These local groups want to help moms find community in San Diego
Being a new mom can be isolating, especially in a city like San Diego that’s full of transplants.
Written by Maya Srikrishnan, Edited by Lauren J. Mapp
Becoming a mother is a major transition — reshaping a woman’s body, brain, identity and relationships. Often, especially in a city like San Diego, where so many people are transplants, that experience and transition can be an isolating one.
Having friends and a community of mothers locally can help. Research from the University of Washington shows that mothers with stronger community support have lower levels of stress. Other studies have found that social support acts as one of the strongest protective factors against postpartum depression and anxiety.
Psychologists have even studied the unique friendships between mothers. In a 2015 study, two Arizona State University researchers found that such friendships help mothers maintain their psychological well-being and confidence in parenting.
For any new mothers in San Diego — or any mothers in general looking for community — there are several groups that seek to meet this need, planning meet-ups for moms who need friends in the same stage of life.
Lala Vidal’s daughter was 2 when she first moved to San Diego. Not only did Vidal need mom friends, but as a Colombian immigrant, she wanted mom friends who shared her Latin American culture and wanted to share their traditions and language, Spanish, with their kids.
“I tried a couple of mom groups in the city, but I couldn’t find any group that made me feel warm enough to stay,” Vidal said. “It was really hard to connect because of the cultural differences.”
She noticed in a Facebook group she was a part of that several moms were asking to gather so their kids could speak Spanish. In February 2024, another mom organized SD Latina Moms’ first event in Mission Bay.
The mom who organized the first event became overwhelmed with how many moms came and wanted to continue the community, so Vidal and a few other moms took over organizing the group.
“It was very amazing for the moms to know other Latinas, to share culture and everyone said, ‘I hadn’t had the opportunity to gather with other Latina moms,” she said.
Vidal and the other mom doing most of the organizing for SD Latina Moms both work, so oftentimes their events are collaborations with other groups or a simple gathering at a park with a blanket, some snacks and maybe some drama from the kids, she said.
“Sharing our culture and validating motherhood,” Vidal said. “We never judge other mothers and share experiences, sharing tips, sharing vulnerability. I think it’s the opportunity to be fully ourselves. We want to expose our kids to our roots and for moms especially, it takes a while. It’s hard to be a mom in another country where it’s not your culture. Most of them don’t have family around to have this village and community that can just be there for them.”
Many of the group’s members moved to San Diego from another state because they were military spouses or sometimes they only speak Spanish. SD Latina Moms is the place they can go to be fully themselves, Vidal said.
Angela Cortés was really active before having a baby. She joined a mom walking group, and found them too slow for her. She joined a regular run club, which was fun, but not everyone shared some of the experiences unique to running with kids.
“I was thinking why not have one for moms who are running late, who have the baby crying and asking for snacks,” Cortés said.
Cortés was already part of SD Latina Moms and organized her first mom run with them. She thinks staying active was crucial to her not experiencing postpartum depression and wants to help other moms be active too.
She then organized her own run club for moms, Mama(cita) Run Club, which has been active for about a year.
“You need support and someone to understand you,” Cortés said. “If you want to share something, you can feel more comfortable. You feel the love and support. You don’t feel alone in the journey.”
Here are some other groups that help moms and families find community in San Diego. If we’ve missed any, please email maya@daylightsandiego.org, and we’ll update this list.
SD Mommas: Plans walks and other events to bring moms together from around San Diego County.
San Diego Mamas: Helps you find activities to do with your kids around San Diego.
San Diego Mom Walks: A community for moms in San Diego and Orange County.
San Diego Spiritual Mamas: A group focused on connecting spiritual mothers in San Diego.
San Diego Families for Justice: Organizes meet-ups at playgrounds throughout San Diego County for progressive families interested in taking action at all levels of government.
SD Latina Moms: A community for Latina moms to meet, create their village and share their culture with their kids in San Diego.
Mama(cita) Run Club: A run club for moms.
Black San Diego Moms: A Facebook group where Black moms can connect, create play dates and gain friends who live in San Diego.
SDQM*: A Facebook group that created a local platform for queer mamas in and around San Diego to create interpersonal connections with others in the area.
