by Mary Grace Conrad

Jane has been in our lives for 8 weeks now. It feels like she was born yesterday, but also like she’s been with us forever. She has a head full of dark hair, and her smile could melt the heart of The Grinch. Her eyelashes get longer every day, and she makes the cutest sounds when she “talks” to us. Her favorite activities include staring at the ceiling fan and lying on her diaper changing table. Her late-night screams could cause hearing loss, and the way her chin quivers when she cries is seriously heartbreaking. And it’s true what people say— we love her more and more every day.

I wish I could tell you that these past 8 weeks have been nothing but bliss, but I’d be lying. Confession: being a mom is WAY harder than I ever expected! From breastfeeding struggles to sleep deprivation, motherhood has shown me that I cannot go through it alone.

Thankfully, I learned that Beyoncé’s song holds some truth: “Who run the world? Girls!” And what I mean is that there is this magical Mom Club out there whose primary goal is to help new moms, like myself, trudge through the chaos that a newborn brings. There are only two requirements to being in the Mom Club: 1) You must be a mom, and 2) Have had at least one emotional breakdown while caring for your child. That’s it! So, if you’re a mother and you can recall crying at least one time while performing mom duties, you’re in. You can find members of this Club everywhere you look: grandmothers, church members, aunts, sisters, coworkers, college friends, friends from high school, Facebook acquaintances, even complete strangers!

What makes the Mom Club so special is that the members thrive on helping other moms care for their babies. They don’t see it as a job or chore, but rather a natural inclination to seek them out and provide support. When you’re in the Club, you simply want to help others. That’s what makes it different from other clubs.

Here are some examples of how the Mom Club has helped me: They bring meals; they hold Jane when my arms need a break; bring me thoughtful gifts like nail polish and chocolate; bring Jane little happies like new books or clothes; vacuum and dust my home; send encouraging text messages; answer parenting questions; and listen to me vent when the baby is being a brat (sorry, Jane). They are very knowledgeable and can tell you the best brand of pacifiers, help you put your baby down for a nap, and make you special cookies to increase your milk supply (Who even knew that was a thing?!)

1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.” Every day that goes by I am encouraged somehow by a mother or friend, and it makes me so thankful to be surrounded by a community of Christian women. New mothers need women they can go to when times are tough, because let’s face it- babies are not always the angels we portray them to be on Instagram! So while Jane smiles innocently while I wipe her spit up off my shirt, I want to say THANK YOU a million times to all of the moms and women who have helped me transition into motherhood. I’m so happy to officially be a member of this Mom Club, and I hope that I can be as encouraging to other moms as you all have been to me! And if you haven’t met Jane yet, I can’t wait to introduce her to all the women who are so special to me. We couldn’t make it without you, Mom Club- we love you!