My 2 friends and I had babies within 3 weeks of each other after 25 years of friendship. Our group chat became a lifeline.
Friends through changing years
Laura-Kate, known as Lauks, Kirsten, known as Kirst, and the writer met at an all-girls boarding school in South Africa. Their friendship continued through university and early adulthood, when their conversations centered on parties, dating and weekend plans.
Years later, the three became mothers within three weeks of one another. Each welcomed a baby girl in a different city, across two continents, creating a new shared chapter in their friendship.
Pregnancy news arrives together
The writer was facing fertility difficulties, including a failed embryo transfer, and was preparing for a second transfer when Lauks shared that she was expecting an unplanned baby. The writer then called Kirst, who had news of her own: all three friends were pregnant at the same time.
They spent months comparing pregnancy symptoms. Their babies arrived one after another, bringing motherhood into the center of their long-running friendship.
A chat becomes support
Their WhatsApp group became a round-the-clock source of maternal support. The friends asked whether things looked normal, sent messages in the early hours and shared memes when they were too tired to write much.
They celebrated first smiles and rolls, and spoke openly about periods, pimples, sex and husbands. The group gave them a place to share the ordinary and difficult parts of motherhood while living far apart.
More babies, same bond
Earlier this year, Kirsten told the others she was expecting her second child. The writer was also eager to share that she had become pregnant naturally. Kirst gave birth to a boy in August, and the writer’s baby girl arrived in September.
Kirst moved to the US three years ago, and the friends have not been together in person since. Still, the writer describes them as close as ever, crediting their encouragement and advice with helping her through motherhood. She says lasting friendships grow alongside the people in them.
Key points
- The three friends met at a South African boarding school 25 years ago.
- Their first baby girls arrived within three weeks in three cities and two continents.
- Their WhatsApp group became a source of around-the-clock maternal support.
- Kirsten and the writer later welcomed second babies in August and September.