Vipers' nest? Come counter our hissy rep with your stories of Mumsnet Niceness

I'm particularly impressed by the barristers and solicitors who give their time and advice for free on the legal issues board, the doctors and nurses on the health boards, not to mention the planning officers on that epic thread about the illegal house gym being built in a neighbours' backyard. But the general support and hand-holding for those going through incredibly difficult times in their personal lives - divorces, deaths, sick family members - is also amazing. MN, by and large, is a force for good and for hope in the world.

exotic :( I hope she is finding some comfort somewhere else.

People have all mentioned the big things.

For me personally it was that MN was such a massive source of support when I had PND after I had DS1 - especially all the lovely ladies from the Slatterns/Procrastinators thread, past and present.

New name, look
I'd never have met the rest of the Puddlehumpers without MN & the support & understanding & sheer fun I've had from them has been wonderful. Also what snice said about becoming more tolerant.

I'm sorry about that other poster though, exoticfruits

We need a tissue emoticon sometimes !

The people who answered my thread during this horrible week when I posted for advice on my daughter's health, particularly because there are MH issues and RL people would never be so open. Outweighs any viperishness (though I suspect that is more to do with general discomfort with wimmin having strong opinions and having the gall to express them).

Lots of practical advice on the London 2012 threads about travel options, buggy parks etc.

Feeling better yet Helen & co?

Have a good w/e & hope you all get a little sunshine.

I'm so glad this thread has been started. I love mumsnet. Yes, you get a lot of negative but you get that everywhere and as long as people can rise above (and not throw too many buns) then things are fine.

I name changed a while back as I was so embarrassed about a problem I had. It literally took all my courage to start a thread but I was so desperate and in a really really dark place. The responses I got and the help I found literally saved me. I was considering 'other options' as things had got so bad but some amazing people helped me through and I'll never ever forget that.
I wouldn't have been able to reach out in rl so having mumsnet really helped.

You lot have literally changed my life, for the better.
Thanks

Several years ago when DS was about 3-4 he desperately wanted a Baby Annabel doll. Reluctant to spend a vast amount of money on a doll he would play with for about six months before abandoning I posted about it here for advice. A lovely MNer whose daughter had several Baby Annabel dolls...and was getting yet another for Xmas asked her DD if she would part with one of her old ones for DS and sent it to me. I sent her DD £5 back for some nice treats. DS is now 10 and we still have Baby Annabel although these days she sits in my room. Recently I decided to dress her up and bought her an outfit in the sale at the toy shop...she looks lovely and DS took a whole new interest (but don't tell him I've told you that)

So thank you to that lovely MNer, we have really enjoyed and appreciated the lovely doll and she is still loved seven years on.

I could name lots of lovely things about MN if I sit and think,

the time someone was suicidal and made a suicide attempt, MNers worked out where she lived, got her help and did a collection for her afterwards.

The time an MNer quite obviously had an ectopic pregnancy her doctors had missed.....everyone pushed her to go back....and we were right. Again there was a collection for her to help ease her recovery.

Missy whose husband had a heart transplant....had lots of support from the site and some money collected went towards a family holiday for them.

The Xmas parcel thing which I have never taken part in but keep meaning to.

The blankets which are crafted for MNers who have had to go through the death of a child.

All these things missed by the journalists.

All these stories are lovely, and true. I personally have been helped by a poster.
Unfortunately there are the two sides and you can find plenty of the negative too.
I am somewhat haunted by a terrible story in 'bereavement' on Tuesday- as far as I know I was the only person to reply and the poster asked for her thread to be deleted- which was done. I so wish that she had got the replies and if she were to read this she would probably be in tears because she didn't get the wonderful support that people are saying they had. She posted early in the morning and poured her heart out. I only replied because I couldn't bear to see it ignored and then bumped it up in the hopes that someone more helpful would see it. I was so concerned I contacted MNHQ but there is nothing to be done. I feel that we let her down. Had MN been around when I was newly bereaved I am not sure that I would have used it for support, you could end up feeling more lonely and lost than you did in the first place.
I think there should be more demarcation between support and debate.
e.g. if a woman wants support on going back to work early she wants practical suggestions and not to be told that she shouldn't be going back to work. This doesn't mean that you can't have 'robust' debate - but in a different place.
Maybe MN has just grown so large that it is time to think of altering it slightly so that women can get support and have abstract arguments but not on the same thread.

When my baby was born with a cleft palate became jaundiced and developed pneumonia I was terrified she would die and stayed with her every second.
When she was about two weeks old I left her on the hospital for one night with dh and came home to shower and sleep.
I felt so alone and desperate that I couldn't stop crying and posted on mn for support.
What I got back was support that I will never forget.
From just people sending their best wishes to knowledgable people who have me advice and reassurance.
I was able to rest and go back to the hospital ready to help her fight.
She is two now and people will seriously never know how dark I felt that night and how much their words helped me in the dead if night when everyone else was asleep.
Thank you so much.

Agree with snice and Hassled

I love you all

There was also a thread ages ago where lots of us shared stories of pnd and how we had got well again to help others. I don't remember where it was posted and I think I was on there as 4madboys I didn't start the thread tho.

What Snice said - I'm also a much nicer, more tolerant person than I ever used to be, and it's because MN has given me the opportunity to see the bigger picture. It's given me perspective on life.

It's also given me the only chances I've ever really had to talk about the loss of my parents. When I got to the age my mother was when she died, I had a bit of a wobble - and the kindness and compassion and understanding that was just given to me (and it did feel like a gift) by random internet strangers meant a huge amount.

Here's one of the recent life-saving threads: Heart attack symptoms? Or just me being silly...?

Hope wrinklyraisin won't mind me posting it. And I know TheHumanCatapult ("the MNer who couldn't pee") was another life saved by MN.

I'm mostly housebound from M.E./CFS and when I found MN was mostly bed-and-sofa-bound. So MN has been a lifesaver for me in a different way. It's my window on the world. I post little, as have limited energy, but read very much more. It's helped me keep in touch with what being human means, which can easily sink from sight when you're alone with your failing body for days on end.

I've posted under 2 names. One for each dd. With dd1 in 2010 I was floundering as a new mum. There were many times where without the advice from those in "feed the world - bf/bottle" I would have been quite lost. My first birth was awful and I was in shock for weeks and overwhelmed and felt truly sorry for myself the support advice and faith I received from others that I could do it, would do it was immense. I can't speak for others but having someone available 24/7 saved my bacon. I'm sure I'd have been pnd without them.

With dd2 recently I've posted all over the shop in response to others and my own questions. I hope ive helped others as ive been helped in the past. Mn broadens my views, keeps me current and educates me.

Those who only see negatives have very small minds. Plainly why they only see the bad. There's an awful lot of good here. And I'm very grateful to it.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/miscarriage/1488636-Holy-mother-of-CRAP-this-was-defo-NOT-part-of-my-plans-what-the-jeff-do-i-do

This was nananaps original thread, but she was called nosleepwithworry then :)

I think MN is fab. It's broadened my mind and made me open to new experiences (except on Friday nights, no way jose) and I feel like it's made me a better person. Weirdly I'm more trusting, not less, despite some less than genuine posters.

The most lovely thread I've seen recently is one I can't/won't link to, but that actually is another reason I love MN. You've set up a special section for sensitive threads, and made it unsearchable. Recognising the need for that, and the fact that it's respected as a safe area is fantastic.

I had so much support from some lovely people over on the conception boards, especially when we received some news that we thought meant no more children for us (luckily we beat the odds). One lovely MNer sent me a load of washable nappies for DD2. I've also gone to collect a maternity dress from central London to send to an MNer elsewhere in the country, when she couldn't find it in a store nearer to here.

It's the little things that add up to a kind, supportive, wonderful whole.

Threads..not threw ads!

Oooh ooh oh the Nananaps threw ads, her first one was done under another name, andhow she shared the shock of being pregnant and the stress and worry and anxiousness she felt having had multiple miscarriages. The hand holding along the way as each s an showed a bean and a heartbeat etc and finally the birth if her baby boy :)

I was honored she shared her journey and I know it gave a lot of mnetters hope that miracles happen against all odds. And I know Nana appreciated the hand holding :)

Southsea's amazing threads in pregnancy. Her waters broke at 28 weeks whilst on holiday in America. MN kept her company while she was stuck in bed overseas for months. It was incredible to read the advice and support offered.

Lots of the others have been mentioned. The recent de cluttering/ house cleaning one really stuck with me.

And a fantastic 1st birthday it was too!