New Mothers' Group Launches in Minneapolis

A new group aimed at expectant and new mothers has recently launched in Minneapolis. Called Bump Club, the company aims to connect these women with each other and with experts who can offer moral support and help them decipher the more bewildering aspects of being a mom.

You could think of it as a bit like an off-line social network for moms and moms-to-be.

"Being a new mom can be pretty isolating," said Katie Blozis, Bump Club's head in the Twin Cities. "Minneapolis is a great city to give birth in. There are a lot of tools for getting out and educating yourself, but not a lot of tools for connecting with other moms in a local setting."

Blozis said she first encountered Bump Club through friends in Chicago, where the company has become a go-to place for many new moms. Impressed with the huge community of moms Bump Club has built on the shore of Lake Michigan, Blozis wanted to bring that to her native city.

Bump Club is part of a flurry of new groups and businesses aimed straight at young, childbearing women that have cropped up around Twin Cities and the United States. Blozis said she sees many young parents and parents-to-be striving to make much more informed parenting decisions as they wade through ten different brands of organic and conventional rubber baby buggy bumpers.

"Sometimes having too many options is a bad thing, and people use so many scare tactics now," she said. "In Chicago, one of our top classes is 'How to Choose the Right Preschool.' Another is all about toys. No one thirty years ago would have thought of paying someone to teach them about that."

In Minneapolis, Bump Club will be partnering with Lululemon and local pre- and post-natal yoga studio Blooma to hold classes and events. 

"We hope the women who come to Bump Club will be meeting new people and creating a bond as well" over everything from moms' nights out to fitness and pregnancy classes, Blozis said. 

Bump Club has around 20,000 members in Chicago and Austin, Texas, Blozis said, allowing it to offer a huge range of events. Blozis said she hoped moms who started attending Bump Club events would be able to find several classes, dinners, and workout sessions that would fit their interests.