Share Your Story is a warm, supportive community filled with families who have been touched by, inspired by, or personally affected by the mission of March of Dimes. We’re committed to guiding moms and dads through every stage of pregnancy, through their NICU journey, through the unimaginable heartbreak after a loss. It's a place where families understand those terrifying moments with a seriously ill child, where a new parent can seek and find comfort, where a mom can learn more about her child's rare condition. Because of the sensitive, emotional nature of Share, it's easy to let our guards down. But Share Your Story is a place where we need to "share with care."

As a support community, we want to be as open as possible to help as many people as we can. If you take precautions, you can safely tell your story, share your child's photos and experiences, and meet new, understanding friends. We have provided this list of community guidelines to help you have a positive experience.

Guidelines:

1. It's all in a name. When creating your user I.D., avoid using your real first AND last names or the last names of your children- unless you are sure you want people to know exactly who you and your children are.
2. Share is an open site. Unless you block your blog, posts, photos, and galleries, any search engine can find your content. Anything you say can be saved and read for months to come. And remember, even when you block your posts from the search engines, these posts are still available for anyone to read as they browse the site.
3. Reveal with care. Never give your phone number or address to someone you meet online unless you're SURE who they are and you are willing to have phone or visitor contact. Additionally, information shared on Share is public information – do not post your contact details, date of birth and names that can connect your health information to your identity. Don't give your password to others.
4. The doctor is in... and may not like seeing his or her name in your online posting. Protect the identity of your helping (or not so helpful) professionals. Tell the story, or share a name. But don't say both.
5. Speaking of doctors... The Materials contained on the MOD Sites are provided for educational and informational purposes only. The March of Dimes is not engaged in rendering medical advice or recommendations. The Materials are not a substitute for professional medical advice and treatment or your consultation with qualified physicians and other health care professionals regarding your individual health needs.
6. Picture *This*... Your pictures reveal a lot about you and your baby! Be sure they are something you'd show your mentor, your best friend AND the local paper. Many of us have pictures of ourselves as naked babies, but they're not posted on the Internet for all to see. Protect your baby's privacy. Please don't post naked pictures of your children. NICU pictures are OK.
7. Share only what is yours. Think twice before posting pictures or quotes that do not belong to you. You may find yourself in copyright trouble.
8. Read generously and assume good intent. Don't be too quick to judge another's words. In the online world, we can't hear the tone of another person's voice, see her body language or know the context in which she's writing. So we may mistakenly take offense and respond in haste.
9. Face-to-face with caution. Over time, many people become friends online and want to meet in person. Take care and be sure you have your first meeting in a public . March of Dimes is not responsible for the behaviors of individuals outside of the walls of Share Your Story.
10. No spam allowed. Do not use automated profiles to access Share or post blogs to promote your business. Posts with spam or soliciting financial support are not allowed. Do not post any links containing viruses or harmful content.
11. Speak kindly. Share Your Story is a safe community full of love and support. Please do not use vulgar, harmful or offensive language. We reserve the right to delete posts or blog entries we deem offensive, inaccurate, or misleading, or that do not comply with our guidelines. The opinions of our members do not reflect March of Dimes opinion.
12. Share is for support, not medical advice. If a member posts something misleading, we will make our best effort to identify and correct/delete it. But be aware that member-generated content should not replace advice from your health care professional.
13. By signing up to Share Your Story, you agree to our March of Dimes terms of use.