Chat Room

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Chat Room
Chat with other parents and mums-to-be, make friends, get advice and support or just have a laugh. TheBabyWebsite Chat is open 24 hours a day.

About TheBabyWebsite Chat

You need to be a member of TheBabyWebsite to use Chat so if you haven't registered then now's a good time to do it!  REGISTER HERE

Below are some pointers to help you use TheBabyWebsite Chat Rooms.

Chat Safety
Chat 'Netiquette'
Chat Dos and Don'ts
Logging Into Chat
Chat Users
Abbreviations and Acronyms

Already read the blurbs below?  Enter the Chat Here

Chat Safety

Our main chat room is open 24 hours a day and will be moderated on a regular basis.

We recommend that you don't share your real name, address, email, telephone number or any other personal information with your friends in chat. TheBabyWebsite.com staff and moderators, will never ask you to disclose this information in a public chat room.

We advise you that the views expressed within the chat room are only those of individual members. Even if you are offered advice about your health or your family's health, we always advise you to seek professional advice from your doctor, midwife, health visitor or other medical professional.
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Netiquette

Just because you're hiding behind a fake identity, it doesn't give you an excuse to be impolite or rude on the internet. There are no definitive rules, but most people tend to agree that:

BulletYou should read the etiquette rules below first.

BulletIt's good to 'lurk' just for a little while before you make any posts. Hang around the community for a bit, listening and observing, to get a feel for the place. You'll soon know what the big "don'ts" are. But, if someone talks to you, don't ignore them.

BulletDon't forget that there are people behind the words. You may only see text on the screen, but remember that there are people with emotions on the other side of your computer.

BulletDon't swear, don't offend and most importantly, don't send an intentionally nasty or provocative message (called a 'flame').

BulletThe truth is out there. Don't lie or you will never be able to take your chatting any further. If you're a mother of three or a 16-year-old student, be honest. You'll come unstuck eventually, we promise.
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Chat etiquette - The dos and don'ts

BulletDon't announce your own arrival. There's no need to. People can see when a new chatter enters a room.

BulletDon't ignore people if they make small chat. If you're in a chat room, that's what you do. You can take time to settle in, but don't come and go too much without saying a word - it's not polite.

BulletDo use the occasional emoticon to give body and feeling to the written word. ;-)

BulletDon't change the subject. If you're in a chat room dedicated to 'trying to conceive', don't start talking about train fares.

BulletDo try to keep your messages simple.

BulletDon't use images unless they're really necessary and welcome.

BulletKeep your posts short. If you have a long thought, break it up into lines that end ... so people get your message in stages.

BulletDo use acronyms to keep messages short.

BulletDon't be put off if someone is slow to respond.

BulletDo use a chatter's name to catch their attention. But remember that chat is a group thing - if you want to have a personal conversation, you can use the private messaging system by double clicking on their name.

BulletDon't type in caps unless you mean to SHOUT. It's loud, rude and difficult to read. Use all lower case or email shorthand instead.

BulletDo scan carefully. You'll need to read quickly but make sure that you understand what was said before you reply.

Please familiarise yourself with the forum and chat rules.
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Logging on to TheBabyWebsite Chat

All you need to use TheBabyWebsite chat service is to be a member of TheBabyWebsite.com. Your username and password is used to log on to our forum, from which you can go to our chat service.
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Chat room users

We try to make sure that our chat rooms are used by people looking for normal, friendly conversation with other like-minded people. However, it is in the nature of online chat that we are not able to completely prevent misuse of the chat facility while also keeping it available to to all. We hope we have the balance right.

The chat room is moderated at various times throughout the day. It may be that someone could still say something you are offended by. If this happens in public conversation, our advice is simply to not to take it too seriously and to choose to ignore this person (double click on their name in the right hand column and select 'ignore this member').


Acronyms and Abbreviations

ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
ADs Antidepressants
AF Auntie Flo (period aka menstruation)
AFAIK As far as I know
AFK Away from keyboard
AKA Also known as
A/S/L Age/Sex/Location
ASOS As seen on screen
ATK At the keyboard


B4N Bye for now
BAK Back at keyboard
BB Body Balance
BBL Be back later
BBS Be back soon
BC Body Combat
BD 'baby dancing' Having sex with intent of creating a baby!
BF Boyfriend or breastfeed
BFN Big fat negative (pregnancy test)
BFP Big fat positive (pregnancy test)
BH Braxton Hicks ('practice' contractions)
BM Bridesmaid or Best Man
BMI Body Mass Index
BOB Baby on board
BOGOF Buy one get one free
BP Body pump
BRB Be right back
BTW By the way

CBM Chief bridesmaid
CD Cycle day
CM Cervical mucus
CON Call of nature
CP Cervical position
CU See you
CV Cardiovascular
CVS Chorionic villus sampling (invasive test)
CYA See ya

DBF Darling boyfriend
DD Darling daughter
DH Darling husband
DOB Date of birth
DP Darling partner
DPO Days past ovulation
DS Darling son
DW Darling wife

EDD Estimated due date
EPU Early pregnancy unit
EWCM Egg white cervical mucus

FAMK For all mankind
FAO For the attention of
FAQ Frequently asked questions
FB F*ck buddy
FFS For f*ck's sake
FIL Father in law
FOC Free of charge
FWIW For what it's worth
FYI For your information

GF Girlfriend
GLB4UGH Get lost before you get hurt
GMTA Great minds think alike
GR8 Great
GTGN Got to go now
GTTL Gone to the loo

H2B Husband to be
HB Husband
HCG Human chorionic gonadotrophin (pregnancy hormone)
HG Hyperemesis gravidarium (championship puking during pregnancy)
HKBL Hong Kong bag lady
HPT Home pregnancy test
HTH Hope this helps
HV Health visitor

IASA I am so annoyed
IMHO In my honest/humble opinion
IMO In my opinion
IRL In real life
IYSWIM If you see what I mean

L8R Later
LDR Long distance relationship
LF Low fat
LMAO Laughing my a**e off
LOL Laugh out loud
LT Luteal phase
LTNS Long time no see
LTR Long term relationship

MC Miscarriage
MIL Mother-in-law
MM Married man
MOB Mother of the bride
MOG Mother of the groom
MOH Maid of honour
MW Midwife

NAP Net a Porter
NL New Look
NOMDB Not over my dead body

OH Other half
OIC Oh I see
OMG Oh my god
OPK Ovulation predictor kit
OTOH On the other hand
OV/OVD Ovulation
OW Other woman

PG Pregnant
PMSL Peeing myself laughing
POV Point of view

ROFL Rolling on the floor laughing
ROTFLMAO Rolling on the floor laughing my a**e off

SA Sales Assistant
SB Shag buddy
SIL Sister in law
SPD Symphysis pubis dysfunction (pelvic pain in pregnancy)
SSTM Smiling smugly to myself
STD Sexually transmitted diseases
SWL Squeals with laughter

T&T Tried and tested
TBH To be honest
TIA Thanks in advance
TMI Too much information
TRDF Tears rolling down my face
TTFN Ta ta for now
TTC Trying to conceive
TXL Thanks loads
TY Thank You

WAH Work at home
WB Welcome back
WI With irony
WTG Way to go
WW Week wait
WYBMADITY Will you buy me a drink if I tell you?

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We finally advise that you do not disclose any personal information in your chats.

Happy Chatting!

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