I would love it if I could time my next pregnancy with my sister’s first. There is just something so special about being pregnant at the same time as a close friend or a sister. I tried timing my first pregnancy with a couple different friends, but ended up sandwiched in between their due dates. As most women know, there’s only so much planning you can do when it comes to picking a due date. Babies are born when they are meant to be born, regardless of our efforts to synchronize their birthdays with cousins or friends’ babies.
Still, there is nothing better than having a “pregnant buddy.” First of all, pregnancy can be very tiring and even scary at times, so it helps to have someone who can experience it with you. You don’t have to worry about your friend getting sick of talking about pregnancy because she’s going through the same things.
Another perk of having a pregnant buddy is you have the perfect shopping buddy for creating your baby registry or for looking for new baby clothes. While your husband may tire of comparing cribs and car seats, your pregnant buddy sees these tasks as high priority just like you do.
Sometimes being pregnant means “sitting on the bench” when your pregnancy limits you from participating in different social or sporting activities. Sitting out is no big deal if you have an alternative activity planned with your pregnant buddy.
Besides being practical and helpful, being pregnant with a friend allows you to have fun comparing belly sizes, ultrasound pictures, fetal movement, symptoms, birth plans and more. You can also swap maternity clothes when you feel like refreshing your wardrobe.
The ultimate perk of having a pregnant buddy is the time you spend together after your babies are born. Watching your babies grow up together (and hopefully become friends) is even more fun than going through pregnancy together.
If you don’t know of anyone that is due around the same time that you are, you can easily find friends in online pregnancy groups. For example, Families has forum discussion groups divided by due dates, so you can meet other moms who are due in the same month.