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Mom Mentors
Parenting Organizations Nurture Mom and Family
By Jackie Perrin
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.
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.
Enter parenting support groups, which in recent years have experienced a dramatic membership increase. In Rochester, N.Y., alone over a five-year period, MOMS Club chapters went from one city-wide group to 10 town-centered charters. With few exceptions, parenting support groups are open to persons of all backgrounds. Bringing members together is a common desire to reach out and receive support as they rear their children. Three national organizations stand out in serving the changing needs of a diverse population.
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