Meeting other mums

Whether you make a friend for life or meet up for the occasional coffee, the support of other mums is invaluable. If you're not lucky enough to have friends in the same boat already, here's how you can create your own network.

A young baby can give you little time to follow the social pursuits you used to. Talking on the phone for hours and spending evenings chatting over the internet may be a thing of the past, but this is no time to cut yourself off completely.

Even if you feel you can only spare half an hour a week for a chat, do make that call. Your friends and family will be keen to hear how you're doing but won't want to call at the wrong time, and the break will do wonders for you.

If you made friends at antenatal classes, think about renewing contact with them. Children develop in their own special way but there are milestones they usually reach at similar times. It's nice to get a sense that your baby is on track.

Share your experiences and you'll discover you've each been dealing with a similar problem in different ways. By swapping stories you'll build up a wealth of experience and have plenty of tips to try.

By Rachel Hodges