Finding Support For New Mothers

Babies don't come with an instruction manual, and all new moms have lots of questions. Here are a few suggestions to help you find support for you, your new baby, and your relationships.

CafeMoms.com is a great place to start! Here you can register, create a profile, ask questions, meet other moms near and far, and make new friends. There is such a variety of groups you can become a part of as well! For instance, there's the Young Moms (16-25 year olds, which has 20,000+ group members!), the Advice for Moms (80,000+) and even a 24/7 Live Chat group. Someone is always available to help you with everything from the best pacifiers, the latest coupons for baby food, sage relationship advice, etc.

This, in my opinion, is such a great resource for moms -- I wish it had been around when my boys were little!

Meetup.com is an internet site for networking, designed to help its members find people with like interest to spend face-to-face time with, not face-to-computer screen! Register here and you'll be able to search for other moms, mommy support groups and activities, and upcoming events.

The Mommies Network organization is a non-profit that is dedicated to helping moms find local support and friendship. They've been growing since 2005 and have 107 communities in 33 states. They also have a second project called "daddies-only" -- a place to find support for the unique needs of dads. Free membership, updated articles and info, fun kid-friendly activities in your local community, and mom-only events like Movie Night, make this a great resource for families.

Tips & Warnings

• Check out your local YMCA or city's community center - they often have classes and groups for new moms.
• Check out your church's offerings -- there is usually tons of support and encouragement for new moms!
• Do not stay isolated from others
• If you have questions, but don't feel they are truly being answered, try a different route and ASK AGAIN.
• Not every group is right for every new member, so don't get discouraged if you decide a Mommy support group is not right for you --