The aim of this research was to analyze conversations between expectant families (N = 21) in Net Clinic, an Internet-based service designed for patients using public maternity care. The online conversations, shared opinions about experiences of pregnancy, and family life constituted the data for content analysis. The families developed a sense of virtual community, which gradually evolved into a real-life community, by discovering the similarity of their life situations and by giving parent-to-parent support for everyday life events. As a view of daily family life, Net Clinic offers maternity care professionals a deeper understanding of how to enhance safer pregnancy, birth, and growth of the family.
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Kouri et al. (2006) studied this question.
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