The Importance of Connection.

Pregnancy can be isolating — a feeling that was only exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Whether you’re trying to conceive, going through pregnancy alone, embarking on this new journey with a partner, or you’ve already had multiple children, new parents can often feel alone.

I became pregnant with my first child a few months after the pandemic took hold in the U.S. I found myself sitting alone in my doctor’s waiting room between empty chairs marked with “Maintain 6-Foot Distance” stickers, readjusting my surgical mask, and wondering how to ask my OB about my fears. It was overwhelming.

Those six feet represented a new barrier to personal connection: It preserved our health and safety, while simultaneously creating a culture of loneliness and separation.

As social beings, we need conversation and connection. We need to feel cared for and be supported.

During my pandemic pregnancy journey, whenever someone remembered my due date, or texted me a bit of encouragement while I was alone in a waiting room before an important appointment, I felt connected. I felt supported and loved. During these tough times, those check-ins spoke louder than ever. Those moments made a difference in my life and in my pregnancy.

Bumpdate is an app that encourages these social and emotional support systems.

It helps us to easily follow each other’s pregnancy journeys.

You’ll never have to ask your friend for their due date for the seventeenth time or when their next big appointment is, even though they told you last week. We all try to remember, but we’re human and we forget.

The app features a news feed with reminders of pregnancy milestones, due dates, baby genders, registry links, and more, all in one place. The simple calendar feature shows which of your friends could use a text or a call today or later this week. The more we support each other, the less lonely we feel, the less lonely we are — and that’s more important today than ever.

It’s time to re-establish that feeling of connection, even from a distance.

You are not alone.