”It takes a village!” I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase a thousand times and if you’re like me, you may fear that you won’t be enough for your children.

I left my home country nearly two years ago after marrying my now husband. We decided that our country was fine, but that we could have a better life in Canada, so we moved here. It turns out that having a baby away from your home, family, and friends is not the easiest thing to do.

Coming from a pretty dysfunctional family, I knew I wanted to shelter my baby from it. However, I sometimes wish I could rely on a relative or a long-time friend for the following things:

• know what I am going through is perfectly normal
• know if my baby is fine or needs medical attention
• leave my baby in trusted hands to go to the hair salon or the doctor
• have a night out with my husband
• have my baby create a relationship with my loved ones

But I can’t.

So in this article, I’ll share everything I’ve put in place in the last 6 months to deal with this. I still have a lot to learn and a lot to improve. My situation is not yet ideal but I am hopeful that things will get better in the future.

1. Community:
   • Find community online: I had deleted Instagram a year prior but getting back on the app was a lifesaver. I found so many amazing accounts that made me smile at 2 am when I was alone with my baby wondering how I would survive another day. Reddit is also a place that helped me find peace and comfort during lonely nights.
   • Church: Going to church has been super helpful to feel like I’m a part of something. People are seeing my daughter grow up and they grow fond of her. That’s so reassuring to know lots of people love her, and that she will be surrounded by that growing up.
2. I hope this service is available everywhere but I can’t shake the feeling it’s not. There is a number you can call at all hours to ask questions about your child’s health. It’s not 911. They will tell you if your baby needs medical attention and reassure you on what to do.
3. I go to the doctor with my baby (and people are very accommodating) and I don’t go to the hair salon haha, no solution yet!

When it comes to a night out with my husband, I don’t think it will happen until we go to France for a vacation and leave our baby with his parents. That will also help them create a stronger bond with our baby.

I am also trying to make new friends by visiting the park with my baby. It has not been successful yet though. That’s another topic I’ll share more about when I figure it out. Stay tuned.