There are lots of places that expectant women can find information about their pregnancies. There are books, websites, and visits to the doctor. For many people, there can be nothing more valuable than sharing your experience with another person who is going through the same thing.
Elfster is home to a group of women who all connected as first time mothers on babycenter.com. After getting to know each other on the site, they branched off and created a private Facebook group where they could keep in touch. The women all shared due dates in May of 2012. They call themselves the May Mamas. According to Colleen Guertin, the group organizer, the first baby of the group was born in late April of 2012. Over the next six weeks, 20 more babies were born, and now they are quickly approaching their first birthdays.
The women first used Elfster to host a joint baby shower for each other before the babies were born. They shared information from baby registries, along with pictures of nurseries, to help their swap partner select a gift. Since then, they have also used the site to exchange gifts for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and are currently hosting a first birthday exchange. For the Christmas exchange, they all agreed to open their gifts on Christmas Eve, and plan to continue to do this every year. The members refer to the babies as “cyber cousins”, and have fun shopping for each other, and frequently go over their exchange spending limit when selecting their gifts!
This group has been able to share a unique closeness because of their frequent exchanges of both word and gift. Colleen says, “We shared all our excitement and anxieties as we progressed through our pregnancies. Through Facebook we were able to share pictures of our nurseries and growing bellies. We have continued to be a support for each other as our babies have grown and are quickly approaching their first birthdays. From late night feedings to rolling over to first steps, we’ve shared it all with each other.”
Using Elfster has allowed the group, who live all across the United States with one person in England, to continue to keep in touch about the gifts their baby may need. The question and answer feature has been helpful, as well as the wish lists. Since these women have become familiar with the site, Colleen says, “I’m sure we will continue to use Elfster as it is quick and easy for us all to use.”
Happy Birthday to all the babies, and congratulations to each of the mothers! Elfster looks forward to being part of your traditions for a long time to come.
photo credit: TheTopping, We’re Not Mommy Blogs
