The very best gift you can give a new mother is a group of slightly more-seasoned moms upon whom she can rely. I was lucky enough to have such a thing after my first was born, but I also had times that I was pacing the floor at 2:00 a.m. with a fussy baby feeling more alone than anyone in the history of motherhood has ever been.

Donna Holloran is a social worker who runs BABYGROUP, a playgroup designed to help new mothers gain confidence and, let’s face it, competency, in Santa Monica, California. But now the rest of the country is in luck with the release of Surviving and Thriving During Your Baby’s First Year a 2-DVD set featuring Holloran and her group tackling many of the issues new moms face. It’s a fave of the press, along with all sorts of fancy LA types.

What it lacks in a catchy title it makes up for in excellent content; I would’ve paid good money back in the day to see a video of how to swaddle my baby appropriately. The fact that it’s part of watching a group of new moms jiggle, feed, and fret about their babies, too, makes it all that more easy to relate to. I could almost feel my boobs swelling again just to watch it. –Mir

Congratulations to Sarah R, winner of the DVD set!

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