I never thought mom blogs were for me ...

From reporter (and mom) Adrienne Mand Lewin

When it comes to relying on the Web for information, I am far from a novice. I’m a journalist who has spent most of my career writing and reporting online. I frequently make purchases from large retailers, and I’ve bought and sold things on Craigslist. I don’t know how I got through life before there was Google.

Yet when I needed insight regarding my two young kids, the last place I turned to was the Web.

Sure, when I was pregnant I faithfully read sites like BabyCenter and iVillage and found them to be really helpful. But despite all the Web sites, blogs and groups devoted to being a parent, I didn’t think it would be for me. I pictured a world of judgment, snarky comments and criticism, where in anonymity strangers would feel free to offer their opinions in a way that the common courtesy of a conversation at the playground excludes. No, thanks.

What I found in reporting my story about motherhood and community for the TODAYMoms.com launch was actually the opposite. Women are finding support, comfort and friendship among their online peers that supplement their real-world relationships, and in some cases fill a void that those can’t offer. A lot of moms are taking their correspondences offline and making friends they wouldn’t have met if they hadn’t replied to someone’s question or post. And just the feeling of not being alone in their experiences as mothers is reassuring for many.

I don’t know that I’ll become the most active member of any groups or loyal reader of a particular blog. But next time one of my little guys does something strange that I’m sure no other child has ever done, chances are I won’t hesitate to look to other moms in cyberspace who can tell me what’s up. What about you?

Read Adrienne's full article, Motherhood 2.0: It takes an (online) village, on TODAYshow.com.

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