A TIGHT-knit mothers’ group formed over 36 years ago will soon be split by distance but its members have vowed not to lose the bond forged by motherhood.
Mount Gambier resident and group member Diane Jordan will soon relocate to Victoria to be closer to family, with the five women coming together on Monday night to reflect on the group’s impact on their lives.
Tracey Wanganeen said the group had made her transition into motherhood smoother than anticipated, joined by six other women on the journey.
All giving birth at the former Mount Gambier Hospital site over the festive period of 1983, the women bonded together and decided to form the group soon after.
“We all had our babies between December 28 and 30 back in 1983,” Ms Wanganeen said.
“Back then you spent more time in hospital than you do now, so you had more interaction with the mothers around you instead of leaving after a day or two.
“We were in hospital over New Year’s Eve so we all had a little celebration together which was great.
“When we were all discharged someone came up with the idea of forming a mothers’ group, so after looking through the phone books and finding everyone, we started meeting up.”
Ms Wanganeen said the group met once a month at each other’s homes with their babies.
“It was just a supportive thing to do,” she said.
“Some of us were new mums, others had older children, so it was a really helpful way of talking about what was going on.
“It helped us feel like we were not alone and the struggles we were facing were not just us.”
The group then morphed into a “private playgroup” as the children got a little older.
Although the group started out with a focus on the children, as they transitioned into school and the mothers went back to work, meetings moved to every six weeks on a weeknight.
“Over the years we shared many special memories,” Ms Wanganeen said.
“From celebrating birthdays, weddings, children and grandchildren and other exciting times, to more sombre occasions like funerals for family members, we have been there for it all.
“We would not say we are each other’s best friends, but we are ‘special’ friends, we share something no one else does and we are able to be there when it really matters.”
Shortly after the group started, two of its members relocated, but the core five women have stayed together ever since.
Working in the mental health sector, Ms Wanganeen said mothers can often fall into a pattern of isolation and lose connections with those around them.
She said this stems from life now being centred around a child’s needs and the loss of the ability to leave the house “at the drop of a hat”.
“When you have a young baby at home you cannot just up and go like you may have in the past,” she said.
“You might want to do something during nap time, or when the baby is fussy or hungry – it is a lot harder to coordinate these things with a baby.
“Having a mothers’ group was a huge help to us as we could just go to each other’s houses, put the babies down to nap and chat to each other.
“We did not always talk about the babies, it was about our lives and what was going on – it just gave us another outlet.”
Ms Wanganeen said the women vowed that Ms Jordan’s relocation would not mean the end for the group.
“We will still keep meeting as we normally do,” she said.
“Diane will be able to join in when she can and if she cannot be there, we can always video chat with her if she is free.
“We have been with each other for more than half our lives and we plan to stay together forever.”
