This inquiry explored tactile support and supportive communication as predictors of emotional well-being and relationship quality for post-1980s mothers of children less than three years old in mainland China. The sample comprised 366 first-time mothers who partook in an online survey on their experiences in obtaining support from their mothers-in-law. The findings reveal that a mother-in-law's tangible support had varied impact on women’s emotional well-being and that a mother-in-law's discerned supportive communication played a more notable role than tangible support in bettering emotional well-being and relationship quality. Implications for social support inquiry in relationship contexts are debated. Keywords: motherhood, tangible support, supportive communication, emotional well-being, relationship quality, mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship