CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: HAVING A BABY? INTERNET OFFERS WORLD OF PARENTING RESOURCES (COLUMN 32)

Cybertip: The countdown is on for the launch of SEMissourian.com, the Southeast Missourian newspaper's online product. We will keep you posted.

Peggy: Yes, it's true. I'm having a baby. OK, another baby. OK, OK, this is my fourth child. I can use all the advice I can get. Luckily, the Internet provides lots resources for parents.

Joni: A good place to start is Parent Soup.

http://www.parentsoup.com

This site has a lot of interactive stuff. One of my favorite places is called Parents' Picks. It asks parents to rate things like software, Internet sites, books, movies, videos, toys and games. You can read what other parents think and you can write in about what you think. Parents are pretty candid. Peggy, I think we should look at the baby names.

Peggy: Thanks, we've been struggling with a name.

Joni: Here's my second daughter's name, Bailey, French for bailiff, but original Old English for fortification. Maybe she'll be strong. It gives you several namesakes, like Rumpole of the Bailey. Let me check one for you, Peggy. Aw shucks, Dred isn't on the list.

Peggy: Thanks, but no thanks. We'll talk about names later. There are also a lot of discussion groups on this site, including one for baby names. The list of discussion groups is extensive. In addition, the site has online chat. To join in the conversation, you must get a free membership.

Joni: You can join weekly chats like "Let loose at lunch," "Sanity break" and "20-Something parents."

Peggy: Another parenting website is Parenthood, which is billed as the WWW community for parents and expectant parents.

http://www.parenthoodweb.com

Joni: This site has a quick poll: "Would you marry the same person?" yes or no? Right now, 96 percent of the people would.

Peggy: Other topics covered include pregnancy, sleep issues, surveys, and ask the pros. We checked out the pro's advice on dividing domestic responsibilities. The experts say domestic responsibilities can be a time bomb waiting to explode.

Joni: You can complete a policy of joint agreement and step-by-step suggestions on dividing the responsibilities.

Peggy: But's it's not all serious here. You can also send electronic postcards, including birth announcements. You can also announce a new arrival on the site.

Joni: Here's a helpful service. They list manufacturer recalls on baby and family merchandise. You can also find lots of advice, including shopping lists. You have lots of stuff to read and lots of ways to compare notes.

Peggy: I can keep track of my unborn child's development with their baby development chart. In my seventh month, it says the baby exercises by kicking. No kidding!

Joni: If you still haven't had your fill of pregnancy information, you can check out the interactive pregnancy calendar.

http://www.olen.com/baby/

Here you can build a day-by-day calendar detailing the development of a baby from conception to birth. You can create the calendar based on due date, date of your last menstrual period, or conception date.

Peggy: It tells something that is happening with baby or mom for every day of the pregnancy. For example, it says that next week my baby will develop taste buds.

Joni: You can also search the Encyclopedia Britannica for people born on your due date. Here's Winfield Scott, born June 13, 1786. He was an unsuccessful Whig candidate for president in 1852. What about Winfield?

Peggy: I think Rob and I already have some ideas, but thanks. Let's look at Parents Place.

http://www.parentsplace.com

This site has a children's health center, a pregnancy center and activity center.

Joni: Much of the site includes articles, including one on food as medicine. They suggest yogurt and chicken soup.

Peggy: The page is designed by two parents who want to open a dialogue with other parents around the world. They also want to make a few bucks, but what parents don't.

Joni: You can enter the birthday club. Enter your birthday and on that day the name of everyone registered pops up.

Peggy: Another page that looked like it offered good advice is Jill's Single Parent Support Page.

http://www.nucleus.com/(tilde)jlassali/

She looks at topics that include kids and divorce, dating and survival. She also talks about the special problems single parents have being both mother and father. Don't give up the faith, she says. It's all worthwhile.

Joni: She also has a place for single parents who would like to correspond with parents in a similar situation.

Peggy: With a house full of children, here's another resource that might be helpful. Dr. Greene's HouseCalls, pediatric wisdom for the information age. Since going online January 1996, he has received more than 650,000 hits.

http://www.drgreene.com

Joni: He's a real doctor, an author and public speaker. He answers representative questions from readers, like "What can I do to prevent SIDS?" "What is the danger of secondhand smoke?" or "Please give me information on head lice."

Peggy: For the most part, his advice seems reasonable. Another site to check out is LaLeche League International.

http://www.lalecheleague.org

The site is dedicated to providing information to women who want to breast-feed. They answer questions and help you link up with local chapters. They have all sorts of information, including breast-feeding and the law. Moms have their rights too.

Joni: No matter what type of parent you are: moms, dads, single, divorced, the web has lots of resources for you. If nothing else, you know you are not alone.

Peggy: What's your favorite parenting site? E-mail us at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

~Joni Adams is managing editor and Peggy Scott is graphics editor at the Southeast Missourian.