An Extended Family

"When April Andrews, 37, became pregnant for first time, she had just moved from Boston to Los Angeles so her husband could attend graduate-school. Like all first-time moms-to-be, April craved the reassuring companionship of women who had already traveled the path toward motherhood.

Time zones away from family and friends, April turned the Internet into a virtual park bench, a place she could stop by daily to re-create a sense of community. In online newsgroups, she could tap into a stream of wisdom from women worldwide--without worrying about the cost of long-distance phone calls.

"I asked what kind of food to eat, what positions to sleep in, and what to do about back pain and morning sickness," she says. "I couldn't have my grandmother and mother around, but online advice really helped fill the gap." After her son, Dashiell, was born this past May, April struggled with postpartum depression and with getting used to breastfeeding.

"Even if my family were right here, I don't know if they would have provided the same kind of support," she says. "I would have gotten advice from just one or two people. On the Internet, there were hundreds of people in my situation." (Courtesy of http://www.cyber24.com)