Milwaukee mom Stephanie Ciatti was pregnant with her third baby when she thought of creating Babbling Babes in 2019. It's a group for new parents who feel isolated as primary carers of their young ones, so they meet regularly to unload, distress, and socialize with fellow new parents.
Ciatti, a speech pathologist, started the group because she wants moms to have a more authentic experience of keeping in touch with other adults. While there are plenty of similar church or hospital groups to help new parents, she said that she wanted a get-together where the people also talk about other things, such as their work or hobbies, aside from their children.
Spectrum News reported that 55 percent of new mothers miss the social life they used to enjoy before they had kids. Isolation also leads to loneliness, which has been linked to physical health issues like inflammation, risks of heart disease, and diabetes.
Ciatti explained that she noticed a shift in herself when she was mostly spending time with her kids and didn't interact with other people.
"I was more anxious and sad and I really yearned for a group," the mom said.
Then COVID-19 Disrupted Everything
Some mothers said that they enjoy the Babbling Babes' social gatherings because they could express their negative feelings about parenting without feeling judged. They could also tell things to each other that they never talk about with their other groups of friends.
But then COVID-19 struck, and venues were forced to close due to the lockdowns. People were also ordered to stay at home, which meant that their regular in-person meet-ups would be disrupted.
Though Babbling Babes was thriving before the pandemic, with various partnerships and arrangements at restaurants and coffee shops to host this group meets, Ciatti grew concerned at the prospect of everyone being stuck at home for a longer period. She worried about the parents' mental health.
So, Ciatti shifted Babbling Babes online and matched the members to their own sub-groups for their regular virtual meet-ups. Aside from meeting during video calls, they also text, phone, and email each other or comment on each other's posts on social media.
They also have an expanding Facebook group, where Ciatti posts more encouraging words to the members. In one of her posts, the mom said that she looks forward to the day they can safely gather, hug, and personally thank each other for helping navigate the challenging life of parenting in the pandemic.
Babbling Babes Going Strong at 40 Members
Babbling Babes is now 40-member strong from their small group three years ago. They said that the group had kept their sanity intact even if they just got together online to say hi to each other. However, there are also days when the online meetings get very busy with new parents asking and sharing tips and advice.
The members also love the virtual coffee and wine meets. One mom quipped that Babbling Babes helps make exhausted parents "feel like normal human beings again."
