Why All Moms Need a 'Unicorn Friend,' According to Postnatal Expert

A postpartum expert online is determined to help every new mom find a friend in a similar spot.

A video posted to Instagram by Becca Maberly (@amotherplace) has gone viral for explaining the phenomenon of the "unicorn mom friend"—and for helping women find their own. Maberly, 46, also an author and pregnancy expert, spoke to Newsweek about what inspired her to define this friend and what she hopes for every mother.

Maberly defined the "unicorn mom friend" as "a mom who lives locally, with kids the same age as yours, similar parenting styles, who doesn't judge, who makes you laugh and vice versa."

She said that the "unicorn mom friend" is "always up for a walk, or a coffee, or a glass of wine, but unlike a unicorn, she does actually exist...You might not have found her yet. Don't give up."

Maberly then asked mothers watching the video to comment with their local area and the ages of their children so that they could find their own "unicorn."

She told Newsweek she was inspired to make the video after hearing from mothers in the "Snacks and Support" chat group she runs.

"[They] were talking about how lonely motherhood can feel sometimes and how much you ache to meet someone who just gets you," she said. "Quite often, our existing friendships and relationships change when we become parents, and so finding new friends can be really important."

New motherhood can be isolating, Maberly said, and it's rare to find someone who not only understands the more specific contours of your situation—but who is local to you as well. The mothers in her support group are from all over the United Kingdom and Europe.

"Having a friend who understands what you are going through, who doesn't judge and who is just there for you, no matter what, is so valuable," she said. "If they happen to live in the same town or village, then this is priceless!"

Maberly said she dreamed of having a "unicorn mom friend" when she was a new mother and wishes the same for new moms now. That's why she invited those who viewed her video to find friends in the comments: "I thought, why not just see if I could use the power of social media to help match people up in the most simple of ways?" she said.

Connecting the Digital to the Local

Indeed, people flooded the comments with their locations and children's ages. People from Switzerland, Zambia, the United States, France and more commented to find potential connections. Maberly said the outcome highlighted the positive potential of social media.

"So much of what we read about social media is negative, but I only use it as a force for good," she said. "Everything I post about or share on my platform is designed to shine a light on the elements of parenting that have traditionally felt taboo so that new moms no longer feel afraid to say how they are really feeling and to ask for help if they need it."

Maberly said she has had 2,000 people comment on her post and received "lots of really heartwarming messages" from women who have taken a leap of faith and reached out to other mothers in their local areas.