User account

First and foremost it is important that you carefully read correspondence from me starting with your  You are now a member of Mamistad... email.  In that email I will request that you email me at Cynthia@mamistad.com with your phone number.  It is not until you email me with your phone number that you that your name is transferred to my own "to be placed list" and the search for your own private group begins.  It ensures that 1) you are reading my correspondence which means you have an idea how the group works and 2) that you are serious about finding a private group.  Once you have emailed me, I will then have your email address as well and this is the second CRUCIAL step in finding a group for you.  PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU EMAIL ME FROM AN EMAIL ADDRESS THAT YOU CHECK REGULARLY AND WISH TO SHARE WITH YOUR POTENTIAL GROUP MEMBERS!  FURTHER, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU ADD cynthia@mamistad.com TO YOUR CONTACT LIST SO THAT MY MESSAGES WILL NOT GO INTO YOUR SPAM FOLDER. The majority of Mamistad "business" is conducted via email.
Secondly, THE MAMI WEEKLY is the weekly Mamistad Newsletter that is my link to all of the group members.  It is my means of transferring information to you about important upcoming events, the latest news within our group, announcements of the latest Mami Merchant Guide additions, and other pertinent Pregnant and New Mami News.  PLEASE do your best to at the very least scan the Mami Weekly.  It is also the place I announce the latest MAMISTAD INTRODUCTORY MEETINGS (attendance at one of these meetings is required before a Mami can be placed in a private group).  As a member of Mamistad, if you have a message you would like to get out to all of the Mamis, please contact me directly to discuss the possibility of placing it in the Mami Weekly.  
Who should apply to Mamistad?
-First-time pregnant Mamis or Mamis of newborns looking to find support and friendship with other Mamis who are also pregnant for the first time or Mamis to newborns.
-Mamis in all areas are welcome to join Mamistad.  Please read the "Location" section below to learn more about the location of private (numbered) groups.
-Mamis who are applying as Mami Merchants to be listed on the Mami Merchant Guide.  The fee to become a Mami Merchant is $25/year for paid Mamistad Mamis, $50/year for non-paid members and $150/year for organizations.  If you are a Mami who belongs to a group and has not paid your membership fee of $35, that fee must be paid along with the $25 Mami Merchant fee.
Who should NOT apply to Mamistad:  
- Anyone who is NOT willing to give of herself and be an active member of a group.  Mamistad is a positive group of women who want to nurture and support one another.   
-Anyone who is unable to accept a style of mothering different from her own.  
-Anyone seeking merely to find a babysitter.
-Anyone who is interested solely in promoting their own products or services without officially becoming a Mami Merchant.  
About Individual (Numbered) Group Membership:  
-LOCATION OF GROUPS:  As the majority of the Mamis who apply to Mamistad are in the general Arlington area, most of our private groups are in this area as well.  Most groups are usually a mix of Mamis in Falls Church, Arlington, DC and Alexandria.  We do have members (though not as often) in the Fairfax, Gaithersburg and Reston areas.  Often these Mamis are okay with traveling to meet with groups in the Arlington area and occasionally there are enough Mamis to start groups of Mamis specific to these areas.   I am usually able to accommodate Reston area Mamis with a group though it may take a little longer to do so.  These groups usually include Mamis in Leesburg, Herndon and Chantilly.  
- GROUP LEADERS: We ask that every group appoint a leader.  It is very difficult for a group to function without one.  This person will also become the designated contact for your group.  
- INDIVIDUAL (NUMBERED) MAMI GROUPS:  Mamis are placed in groups based on 3 criteria: due date, location and work status.  There are no rules for individual groups with respect to meeting times and places.   Everyone is encouraged to make the most of this opportunity and get all you can out of the experience.    Once your group is formed, its success is entirely up to the members.  In an effort to encourage maximum group participation, all members are encouraged to RSVP for events on the calendar.
-INACTIVE MEMBERS: An inactive member is: 1) one who has not attended a group event in any given two-month period nor made any attempts to contact her group or 2) has not met with her group and has made no attempts to do so after 2 months of belonging to the group. Inactive members are subject to removal and replacement. Group leaders should contact Cynthia regarding possible removal of a member.  
- ADDING MEMBERS TO ESTABLISHED GROUPS: If a group has not added a new member in over 30 days, in an effort to respect this group's already established connection, it is technically considered "closed."  At that point, should a new member fit the profile of a closed group, that group's leader will be contacted as to whether she and her group members are open to having a potential member attend the group's next event.  Should the group disapprove, the member will not be added.   
-CLOSED GROUPS: Once the 12th member is added to a group it is officially "closed."  At Cynthia's discretion, exceptions may be made with the consent of a majority of the group's members and the protocol set out in the previous paragraph is followed.
-BELONGING TO TWO GROUPS: Any Mami interested in being an active member of two groups should contact Cynthia to discuss this possibility.  Being group leader of two groups however is strongly discouraged.
-DIFFICULTY ATTENDING MEETINGS: Occasionally Mamis will find that they are no longer able to attend Mami meetings as they had hoped.  If you find yourself in this situation please contact me so that we may discuss 3 options for you.  You may:
1.  Become an "E-Mami" - which means that though you will be unable to attend events you will correspond with your group via email so as not to miss all the pertinent Mami information that they are undoubtedly sharing.  :)
2.  Become temporarily inactive - This is option is for Mamis who will be unavailable both personally and via e-mail for a time frame decided upon with their group leader.  
3.    Withdraw from your group - If you know that you will not be able to attend events for a period longer than two months and your e-mail availability will be little to none, we will discuss your withdrawing from the group altogether so as to make space for another Mami who could actively participate in your group.  
*Mamistad is NOT responsible for individual members or their actions though we reserve the right to remove or deny any members who we feel do not meet the Mamistad standard.  Should a group leader feel a member is not meeting this standard, she should contact Cynthia to discuss her concerns.  
 About Mamistad Events:
1. Most events are private and will specify the group number whose members should RSVP.  Occasionally, an event will pertain to all Mamis and this will be stated in some way in the event description.   
2. When it comes to planning group events, all group members (not just group leaders) are encouraged to make suggestions.  Group members should simply email their group with their idea for an activity and if at least 3-4 other Mamis express interest they may contact the group leader to have it placed on the calendar.
3. Please do your best to RSVP for events and to update them should your plans change. This is the only way people planning an event know who to expect.  It is a courtesy that is greatly appreciated.
4. Rating group events can be a very sensitive issue. The bottom line is: PLEASE DO NOT TAKE THESE RATINGS PERSONALLY AND, if you do choose to rate an event, remember that you are rating the effort put into it by a fellow-Mami for your benefit.  Try not to rate superficial things over which she had no control such as: the weather, the courtesy of a particular establishment, or the other people present!
Illness Guidelines for those participating in Mamistad events (drafted with the help of a labor&delivery RN)
Though something we all dread, each of our babies will experience some sort of an illness in the first year. While it is normal for children to experience illness and it is impossible to protect our child from every germ, it is possible to take precautions to help decrease chances of getting sick.
We all love getting our babies out of the house, and socializing with other moms. When our child is sick, it is hard to say NO to Mamistad events, but keeping your child home not only benefits the other moms and babies, but it stands to benefit your own child as well.
Kindly observe the following guidelines:
Please do not attend activities if you or your child has had any of the following symptoms in the past 24-48 hours:
-fever over 100
-diarrhea
-vomiting
-cough, sneezing, runny nose, or sore throat
-unexplained rash, ring worm, or lice
-pink eye
-child is or has been lethargic and/or ill feeling
-sore throat - especially if accompanied by fever
-illness requiring an antibiotic that has not yet been administered for at least 3 days
****If any of the above symptoms are related to allergies or teething, or you are unsure if it is OK to bring your child to an event, please contact your group leader to discuss whether or not it will be the best option to have your child participate in the activity.
If you are deciding whether or not to exclude your child in a Mamistad event, you may want to ask yourself these questions:
-Will (does) the illness prevent your child from participating comfortably in activities?
-Will (does) the illness result in compromising the health and safety of other children?
If the answer to either of those questions is YES then you should keep your child home. When trying to decide whether or not to keep your child at home, use your best judgment on how the child is acting, as well as the likelihood of passing the illness to another mom and/or child.
Another question you may ask yourself is:
"If someone brought their child with my child's symptoms, would I be OK with this???" Using common sense and good judgment will help keep our mamis and babies healthy!

About Guests
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED (WHICH WILL BE RARELY) BABIES ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AT MAMISTAD EVENTS!!!!   If an individual group chooses to have a Mami only event however, it is their prerogative and should be stated clearly in the event description.
Most events are for Mamis and babies only (though occasional visits by sisters and mothers of Mamistad Members have proven to be a welcomed exception as well).  As a courtesy to all members of a private group, potential Mamistad members (and their babies) are welcomed to attend one event as the guest of a Member.  Should they decide they are interested in joining the group (and if this group is open to new members) they should then become members of Mamistad before potentially being added to that group.   Anyone else should be approved by Cynthia before the event.  Though we love our husbands and daddies, their presence at Mamistad events (unless otherwise stated) is strongly discouraged.  This is because we want to create a nurturing environment where women feel free to share openly about their pregnancies and other motherhood experiences.    
Removal of Members
Once you have been contacted by me regarding a potential group, it is because I am "reserving" a spot for you until I talk to/meet you.  If I do not hear from you within 1 week, your spot maybe given to someone else.  If I have not heard from you within one month, I will assume you are no longer interested in joining a group and you will be removed from my "to be placed" list.  This is only to ensure that ladies who are genuinely interested in joining a group are not made to wait for a spot because I am spending time contacting members who are not responding.  I realize that sometimes (particularly when you are pregnant or a new mom!) it is hard to keep up with email and this may be the reason you have not participated.  In this case, you may contact me via email to discuss your situation.  However, because (at least initially) emailing will be your primary source of communicating with Mamistad, it may be difficult to connect with a potential group if you do not have fairly regular access to email.   
Membership Fee
The Membership Fee of $35 is due only when you are place in a private group and can be paid by mail or PayPal.   Instructions on how to pay are found on the Mamistad Welcome Page by clicking on "How to Pay" to the left of the picture.  These fees cover the cost of our meetup.com web page, costs of constructing the Mamistad.com website and the time I spend constructing groups, providing services and support and connecting Mamis on a variety of different levels.  
Advertising
UNSOLICITED ADVERTISING BY MEMBERS IS NOT ALLOWED ON OUR SITE AND IS GROUNDS FOR MEMBERSHIP TERMINATION.  MEMBERS WITH A SERVICE OR PRODUCT THAT THEY FEEL MAY BE OF INTEREST TO THE GROUP SHOULD CONTACT CYNTHIA AT: cynthia@mamistad.com.

Please note that though it is my desire (through Mamistad) to connect every interested applicant with a private group, my guarantee is that I will make my best effort to do so.   Mamistad makes no guarantees with respect to possible placement of individuals in private groups or the success of groups once they have been formed.