Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Internet: bad for parenting advice?

Mom, I see you! Get off the computer!
So I am truly part of that generation that looks to the internet every time I have a question. This has never been more true at any time in my life than now. Why? It's easy. You get your answer quickly. The baby has dry skin on his face, I'm googling "what is the best type of baby lotion for baby's face?", the baby's first bottles caused his entire mouth/chin, bib, and neck to be soaked with formula, I'm googling "what is the slowest type of nipple?" (We switched to Dr. Brown, they are the best) You get the picture. This can be a good thing and a VERY bad thing. I think it is very typical of a FTM (first time mom, there is this whole world of acronym lingo in the parenting world: SAHM = stay at home mom, EBF = exclusively breast feeding, LO = Little One, FF = Formula Fed, it is kind of out of control! Just another thing I had to google when I started reading message boards) When I was pregnant I had to stop myself because any little symptom had me running to the computer, when I should have just been listening to the doctors and midwives. Not that my pregnancy was that difficult, but I had a few little bumps along the way and googling my symptoms caused me way more anxiety than if I had not had such infinite access to the internet (iphone didn't help in this situation). I don't want to do the same thing when it comes to Jack because I don't want to get myself overly nervous for no reason. Yes it is easy, and for some questions I will definitely turn to google, but you have to take everything you read on-line with a grain of salt. I have learned to take the time and look it up in one of my many baby books first, and then if it is major concern, call the pediatrician. Being a mother is challenging enough without unnecessary stress! 


Polyhydramnios

2 comments:

  1. Yay for your blog! OK so this is totally not the same thing, but I never had a dog before, and every time Fritz so much as hiccuped (ok dogs don't hiccup but you know what I mean) and I tried to use Google, the internet was like "IT IS BLOAT YOUR DOG IS GOING TO DIE TAKE HIM TO THE VET IMMEDIATELY." I can only imagine it is 10 times worse for babies! You are right to stay away from the internet as much as you can!

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  2. haha! you would have gone broke at the Vet! It is worse for babies, but I (think) I am getting better.

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