Now with 3,000 members, it's become a point of interest for many moms across town.

"The members have slowly come," said Gillespie.

Now that they've come, they're here to stay.

The forum became a reality in August 2005 after Gillespie realized the need for a support system for new moms in Milton. She'd been a member of a similar, but American website while she was pregnant, and wanted local moms to have somewhere that felt more like home.

Getting the word out about her creation took some hard work.

Gillespie went around sticking homemade fliers in mailboxes, and told everyone she knew. She's never done any paid advertising, but moms throughout Milton have kept coming back for more, regardless.

"A lot of women come here (to Milton) and don't know anyone," said Gillespie.

It's a way for them to connect with other local women. Gillespie provides the virtual space and the means; the members give support, share advice and organize events around town, such as play dates and moms' nights out.

A new addition to the site -- an anonymous general discussion section -- allows members to tackle issues without restraint. Their user names, and thus their identities, shed, they can speak their mind without being embarrassed or shy.

"It's made the forum go in a different direction," said Gillespie. It's shifted the focus to women in general, rather than just strictly moms, she says.

Members can still post as themselves on virtually any topic they wish; Milton events, trying to conceive, money and finances, relationships, product reviews and gift ideas are just a few examples of the many sub-forums on the site.

GREAT SUPPORT NETWORK

One of the most attractive features of the site has been the friendship and support the members offer each other.

When one of its most active members died unexpectedly, the community rallied around the family left behind.

They brought freezer meals to her grieving husband and two young children, and organized other benefits.

This and other experiences with the site have profoundly affected many members.

Coleen Thompson and her family moved to Milton from Edmonton in December 2007, and she's thankful she discovered Milton Moms.

"One day a thread started about getting together some moms with babies in the same age group. Many months later I can say that I have gone from not knowing anyone to having an amazing network of friends for both myself and my 6-month-old daughter," she said in an email.

It's been just as life-altering for Natalisa Chatterjea, who moved to Milton a year-and-a-half ago.

Chatterjea "didn't know a soul in Canada" when she joined Milton Moms several years ago. She'd relocated to Mississauga (before Milton) from India and given birth to a son. She craved support for herself -- and her son.

"I haven't seen anything like this anywhere in the world," she said of the Milton Moms community.

She recounts how once, when she was sick, members dropped food off on her doorstep. Recently, at her son's birthday party, she looked around only to realize that half her guests were friends she'd made through the Milton Moms forum.

Visit or join the Milton Moms' community at www.miltonmoms.net.