Eleven months after resigning from a high-powered job following the birth of her second child, Fiona's husband Ian returned from work and all Fiona could tell him about was the housework.

Her new life as a stay-at-home mum was a far cry from the kind of life that she was used to, and living in Conisbrough, far away from the support network of her family in the North East, Fiona felt increasingly isolated.

"When you've gone from being very busy with work and responsibility to not having that it can be very isolating and it can make you feel very alien," Fiona said, "I found that I did not know quite what to do."

But things changed shortly afterwards when Ian, 39, spotted a report on BBC Breakfast about a national organisation called Netmums, who bring mums together to provide a network of support and friendship.

"I logged on and found a number of mums like myself," the former railway industry contracts controller said, "It can feel a bit weird as you are meeting people over the internet but you quickly get over that. As it happened one of the ladies in the BBC report, Leanne Fletcher, subsequently got in touch as she only lives down the road.

Two years on and now a mum of three, Fiona, 35, says that her quality of life has taken a turn for the better after joining the Netmums group for the "Doncaster and Rotherham borders" area.

"I now have a really lovely circle of friends and I think we'd stay in touch now even if we didn't have the Netmums connection. "It's completely changed my life. If you feel like you can have an adult conversation it makes all the difference.

"It gives children the opportunity to go out and meet other children. If you are at home all day with the children then the kids are not getting to socialise and if you are on your own it can be daunting walking into a play group," she explained.

The group have since organised picnics, walks and days and nights out, including a "works night out" every Christmas.

And Netmums are keen to emphasise that the groups are open to carers, dads and grandparents and there are members across the area who can be contacted via the website www.netmums.com.

The next meeting of the Doncaster and Rotherham borders group is 10am on September 17 at Manor Farm Wacky Warehouse, Old Denaby, and anyone wanting to join is welcome.