But now some hospitals have installed computer terminals in the obstetrics wards, allowing parents to create Web pages with photographs to announce new arrivals. Parents can fill a floppy disk with images of their newborn, load the photographs into the computer and select two for the Web page. After the parents fill in the date and time of birth, the baby's weight and length, and any other information, the Web page is ready to be seen by relatives and friends.
Parents can also set up an e-mail list of people they want to receive an alert.
N.Y. She found out about the service at a baby fair, so she had prepared a list of 60 e- mail addresses to take to the hospital. She and her husband were able to take photographs and create the site a few hours after she had the baby. Not having to wait for the film to develop and all that was wonderful. WelcomeNewborn terminals have been installed in four hospitals in the Northeast and will be in six more hospitals by the end of January, said Jennifer Peck, president of the company. Another birth announcement site, Thatsmybaby.net, has installed terminals in about 40 hospitals, most of them in the South.