babyandbump.com

==Baby and Bump==

===What kind of Website is it?===

Baby and Bump is a forum website – there’s nothing else on there, they’re not trying to sell you anything, there are no articles, no news, nothing but forum posts, and a chat room. If you think that sounds boring, you’re wrong. This website is totally and utterly addictive and is where I idle hours of my days away. Of course, you have to fit into a certain kind of box to ...
...groups of people – those who are hoping to get pregnant, those who are currently pregnant, those who have suffered a miscarriage, and those who have children.

The main forum is divided into sections for each of these three groups, and there is also a general “lounge” type section for those posts which don’t fall into any of the other categories. Each of the main sections is subdivided into other areas.

For example, in the ... more

Baby and Bump

What kind of Website is it?

Baby and Bump is a forum website – there’s nothing else on there, they’re not trying to sell you anything, there are no articles, no news, nothing but forum posts, and a chat room. If you think that sounds boring, you’re wrong. This website is totally and utterly addictive and is where I idle hours of my days away. Of course, you have to fit into a certain kind of box to want to use this website – it’s aimed at four groups of people – those who are hoping to get pregnant, those who are currently pregnant, those who have suffered a miscarriage, and those who have children.

The main forum is divided into sections for each of these three groups, and there is also a general “lounge” type section for those posts which don’t fall into any of the other categories. Each of the main sections is subdivided into other areas.

For example, in the “trying to conceive” or (TTC) forum there are boards for those who are waiting to try for whatever reason (financial, medical and so on) but who still want to talk babies, those who are actively TTC, those who have been trying to conceive for over 12 months (long-term TTC or LTTTC). There are sections where you can post photos of home pregnancy tests to ask for second, third, or hundredth opinions on whether there really is a second line, sections to announce your pregnancy. The miscarriage forum can also be found here.

In the pregnancy forum, there are boards for each of the three trimesters, and even a forum for teens. Another board is for all pregnancy-related topics, and there is a new board for discussing baby names – may be you’ve picked a first name and want some suggestions for a middle name? Or you’ve got a few names in mind and want some second opinions – post them here and you’ll get a lot of responses.

For parents, there is a baby forum, which includes discussions on feeding with formula, breastfeeding, weaning, premature babies and post-natal support. For more experienced parents there is a separate parenting board, which is divided into toddlers, kids and teenagers, multiples, nutrition and single parents. There is also another board for more family-oriented posts, but this section tends not to be as popular as the rest of the site.

In each section there is a board called “journals”, which is perhaps the key to babyandbump’s success as a website.

The Journals

Instead of just posting questions and answers as in most forums, babyandbump allows you to set up your own journal – a kind of online diary where you can write anything you like about your quest to get pregnant, your trials and tribulations of pregnancy or your struggles as a new mom. The journals are a little bit like blogs, but are much, much simpler and therefore easier to use and require less motivation. Most members start their own journal after writing a few posts on the site. When you have you own journal, you basically write whatever you want – about your feelings, ttc activity, doctor’s appointments, love-life – anything at all, and other members of the forum will also post in your journal, making a kind of dialogue. It’s an excellent way to make online friends. People tend to write very candidly in their journals and share very intimate details of their lives. (Of course, you don’t have to do this, but the anonymity provided by the site makes it quite safe to do so). As a result, there is a huge support network on BnB (as it is known by its members), with many members writing comments about having better friends online than they do in real life. Journals are just like forums posts elsewhere – you can add photos, links, youtube videos and smilies as you want. The difference is that you “own” the thread which is your own forum, and members often refer to their journals as their “house”. Members who have built up strong friendships this way often pop into each other’s “houses” several times a day to say hello, share news and see what’s going on. It’s a very lively forum and it is extremely rare to see posts go unanswered.

Members

The vast majority of members are women, which isn’t surprising given the subject matter. There are a few male members though, and there is a forum which is men-only too. Most of the women on there would prefer to think that there weren’t any men reading the stuff they write though! (Men, you wouldn’t want to read it anyway, believe me!) Age groups are mostly late-teens to early 40’s, with most members being in their 20’s and 30’s. The teens tend to stick together in the teen section, as they usually have different agenda from the “older” members.

Most members come from the UK, but there is a large proportion from the US, Canada and South Africa, as well as the odd member from just about everywhere else.

Joining the Forum

It’s free and simple. You need to supply an email address and password, and you can then fill in some personal details if you so wish. (It’s easier to make friends if you do). You can add an avatar, a forum signature (most people choose photos, tickers and blinkies – affiliate links are not allowed), and you also get a profile page which you can alter the colour scheme of and add extra photos to. You can choose what kind of subscription to each thread you want – i.e. if you want an email notification or not.

Other Forum Things

There are 3 private forums, which you need to apply to the moderators if you want to join. They are girls only, men only and over 18’s. I’m a member of the girls and over 18’s forum, but to be honest I don’t use them much. They are a good place to rant or post rude anecdotes, but not something I find I need in my life right now!

There is a private message service, with the option to download your messages.

The look of the forum is simple and user-friendly. It’s a uniform pinky-purply colour throughout (except for your profile page, which is customisable). There are a lot of Google ads up, but the vast majority of these disappear when you become a registered member. The site is fast, although there have been the odd blips in service, mostly due to server upgrades a result of increased membership. The search function works well.

There are an awful lot of abbreviations used by members, but the site has a handy function which underlines them and explains them with a tooltip, so there’s no need to feel confused.

How I Use the Site

I started using BnB when I was trying for my second baby. I had never really listened in biology lessons at school and was beginning to wonder why it was taking me such a long time to get pregnant. BnB came up when I googled something about ovulation, and I immediately got hooked. BnB members range from those who got pregnant after a one-night stand to those who have been TTC for more than 10 years and who have undergone various forms of IVF. As such, there is a huge knowledge base there, and there will always be someone who has experienced the same things as you and who can offer a supportive shoulder. Very quickly I made friends with a bunch of women who were mostly in the same situation as me, and one of them encouraged me to start my own journal.

My first, TTC journal started in May last year, and was a real eye-opener for me. I learnt a huge amount about my own body (and a lot about other people’s) and discovered that I was making quite a few mistakes. Sharing the anguish of failing to get pregnant month after month with women who really know how you feel definitely eases the burden. After 17 months of trying, I eventually fell pregnant after 4 months of BnB membership. I closed my TTC journal and opened a pregnancy one, and all my friends continued to follow me on this new step of my journey. I’m now keeping my parenting journal up, and it’s still as addictive as ever. I would say I probably write in my own journal 2 or 3 times on average, and probably get 8-10 posts from my online friends in return. Likewise I have about ten friends whose “houses” I visit on a daily basis. I also use the forum for breastfeeding advice, as well as the toddler’s forum. We don’t only chat about babies, Just in case you were wondering! Most of us have been friends for more than a year and we talk about everything from jobs and holidays to shopping and pets. As a mum of 2 who is stuck at home most of the day, I find BnB to be a lifeline- it stops me feeling lonely, makes me laugh and gives me so much support.

Conclusion

If you are trying for a baby, pregnant or a new mum, this website will have lots to offer you. I warn you though, that the members are so warm and friendly that if you join you will get sucked in very quickly and will soon be an addict. I know new mums who log on in the middle of the night when they get up to feed their babies!

 

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