These changes are normal and happen because your life is entering a new phase. Recognising how pregnancy can affect your friendships helps you maintain meaningful connections as you adjust to your new reality.
In this article:
Why Friendships Change During Pregnancy
Friendships often change during pregnancy because your priorities, energy levels, and emotional world shift in new directions. Many of these shifts are normal and happen for reasons that are easy to understand when you look closely at what pregnancy brings. These are the main causes:- Different life stages create a gap: You start thinking about scans, appointments and baby essentials, while your friends may still be focused on holidays, nights out or work updates. This difference makes conversations feel mismatched.
- Hormonal and physical changes affect your energy: Hormones fluctuate, tiredness hits early, and you may not have the stamina for long outings or late evenings. Friends can mistake this for disinterest when it is simply your body’s need for rest.
- Friends may struggle to relate: If they have never been pregnant or are not planning for a baby, they may not know what to say or how to support you. This can create distance even when the intentions are good.
- Some friends feel unsure or awkward: They may worry about saying the wrong thing or feel left out when plans shift to quieter or more flexible activities.
- Hidden emotions can play a role: A friend dealing with infertility, past loss, or personal challenges might feel sensitive or overwhelmed. This can make them withdraw even if they still care deeply about you.
- Your priorities naturally shift: Your focus turns toward your health and your baby’s wellbeing. What once felt exciting may not hold the same place in your life, and that adjustment can change how friendships function.
What Feelings Are Normal When Friendships Change During Pregnancy?
It is completely natural to experience a mix of emotions when your friendships shift during pregnancy. Many women feel unsettled by these changes, and you might notice the same within yourself. These are the most common feelings:- Hurt when friends feel distant: You may notice fewer invitations, shorter conversations or a general sense that you no longer fit in the same way, which can feel painful.
- Loneliness even around people you know well: Even if you have company, you might still feel alone because your priorities and experiences are changing faster than your friendships.
- Grief for how things used to be: It is common to miss the closeness you once shared with certain friends. This grief is valid even if the friendship has not ended.
- Anger or frustration: You might feel annoyed that some friends do not try to understand your new needs or adjust plans to include you.
- Confusion or emotional numbness: Pregnancy itself brings hormonal changes. Combined with shifting friendships, you may feel disconnected or unsure of how to react.
- Relief when true friends stand out: Pregnancy often reveals who genuinely supports you. Friends who check in, adjust plans, or simply show up can make you feel understood and valued.
How to Keep Good Friendships Alive During Pregnancy
Small, honest steps make a huge difference. These are some gentle ideas that actually work:- Speak openly but kindly: A simple message like “I miss hanging out with you, and I would love to meet for a cup of tea” clears the air and shows you still care.
- Suggest plans that suit the new reality: Early meet-ups, home film nights, or a picnic in the park feel easier than late bars or loud concerts.
- Send little updates: A quick voice note, a photo of the growing bump, or a “thinking of you” text keeps the connection warm without needing hours of chatting.
- Ask about their lives too: Listening to their news about work, dating, or travel shows the friendship is still two-way.
- Let friends help in small ways: Asking someone to keep company during a long hospital wait or to pick up a couple of items from the shop turns them from onlookers into part of the journey.
- Be patient: Some friends need a few months to adjust to the idea that you are becoming a mother. Giving them space while staying warmly open often brings them back closer.
How to Build New Supportive Friendships During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a great time to meet other expectant parents who are experiencing the same changes and challenges as you. Prenatal classes, yoga sessions for pregnant people, local parent-to-be groups, or even online communities can become spaces where friendships form easily. These connections often grow into strong support networks that last well into parenthood.Pregnancy changes friendships in many ways. Some connections grow stronger, some may take a quiet break, and new friendships often appear just when you need them most. With honest communication, the people who truly belong in your life usually find their way closer, ready to support both you and your baby!
Whether you’re pregnant, a new mom, or navigating postpartum, you don’t have to do it alone. Join our support group to connect, share, and support one another.
FAQs on How Pregnancy Changes Friendships in Unexpected Ways
- Will my friendships return to normal after pregnancy?
Some friendships may go back to how they were, while others might change. It depends on how both of you adjust to life after the baby. - How to cope with losing friends during pregnancy?
It helps to focus on friends who support you and accept that some friendships may drift. Give yourself time and spend energy on relationships that really matter.
