Friends come and go throughout one’s life, but having a baby frequently encourages their leaving rather than their remaining in your circle. One mom, Jen, said, “the most hurtful time I’ve lost friends was after I became a mother. Losing them was painful. Depressing. Gut-wrenching.” Often times, expecting mothers try to convince themselves things will stay the same with their relationships in spite of a baby; their friendships won’t change all that much, and they’ll have plenty of time to spend together.

This, of course, is an utter lie.

When you have a baby, your social life all but disappears. If you have friends who also have children, it’s easier to keep them in your life as they understand what you’re going through and know how difficult it is to make time for socializing. However, friends who don’t have kids commonly slip out of your life, and with the sudden shift in your priorities thanks to your newborn, it really isn’t all that shocking of an occurrence.