In a world of double income families, the still single income homes with housewives or mothers are bombarded with numerous work at home opportunities, some of which are pure scams. It is a frustrating job to fish out the real opportunities from this mix of schemes, some of which you might pay money without receiving anything in return.

Don't lose hope! There are legitimate work at home opportunities, the most popular of which is direct sales or multi-level marketing (MLM). Working for a direct sales company can be an excellent source of income, provided you do significant research into the financial status of the company and are willing to network with potential customers.

Working from home is ideal for new mothers because they save on daycare expenses, they can work when the baby naps, and they can schedule their presentations or phone calls when other family members are available to watch the children. If kids are home sick from school, then moms can arrange their schedule accordingly.

If you don't feel confident as a sales person, there are other work at home opportunities that appeal to mothers, such as:

* Network Marketing - involves some sales and encourages others to use the product(s) offered by your particular company. Many times your customers are also encouraged to recruit their own circle of friends into the network.

* Affiliate Programs - sell someone else's product and receive a commission for each sale. This is most commonly done online with a website or blog marketed to a particular target market.

* Data Entry Programs - enter specific data into a company-owned computer software program. Or work independently entering data into online forms for other companies. Requires attention to detail and a strong internet connection.

* Paid Online Surveys - register with market research companies, fill out some personal background information, and these companies will send you email surveys about particular topics. If you qualify for the survey and complete it, your reward is usually either money, prizes, or points that are redeemed for a prize.

* Type At Home Work - also known as transcription, typists listen to audio files and type each and every spoken word. Medical and legal transcription often requires specific training due to the technical jargon used.

While working from home sounds like the perfect opportunity to earn extra money for your family, keep in mind that some of these opportunities may require a small investment for supplies, software, goods, and equipment used in your training.

Remember, there is virtually no service that provides you with a free lunch in our cutthroat times, so a small amount of money utilized in beginning a certain job is quite legitimate. But of course, there are people out to trick you, so investigate any opportunity completely and think out every detail before you decide to invest in it.

There is also increased competition from other mothers who yearn to keep their children out of daycare centers so be realistic about your skills and your ability to work at home and meet the job deadlines. Strengthen your skills prior to applying and also network with others looking for telecommuting job opportunities. Getting honest feedback from someone who has worked with a certain company can better prepare you for the interview or test.

If you are interested in working from home after your baby is born, take some time prior to the birth to research various work at home opportunities and find companies that will let you make your own schedule so you can work around your baby's schedule. Sometimes the hiring process can drag on but the time is worth spending to be home with your baby.