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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

AIBU to think I can have a baby with no additional support network

59 replies

Filmlover1 · 14/08/2026 11:52

My husband and I live about 2 hours from my closest relatives and 3 hours away from both of our parents. We want to start TTC early next year, but I am worried about the lack of support for me when I am on maternity leave. I know my parents and in-laws will come and stay the odd weekend, but is that enough? I am likely to be off for closer to a year, and I worry about being alone postpartum. Am I being silly to think I can do mat leave on my own? My husband will be working from home some days, but could be staying away the odd night for work, and then after this, are we being silly to have no wrap-around care? We will have to pay for it. We could maybe move, but curious what other people recommend.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Error404FucksNotFound · 14/08/2026 15:37

Yes you can. Plenty of women do it completely alone.
It will probably be much harder but its certainly doable.

Pistachiocake · 14/08/2026 15:37

What you discuss isn't being on your own-your have a husband, and grandparents to support. You say he wfh some days, so tbh you have more support than a lot of mums, not being mean, just saying this isn't a situation I would worry about.
Single mums with no family or friends nearby still manage, but it can be very hard for them-I thought you were in this situation and was going to advise going to baby groups to help, and make friends-one of my best friends met me at a group, and I babysit when she needs as at first, she had no one else (she's now made lots of parent friends, and life would be tough for her otherwise as she's estranged from family).

Oldraver · 14/08/2026 15:39

I did it as a single parent in my own with parents living miles away. Never occurred to me to be bothered by not having a 'network'

WimbleOfWombledon · 14/08/2026 15:41

You do have support- your husband.
And you have local friends as well - of you will do soon as babies are a great way of making friends.

lots of people have children without extended families around- myself included. You will need to factor in childcare costs and care arrangements when you return to work though.

hellisemptyandallthedevilsarehere · 14/08/2026 15:43

It’s very normal to do it this way. The energy can go into making your own network of mum friends, who can be a community for you. The tighter and closer this network, to more helpful you can be to others, others will be to you and happiness you’ll have. It’s amazing and beautiful to have a great friendship group.

Thatcannotberight · 14/08/2026 16:10

I didn't have a choice. We had no family.

Livinthedrama · 14/08/2026 20:43

YABVU! My parents did it without any relatives anywhere nearby, many do!

setadriftonmemorybliss · 14/08/2026 21:37

I did. It was tough. Two things that helped massively were 1) NTC group, didn’t gel with all of them but made a couple of solid friends with kids the same age. 2) I paid for childcare from early on, we found a local childminder who had my son for 6 hours a week from about 8 weeks old. It gave me one day a week where I had a break and I could catch up on sleep.

mondaytosunday · 14/08/2026 22:00

I thought you meant on your own. My in laws had no interest and my siblings live abroad and my parents were mid 70s and lived abroad half the year. It didn’t occur to me to worry about lack of any support! Of course you’ll be fine.

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