I recently had a friend who is trying to become pregnant ask me what my best piece of advice I had for a new mother was. At first I had no idea…my mind ran through many tidbits of advice that were helpful but could be found anywhere and I’m sure she would hear such things many times over the next 9 months. All of a sudden it hit me…something somebody should have told me from the beginning…something that would have saved me hours of fear, frustration and finger joint pain:
Step away from that computer!
I’ll admit I have a problem: A “Google-It addiction”! When I was younger and my friends and I came across a question we did not have an answer to we would chime “Let’s Google it!”. That worked well when you’re 15 and you want to know when the new Smallville season would begin airing or what happens if you go swimming shortly after dying your hair (nothing in case you were wondering!) But when you are a new mother Google is not your friend.
Typing in a simple question lead me to believe my child was having seizures…or that I had caused irreversible brain damage by accidently using the bulb syringe incorrectly, both of which are not true…at all! So over the past 6 months I have learned to stop using Google to answer my baby related questions. It’s better to pick up the phone and call my mom or another mom friend who is much calmer than I am.
I’ve learned to trust my instincts….the internet has no instincts! If I think my child is ready to have 6 ozs instead of 4 ozs, she is most likely ready I do not need to spend hours researching what the “average baby” is drinking at this stage in life. When in doubt it’s always OK to place a call to your pediatrician’s office!
Of course the internet is a wonderful place to find information, one of my favorite websites being babycenter.com. It’s a great website full of wonderful information! I almost always find answers to my questions…from experts, not from random people on the internet who get their information from random people on the internet ;)
So again my advice for new mothers is: Step away from that computer, take a deep breath and stay calm! If you wish to do research online this is crucial! Take everything you read with a grain of salt (or reality!) Look at professional websites, not online communities for the best advice and information!
