New mom Halle Berry is getting by with a little help from a friend who knows something about parenting – and Hollywood.

“We’ve e-mailed, and she’s loving motherhood,” Nancy O’Dell told PEOPLE at Thursday’s National Lampoon’s One, Two, Many premiere in Hollywood. Berry, 41, gave birth to daughter Nahla Ariela Aubry last month.

“She is loving every minute of it, couldn’t be any happier,” Access Hollywood host O’Dell, who is friends with Berry, says. “She’s going to be such a great mom.”

O’Dell, 42, who herself gave birth last June to daughter Ashby Grace, sent Berry a lengthy e-mail of motherly advice – and the Oscar-winning actress replied with thanks.

“I sent her a whole page e-mail about things I wish friends had told me,” O’Dell says. “I said, ‘I wish people had given me this advice. They didn’t, so I’m going to give it to you.’ She was appreciative, really appreciative.”

Berry’s daughter will be a fine addition to kids’ play dates, O’Dell Says, though she joked that she was holding out for Berry to have a boy.

“I’m glad she had a girl, so the girls can play, but the other side of me went, I bet that would be a very attractive young boy to set up with my girl,” O’Dell said. “I was pulling for either one.”

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