I barely have any friends and I'm lonely

[RedPandaMama]

Sorry to put in AIBU but I'm in quite a bad place right now and just wanted some support that it will all be okay, at some point.

I'm 23, mum to a 2 year old DD (she's ace) and coparent extremely well with her father; we split up in January. Great person, just don't love each other. Split childcare + costs 50:50.

After losing touch when I was pregnant, since DD was around 1yo I rekindled old friendships from school and got really close to a group of 5 girls I've known for 10 years. A couple of months ago they stopped speaking to me as I sort of called them out on being bitchy and a bit mean about another girl we knew in school. There was just no need for it. They haven't spoken to me since and ignore my messages. Also it's one of these girls weddings in a month and I'm terrified of going now.

My two closest friends I've known forever now live miles away - I'm in the north west, one is in London and one in Cardiff. Both in high flying jobs. I work three days a week in a sales job - it's not awful but not great either.

A couple of years ago my dad left my mum for a woman who is only a few years older than me and has four kids. Everything was okay for a while but then he stopped supporting me and my sister and lost touch with us. He hasn't bothered with me or my DD (his first grandchild) in months. He's watched me struggle financially and discontinue my master's degree due to not having the money to do it, when he earns a huge amount of money as CEO of a medium-sized company and refused to help despite saying he would.

My sister who I'm very close to lives four hours away at uni. We facetime once a week but she has her own life. I see my mum and grandma once a week. That's pretty much all my family I have here.

So I guess I'm just lonely. Sorry for a rambly post. I just don't have much in my life. I dread going home to my empty rented house and having another night of loneliness after 7pm, once DD is in bed. How do I fix it? I've started going to the gym the nights I don't have her, which fills up my time. It's the nights I do, I'm just so aware of myself and my thoughts and feel quite miserable.

Go to baby groups to make friends ?

Pub quizzes, netball/badminton clubs, any local FB groups who meet up on evenings you don't have DD?

Hey could you see your mum more. Plus in years to come your little girl will likely be one of your best chums! Could you plan to see one of your two closest friends every few months. Give you something to look forward to :)
Those other girls sound so bitchy and mean... you are better off with out them tbh
Xxx

Get ivolved with parent and tots groups, Childrens centres, buggy fitness groups. If you given up on masters do you have a job?

Oh I’m sorry. Loneliness can really hit hard. I can confidently say that it will all be ok. You sound a lovely person and will have many more close friends. I think having a very young child often feels quite lonely - but the good news is you’re coming out the other side of that. Make a extra effort with one or 2 of the nursery/ preschool mums (or reception when she reaches that age) - you may well meet some lovely people and with similar age children it can make friendships easier. You sound better off without your old group of friends to be honest. Do you even need to go to the wedding?

I second baby groups. When I had my first DD, I felt the same. It's hard.

Baby groups can feel a bit overwhelming at first but talk to people, even if just about the children and keep going every week.... Even if you dont feel like it.

once your child starts school, you tend to find you will make mum friends. I have a fantastic group of friends I met thru my dds school and we chat and meet up socially outside of school.... But you must make the effort to talk to people and get to know others.

Also, why not post on facebook under your local area pages and see if there are any other mums who would like to meet for a coffee morning?