Support in the strangest places

I got pregnant with my second child only 10 months after my first was born. It had taken a long time and a pregnancy loss with my first, plus I was on bed rest, most of it in the hospital, for six weeks before delivering him early by c-section and having a long, not fun recovery. My first pregnancy was pretty much all consuming for my family. I did not think my friends and family, as wonderful as they were, should have to hear me go on and on about another pregnancy so soon. So I did something I really never thought I would...I joined an online group of moms whose babies were due in January 2000.

My second child will be eight this January and these women are still some of the most important people in my life. When something happens - good or bad - I immediately think about when I will get home to tell them. We laugh together, cry together, celebrate all of our and our families successes, and provide each other support for everything from annoying husbands to, in three terrible, tragic cases, the death of our online friends' children. My real-life friends know that I speak about my internet friends on the same level I speak about them. (I have met several in real life).

What does this have to do with being on bed rest, you ask? These people helped keep me sane during my last bed rest. I lived for our weekly chats. In between, I'd post to the message board as much as I needed to. I loved having a place to write out all the crap I had been through that day, to talk about the crazy things people said, to complain about the dust under the stereo - anything. Blogging wasn't big then, it may not have even existed. I needed people to listen and support me.

We want to be that place for you, but we also want you to share with others where and how you have found support beyond that of your family and friends. Is there some support group without whom you couldn't get through this? Is there something specific we can do to get you through this? We've gotten a few e-mails from folks on bed rest, but they haven't posted here. Tell us what we can do to make you feel comfortable posting. We really want to build this community, and your ideas about how we can do this and be a better support for you would be very helpful. In the meantime, your sharing what other sites have been helpful to you may help others.

Thank you - and try to stay sane!!

Regina and Kathie