This exploratory study investigates social support systems available to and utilized by new parents and indicates those aspects of the systems that are most helpful to them. Forty intact couples whose first child was between the ages of 3 and 7 months constituted the final sample of this study. The mean age of mothers and fathers was 30.70 and 33.21, respectively. Data collection involved a personal interview with the mother and questionnaires for both parents. Interviews were focused on five relationships in the mothers' lives: those with old friends, other new mothers, her own parents, her husband's parents and her husband. Questionnaires provided demographic, social system and support functions data, as well as information on the degree of satisfaction with and change desired in social networks. Additional questions provided information concerning positive affect, anxiety, depression, somatic complaints, and feelings of inadequacy. In all but one case, preliminary results indicated that new parent's lives are better (in terms of greater network satisfaction, higher levels of positive affect and less symptomatology, higher self-rated role performance, and satisfaction) when networks are larger, offer more sources of support, include more individuals in the relationship categories and, for mothers, when their network change scores are positive. (Author/RH)