Having a baby won’t make you lose your friends, but the dynamics of your friendships may change [1]. Here's how you can prepare.
Think about location and timing
In most cases, it's more convenient to meet with friends at your place because a baby usually feels more relaxed in familiar surroundings. In addition, you will have everything they need at hand.
Talk to your friends about the length of their visit. Having them over for more than two hours is unlikely to work because you probably don’t want to disrupt your baby’s feeding schedule or bath time routine.
Be flexible
Let your friends know that plans can change at any time because infants can be unpredictable. The good thing is that it also opens up the possibility of making last-minute plans or spontaneous visits.
Ask your friends to help
This can sound a bit selfish, but it really isn’t. Ask your friends to bring some food, and help you out with the baby so you can do other things while catching up and having a nice visit. Getting some extra help and company can make your day.
Don't disappear
To keep a friendship alive, you need to consciously nurture it. You may not have the energy or time for a full-fledged girl’s night, but sometimes a nice text and cute emoji can remind your friends that you care and that you are thinking of them.
Talk to them about more than just the baby
Your friends may be willing to listen for hours about the difficulties of breastfeeding, sleepless nights, or the latest cute thing your baby did. But they probably have things they want to share too. Try to consciously shift the conversation to topics you enjoyed talking about before your baby was born. If you know a friend has a job interview or an exciting date coming up, set a reminder so you can text them asking how everything went.
