Over the past year, BCEC has been blessed with a big baby boom. As many new mothers transition to this phase in life, they find fellowshipping with other challenging in the midst of feeding, diaper changing, doctor visits and the like. Some of the mothers have shared how they regrouped and encouraged each other during this time of busyness. Here are some of their insights:

Helping one another

• A number of small group Bible Studies have set up a meal plan rotation where the group members bring dinner during the first two weeks after the birth of the baby. This helps alleviate the stress of trying to cook for new parents, while they discover the joys and struggles of parenting.
• Some women (married or single) have offered informal services to lighten the burden of chores that a mother of a newborn faces. Services include cleaning, babysitting, or running errands. Such help provides relief for the mother while she seeks some rest or some downtime.

Sharing resources

• Setting up for baby can be an expensive endeavor.  Many of the more experienced parents (a.k.a. parents of older children) share their wealth of possessions by passing on outgrown clothing, toys, and equipment (e.g. baby strollers, cribs, etc.) to the new parents.

Play dates and Fellowship

• Some of the mothers have recently set up an informal rotation to visit one another's home and have a playgroup for their children while they have some time to chat over a meal.
• As some of the mothers establish a scheduled routine, they are able to free up some time to attend a daytime fellowship or Bible Study. Grace Chapel has a great daytime mother's ministry and offers babysitting services during that time period. Once a quarter, Mary Lum and Karen Liao also organize a Mother's Group at BCEC's Newton Campus. During the summer, this meets weekly.
• Shopping can be challenging when alone with baby, unless of course, mothers partner up to go out together. One mother shares how challenging it can be to push a stroller into a dressing room while trying out clothes. It is great when friends are together and can watch out for one another.

Those are just some of the things that some BCEC mothers have done to encourage each other. If you would like to share some suggestions or insights, please feel free to email them to Bernice Cheung.

How You Can Help

You don't have to be a mom to help moms cope with a new baby! Here are some ways you can help and encourage:

• Sign up to provide meals for a mom during the first few weeks.
• Visit a new mom (call first!) and hang out with her. She probably really wants company!
• Offer to run errands, or to do chores around the house.
• Invite a newcomer to your playgroup. They might appreciate the chance to get out of their house.
• Keep an eye out for moms who don't know many people at church. They might really appreciate a helping hand or someone to talk to!

We want to be a community who loves and helps each other out. We are hoping to establish a more formal network of women who can help new moms so nobody gets left out. If you'd like to join our network, or are interested in coordinating, please contact us.

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