Mom opening gifts

Birthday month clubs – or “bump month clubs” – are a great way to meet other moms-to-be, especially those experiencing all the joys and pains of pregnancy right along with you.

How does it work? Easy. You share the month your baby is due, and other women with the same due date month chime in. It’s a great way to connect with other moms, and you can continue to share stories, tips, info and ideas once your babies are born. And if you live in the same area, birthday month clubs can turn into baby playgroups, birthday party invitation lists, and all sorts of fun get-togethers for new moms and little ones.

Here are a few ways to jump-start a birthday month club in your neck of the woods:

1. Look online. Tons of birthday month clubs already exist. Check out community.babycenter.com, savvysassymoms.com, or community.thebump.com and join other moms-to-be who are already signed up.
2. Start your own. Use Facebook, Twitter, or another social media outlet to locate other moms-to-be in your area with the same due date month. A simple message like, “I’m due in May 2012 – anybody else?” can get the conversation going. Once you have a few participants, you can start a Google group or create your own blog at blogspot.com. It’s so easy to get a conversation going in cyberspace – just take the first step and see how it goes.
3. Use the paper route. Sometimes local groups are created the old-fashioned way – with a flyer, notice, or poster placed in an area where lots of pregnant moms go. If you want to stick close to home, put something up in a healthy neighborhood café, yoga studio (that offers prenatal yoga, of course!), or a birthing center nearby.

Your birthday month club – and the larger maternity community – is waiting for you. Good luck!