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Building a Mommy Support System

When dealing with the ups and downs of parenthood, who better to turn to than other new moms?

You gotta have friends

It's no surprise that having a group of supportive friends is crucial to a woman's happiness and health--especially when you're a new mom. Up to 80 percent of women experience some form of the baby blues, and research shows that forging friendships with other new moms can make the transition into parenthood easier to handle. "It is very important for women to join with other new moms to get a sense that they are not alone in their questions, insecurities and uncertainties," says Fran Walfish, Psy.D., a child and family psychologist and author of

Lyss Stern, CEO and founder of Divalysscious Moms (DivaMoms.com), a social networking group for moms in New York, agrees: "The most comforting thing when you're a new mom is having other moms to talk to who 'get it.' Your non-mom friends will always try to help, but they haven't been up at 3 a.m. with a baby who won't stop crying and you can't figure out why. Mom networks help you know you're not the only one going through this, which is invaluable."

Parents.com