library or baby play time at an indoor play space. Plus, there's post-natal yoga class where moms bring their babies. My yoga friend also joined a walking group of downtown moms that I may crash one day soon. Obviously, these play dates benefit the moms more than the babies who are more than likely sleeping the whole time anyway. But I think as a new mom you just need to get out and talk to other adult human's sharing the same new experiences. 


Even though I have this list of potential things to do with my new baby, outings make me nervous at the same time. What if he starts crying or what if I have to breastfeed in public or what if I don't meet anyone I click with? It's scary and intimidating to be a new mom.


On the bright side, at least these groups, venues and resources exist for new moms in the city to take advantage of. That was one of my fears about being outside the city. I didn't want to feel isolated in the suburbs. Now I just need to take advantage of all the things above and work on my game picking up other moms. I need to get those digits!