Some  are the first ones in their social group to have a baby. As a result, there are not others to reach out to, to talk about the struggles they are having, whether things ailing their infants are normal, or just about being a mom in general. And if there are not established available in their area, new moms can feel like they are alone in their journey of motherhood. To combat this, forming a can be a good option to reach out to others who are feeling the same.

When I had my first child five years ago, I was the only one in my group of friends to have a baby. While a few friends had had babies before me, they were not in the thick of it dealing with a newborn and I felt like I could not relate to anyone with what I was experiencing.

I looked for a moms' group to join. And while the age of children in the group I did find included newborns, most of the people participating had children who were toddler age or older. As such, I felt like I was not able to relate to what the other moms were going through at the time.

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A couple of other moms with newborns and I decided that we wanted to start an online group that was exclusively for the age of our children so that we could do age-appropriate activities, share experiences we were all going through at the time, and just feel like we were not on an island when it came to being first-time moms.

We found out very quickly others in the area felt the same, as before we knew it, our little online mom group had grown to over 2,000 members in a very short time and continues to grow today.

Here is how to .

When forming a mom group online, it is necessary to know who the target audience is before going live with the group.

It is going to be a group that is inclusive of all moms regardless if they became a mother yesterday or decades ago? Is there a specific interest the mothers should have to be part of the group? Is there a specific age that the children should be to be part of the group? Whatever the answer may be about who the members will be, know that there is not a right or wrong answer.

The best part about being a founding member of the group is that this answer can change as the needs of the community changes over time and the group can evolve as necessary to meet the needs of its members.

There are a variety of platforms that exist just to form online groups. Sites like and , according to are very user-friendly and will give users a clear indication as to what the group is about before asking to join.

The one problem that was realized early on with these platforms when we were starting our groups was that the more members are part of the group, the more it costs to run it.

As such, so that those founding the group are not out of pocket, those expenses are passed along to members. While it is a nominal fee, not all will want to pay and it may dissuade people from joining.

Facebook is also a place to begin an . While it might not have all of the bells and whistles of other groups, it will serve the purpose of getting like-minded people together and not cost any money out of pocket when doing so.

Regardless of which platform is chosen, it is best to make it private, according to .

By making the platform private, mothers can speak their minds about all things good or bad, without fear that others outside of the group will see their comments. And this is important given the fact that for many mothers, this may be the only space they have to go to for their motherhood needs.

The best thing a group can do is make its members feel safe. Making a platform private will go a long way in making that happen.

Having a set of frequently asked questions or a short statement that members have to read when they join will let everyone in the group know what will be tolerated and what are grounds for removal from the group, according to .

By doing this, there is no question as to what the rights and responsibilities are of all members. There also is no question as to what the consequences are, (removal from the group) if those guidelines are not followed.

Moderators are necessary to keep comments made within the group constructive. Moderators also make sure that those who cannot follow the rules set out for the group are removed.

By and large, the people coming to an online mom group want positivity in their life. And while there are a few bad apples that may slip in, having a moderator to remove them swiftly will let members know that rudeness, attacking other members, and more will not be tolerated and that they do indeed have a safe space to share their feelings and thoughts.

Planning in-person activities is a great way for mothers in the group to get to know one another. It also allows the children to be social with others their age.

While many mothers may enjoy the opportunity to do things in person, others may not feel comfortable doing so. And since the point of offering in-person activities is not to ostracize those in the group who do not want to attend but instead to offer another outlet to building mom relationships, the in-person activities should not be mandatory. Instead, make them optional and enjoy getting to know those who attend on a different level than those who participate online only.

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