Why did you start using mumsnet?

[BexR]

For me it was pregnancy advice and support. It was one of many forums I visited but I soon found it was the most active and more on my wavelength.

Then I stuck around for breastfeeding advice. Then the relationship board was a huge support to me during an awful separation.

Lately it's more general interest, getting a dose of company during this shitty lonely time.

Interested to know if my mumsnet journey is typical!

I had a miscarriage about 5 years again and joined for support.

My mum had just died and I had a two year old. I thought there should be a website or chat room where mums could also all those safe questions they usually asked their mums.

I went online to set one up (had a name and everything) and found that those pesky mumsnet people had got these first. This was in ye olden days before everyone had a smartphone and apple was the machine of choice for graphic designers... (and the iPhone was a few years away).

It looked funny so I hung around.

I honestly can't remember! It was a long time ago now and lost in the mists of baby brain. Still here for the feeling of being connected to other mums and the laugh out loud moments. I've picked up some good advice a long the way and examined my own behaviours. I think its fair to say it has changed my life (in a good way) 😁

Oh yes excellent company during night feeds @Ladyface!

‘ where mums could also all those safe ‘ = where mums could ask those daft questions...

I see the technology may have got more predictive, but not smarter!

I started using it 16 years ago when I seen it described it as like a cozy Saturday night in with friends, which it was like then. It felt friendly and supportive in the days when life was all babies and toddlers and no break ever.

@BexR see my username-it is!

TTC and needing people to talk to who were also ttc and feeling down by the (long) process of it.

Came for the baby stuff, stayed for the funny stuff! Although I have had to take a few breaks due to the coronavirus stuff due to health anxiety 😟

I joined when Netmums went down.

This is a better site.

Haha mostly nice vipers though @Nestofvipers!

I don't have any friends and it makes me feel less lonely.

Oh that’s sad... 💐 🍸

Love Mumsnet. Helpful. Inciteful. Opened my eyes to a lot of behaviours. Skip past some threads, hate a random pile on or thread derailment. Not impressed by LTBs or Go NCs for tiny annoyances. Seen great support on here for relationships, breastfeeding, family arguments all of life really.

Joined when I started TTC no.2 (still are 2yrs later ) and decided I should offer some advice as a sort of 'giving back' approach - get ignored these days though - I'm too opinionated when it comes to 2 things: Brexit and Covid. But hey, only human aren't we.

I felt really sad and constantly worried after having my son. I felt like I was the onlyyyy person in the world who had a baby
I lurked here for ages, mainly for company whilst I felt like this and then finally signed up properly at the start of the first lockdown as again I felt like the only person who was worrying and found mumsnet calmed me down as it reminded me that I'm not alone.

I was so lonely when re relocated, and couldn't have the same connection to my online community back home.

MN gave me an insight into the British psyche, cultural norms, and gave me some seriously good advice about navigating schools and norms for teens over here etc.

It can be sad as fuck, and equally funny.

I Googled about an offer Sainsbury's was advertising, as it seemed too good to be true. Top of the search results was a Mumsnet thread, where (of course!) MN Mums were discussing it and had already come to the conclusion that it was, indeed, too good to be true . Thereafter I just stayed.

@BertieBotts I was on iVillage too!

I joined Mumsnet for relationship advice. I was told unanimously to run for the hills, and that he was abusive. I thought that I was unreasonable and must have explained badly, and hung on for another few years before realising that MN was right.

I googled something my DC were going on about cos I'd never heard of it and the first thing that came up on the search was a very funny mumsnet thread about said item.
This was around 15 years ago and I've been hooked ever since

I was going through a horrendous break up and one day on desperation I found myself googling ‘how to get over a break up’ or words to that effect. I stumbled on a thread on the relationships board and over the course of about three months I figured out that I had been in an emotionally abusive relationship for about seven years. I had a hundred lightbulb moments and finally managed to LTB after many previous attempts. Have been here ever since.

My neighbour was blocking me in with her pushchair. I'm disabled and couldn't get out. Her and landlord both had the attitude that as I'm not a mum I couldn't possibly understand the need and needed to get over myself.

I came here to get delibrately slated on AIBU.

I wasn't. I got so much help and support not only on thread but off and though it didn't stop until they moved at least I felt heard and understood.

No one ever believes me that the only place I found help was "nest of vipers" mumsnet and, on AIBU to boot. But I did.

There hasn’t been a really funny thread for a while (that I’ve seen).

I remember sitting waiting for ds at a sports club with mascara tears rolling down my cheeks as I tried not to laugh out loud reading a thread.

I ended up making those snortery hiccupy noises until another mum offered me a hanky and asked if I was ok. It was a rude thread so I couldn’t really explain that I was sniggering like a schoolgirl about poo.

You don’t get class like that at the mother and toddlers church group...

By delibrately slated I meant that was what I'd expected. I literally asked why I was being unreasonable. Only to be told I wasn't! I couldn't believe it.

I was a 20 yo student looking for advice from women who knew more than me. Still don't have kids, still value the advise on here.