By Renee Sullivan, mom, life coach, and founding director of babybites moms support groups

They often say it takes a village to raise a child. At the core, its really saying, you can’t do it alone, and that’s okay. We are all connected, and by building a warm, supportive community your journey to motherhood can become more joyous, more confident, more calm, and be an enjoyable adventure! Surround yourself with other new moms, who are “in the thick of it”, and a wonderful community emerges!

Fellow new moms offer: 

A Compassionate Ear – New moms will listen with love, and support you in your decisions, because they have been there. When family or friends make assumptions and judgments, a fellow new mom will provide support and validation because they understand what you are going through.

An Open Heart – Motherhood changes you, your world opens up. New moms are some of the warmest, loving women you’ll ever meet. By surrounding yourself with this energy, your transition will become a lot easier.

Practical Hands On Advice – Fill a room with ten new moms, pose a question, and you’ll get a wonderful array of suggestions for your challenge. An amazing way to get resources, when you need them, when you want them. It’s your own instant concierge service for all things motherhood.

A Good Laugh – They say humor is the best medicine. Sometimes the quickest way to solving s problem, is to laugh about it first. Only a fellow new mom can appreciate the humor in forgetting to pack those extra onsies, or on getting a light sprinkle when changing a diaper!

Friendships - Something simply magical happens between the first and second gatherings. Its always amazing to watch ten separate lives whirlwind in and transform into a calm, relaxing energy where friendships form quite easily. Motherhood can sometimes feel quite isolating, and by getting out of the house and connecting with other moms, a trip to the Duane Reade for diapers is much more enjoyable with another mom in tow. The friendships last. Four years later, the moms in my support group are all still connected. We share in celebrating birthdays, we seek advice, we share stories. Sometimes its just a warm hello when we bump into each other at Starbucks. Its calming to know, after all this time, we are all connected, and we are not alone.

babybites moms groups begin every six weeks. You bring the baby, we’ll bring the village.

Renee Sullivan, parent coach, support group leader, and founding director of babybites moms support groups, truly believes that motherhood is one of the most amazing, life-changing experiences and supports moms to find the joy, peace, and fun amide the gas, pee and poop! Coming from Corporate America, she works with moms to create the balance that is right for them, and guides moms to think out of the box and come up with creative solutions for anything that comes their way. Moms intuitively know what they want for themselves, their families, and their babies, and by honoring and listening to that voice, happy mamas and happy babies emerge! Renee can be reached at renee@babybites.com.