I don't know how I would have survived the first year of motherhood, or possibly beyond that, without my postpartum mom support group. I was so incredibly lucky to find five other mamas who had babies 10 days-3 months older than mine. We were all first-time moms, navigating breastfeeding, postpartum hormones, return-to-work or starting out as stay-at-home parents, and everything in between. We laughed, we cried (mostly me), we shared resources, we got lunch together - this was the 'before times.' We were strangers, but after one meet up, I felt like I had found friends. We exchanged numbers and started texting each other. Having another mama to text at 2:00am while you're nursing in the dark, while your partner sleeps next to you, makes all the difference. It made me feel less alone.

You've probably heard "it takes a village", and there is no truer statement. New moms need all kinds of support. A postpartum mom group is the #1 thing I would recommend. You might be thinking, a group could be awkward or weird. I won't know anyone else. Guess what? They won't either. The mamas from my group have become lifelong friends. We have a group text and we're now navigating 3-year old behavior and still sharing tips. We have monthly-ish mama happy hours. And we are dreaming/planning about a future vacation as a big group. I'm still getting support from them, and would be lost without them.