Morse started the babywearing group that meets on the first Thursday of every month. Courtesy | Janell Morse

Moms can gather for community in Hillsdale every Friday and Saturday at 10 a.m. 

“We basically drink coffee and sit around and chat,” said local mother and birth doula Janell Morse. 

Morse started “Mom Meet Up” in October when she realized the need for a community of moms in Hillsdale. 

“Some of my clients were asking for opportunities for moms to get together,” she said. “After I had my baby, I was like, ‘You know, I would love to be able to do that, too.’” 

Morse said after talking with a few local moms on Facebook, they decided to meet every Friday at Hillsdale First Baptist Church. After a few moms said they could not meet on weekdays, Morse said the group started meeting on Saturdays too. 

Christiana Stramaglia, a local mother of two who helped Morse start the group, said motherhood can feel isolating but it doesn’t have to. 

“Especially in a community with so many young kids and moms, it’s so important to have a village and remember that we are going through this together,” she said. 

Stramaglia said Morse has been more involved with the group lately as she is awaiting the arrival of her third baby, so it is harder to commit. 

It is good for mothers to talk about their struggles with one another, Morse said. 

“Normally if somebody’s struggling with something, they’re not the only ones,” she said. “That’s what the group is for – to let them know they’re not alone.” 

Morse said it is important for mothers to have a community despite their busy schedules. 

“As a mom, if you are at home with your kids, and you’re stuck in your daily routine, sometimes it just gets really overwhelming,” she said. “So when we have a community, it lets us know we’re not alone.”

In addition to running “Mom Meet Up,” Morse started a “babywearing group” that meets the first Thursday of each month at 11 a.m. 

“It’s still a moms group, but we have a small lending library for wraps, so you can try things to see if you like them before you invest a lot of money in something,” Morse said. 

The group also helps ensure mothers are using wraps that fit them and they are using proper carrying techniques. Morse said she brings wraps so new mothers can try them on to see which ones they like best.