I was a new mom on temporary leave from a fast-track career. My life had been turned upside down by a 9-pound bundle of energy, and the typical insecurities of a first-time mother were rampant in my mind. Was I making enough milk to feed my baby? Would I ever get my figure back? What would happen if I didn't return to work as planned?

These anxieties, and many more to come in the course of my daughter's development, were met and quelled head-on by the advice of a group of angels, otherwise known as Mom Mentors. The friends that I made through my local parenting support group – from the time that my baby was just three months old – have guided me along on this incredible journey called parenthood.

My mother raised three children in a suburban neighborhood where 95 percent of the families were married couples, and mom stayed at home full-time to care for the kids. The block we lived on was a communal playground, and moms swapped childcare duties and met for morning coffee.

The neighborhoods that we of the post baby-boom generation recall are mainly history. In most areas of the country, there have been drastic changes in family dynamics, as well as a marked increase of women in the workforce. In addition to the day-to-day challenges of parenting, women in their childbearing years are faced with balancing work and family and providing some semblance of family life in a transient community structure.

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.