The birth of a child represents an important normative transition for the infant's mother and her close social network members that may affect both the mother's personal well-being and the quality of her interpersonal realationships. Participants included 47 mothers of infants treated in neonatal intensive care units, and 36 mothers of healthy newborns. Mothers were interviewed between 2 and 5 weeks after birth. The three types of predictive measurements made were: (1) social support; (2) expectancy confirmation; and (3) stress. Outcome indices included those assessing quality of relationships, maternal affect, and attitudes toward the baby. Although support from the mother's "close person," usually a husband or mother, was found to relate positively to maternal affect, combined support from additional persons in the mother's network was unrelated to affect. Close person support was also related to indices of the quality of the mother's relationship with the close individual. Relationship quality and affect were related to the degree to which the mother's expectations for support from the close person had been met following the infant's birth. The results provide preliminary evidence for a proposed model of close relationship processes throughout the life span. (RH)