Tooting mum Tessa Strampfer-Kinsey on how motherhood can be a lonely experience, but how an app has helped her (and many others) make new friends...

Being a mother is a wonderful experience but it can be incredibly lonely and when you’re having a rough day the best thing to do is get out and meet other people going through the same thing. However, sometimes I found that this was easier said than done because my friends and husband were all at work, my family live far away and I just couldn’t face another baby rhyme time with renditions of the Wheels on the Bus and Wind the Bobbin up!

Social media is a fantastic way for mums to interact with other mums and the number of Insta mums and mum bloggers shows that it’s a massive area of interest. However, these virtual friends often live miles away and can’t meet for a coffee or a quick trip to the play park.

I would often see other mums marching the streets alone with their babies, all with the same exhausted grimace so I knew that everyone was going through the same thing. However, it’s not always easy to strike up a conversation in the middle of the street with a perfect stranger.
 

That’s when I heard about the free Mush (Mums Social Hub) app. It’s helped me to connect to the other mums in my area without having to freak them out by pouncing on them in the middle of the street! I’ve made some great friends using the app which has really helped me to feel less lonely and isolated while on maternity leave. Having a group of mums who are all going through the same thing (sleepless nights, teething, leaky boobs, etc.) has made such a difference to my mental health and made a massive difference when I’m having a tough day with my little one.

I’m holding a coffee morning in Tooting at the end of October to bring together local mums and would love to spread the word to anyone who stays at home alone with the baby all day and is desperate for some adult interaction. It will be a relaxed event for mums and carers to meet up and have a chat while the kids play and will include a swap shop where parents can exchange toys and clothes they no longer need. 

The coffee morning will take place on Friday 27th October, 10am-12pm at All Saints Church on Brudenell Road. I'm raising funds for Moorfields Eye Charity where my son had surgery on both his eyes when he was 5 months old. There’ll be a raffle with some great prizes, including:

• a voucher for the Bubble babysitting app
• 2 free cocktails from Brick & Liquor
• 2 places at Unwined's Wine Wednesday tasting
• a free place at Harry's Chocolate Emporium chocolate-making class

Huge thanks to the businesses mentioned for donating such wonderful prizes!