Communication:
1) Whatsapp Phone App: This phone app allows you to send messages to an international phone number for free! A life saver when you need to text internationally. You can also use the app to make phone calls.
Visits:
As the birth gets closer, your IPs will be coming out to be near you when you go into labor. This is an excellent time to go out to dinner, or have them over for coffee. The birth is a very intimate time for you and your IPs, and taking the chance to continue to know them better, especially in person is important. In the weeks before my delivery, my IPs were able to come with me to a Dr. appointment. My Dr even did a special ultrasound in our room for them so they could see their baby. It was very moving.
If you are considering being matched with International IPs or even IPs who live in another part of the US, please consider that the distance won’t hinder your relationship as much as you might think. There are so many ways to stay close with someone who lives far away, and with the technology and effort, a friendship and closeness can be achieved.
Written by Corinne Oestreich