Online Friends

On Saturday as part of the activity advent calendar me, hubs and bubs went to the German Christmas Market in Leeds, where we met up with some of my friends and their kiddies. On the drive home from Leeds I sat in the car and thought about how enjoyable the day had been and how nice it was to catch up with friends, but these friends aren't people I met through work or who I used to go to school with. I hadn't met them through local baby groups or even through another friend of mine, they were all friends that I had met online.  

Back in January 2010 my husband and I decided we would try for our first child, not really wanting to disclose this information to anyone close to me I searched online and came across a baby forum - I joined up and started posting, reading other people's posts, I joined in with the virtual celebrations when someone got their 'BFP' (positive pregnancy test) and sent virtual hugs to those who didn't and without realising it I was forming friendships.

 

In August 2010 I fell pregnant this meant I could 'move over' to the 'Due in May 2011' forum - People slowly joined and sadly some people left but over the next 9 months we would compare pregnancy symptoms, share bump photos, discuss hospital bags, nursery themes, for some of us it was our first baby, for others it was their second, third, fourth and more! We decided to pair up as 'Bump Buddies' and when one of us went into labour we would text our bump buddy and they would share it with the group - I remember after having my baby logging on and seeing so many posts and messages from my 'friends' wishing me well, telling me they were thinking of me, guessing the sex of the baby etc. I was that overwhelmed that I copied these messages and printed them off for bubs memory box.

 

Once the babies had all arrived it was a lot harder to get online and post therefore someone created a secret facebook group, a place just for us that we could access at anytime with ease (the joys of smart phones) - So we headed over and suddenly all these 'usernames' had real names, and real faces! (My god they were actual people!)  I was also close to a number of the women I had met while trying to get pregnant, some of whom who had already had babies, some were still pregnant and some were still waiting for the BFP and so another group was also formed (the ladies I spent the day with on Saturday were from this group). To this day (19 months on) I still talk to these people almost every single day and they truely have become some of my greatest friends - I have been on so many meets now that I have lost count! these have ranged from shopping centres, to restaurants, to soft play, to birthday parties, to baby showers, to house meets, to hen nights and on mums nights out!!

 

I feel really lucky to have made so many great friends, we share so many different ideas / exchange tips / offer advice and listen to one anothers rant - I am really pleased that I logged on to that baby forum that day :) xxx