Does anyone else wonder how moms got through their days before Google? I mean, honestly. I'm pretty sure I use the Internet to search something related to one of my children every single day. Usually there is an element of embarrassment involved as well — thankfully Google doesn't seem to care that I have absolutely no idea what I am doing when it comes to parenting. And it all starts in pregnancy. So let's walk through the average search process of a new parent, because while the questions can be downright ridiculous, we've all been there, right?
"Do dollar-store pregnancy tests really work?"
Pregnancy is just the beginning of a mama's doctorate in googling things. From signs of pregnancy to easing morning sickness, the searching starts long before you even hear the heartbeat. And then it gets real . . .
- Do babies poop in the womb?
- How do babies breathe in utero?
- Can pregnant women eat sushi?
- Ways to figure out the sex of your baby at home
- How to induce labor
- Should I save my placenta?
- How many minutes apart should contractions be before going to the hospital?
"When do babies sleep through the night?"
Once the baby comes, so does the exhaustion, and it's full steam ahead with the searches on sleep. You littlest bundle's refusal to snooze is one of the biggest mysteries to new moms — and when you're at a loss for what to do, Google seems to know all the right answers.
- How little sleep can a person actually survive on?
- How early can I start sleep training?
- Why won't my baby sleep in her crib?
- Is it OK if my baby only sleeps in her swing?
- What time should babies sleep until?
- How can I get my baby to sleep longer?
"What does newborn poop look like?"
Aside from sleep, I'd say that new moms are second most concerned about the state of their babe's bowel movements. If you're dealing with your first child, then your baby's poop situation is one that will no doubt confuse you. Raise your hand if you've looked up any of the following:
- How often should my baby poop?
- How can you tell if there is blood in your baby's poop?
- Why is my baby's poop gritty?
- Why is my baby's poop yellow?
- When does baby poop start to smell?
- When does baby poop look like regular poop?
"Why won't my baby stop crying?"
And then there is the crying. Especially in the beginning, when you are not exactly sure how to decipher what your babe's shrieks mean. Especially in the middle of the night, when you have no idea how to get your baby to calm down and you've got your little one in one hand and your iPhone in the other. Perhaps you'd like to know:
- Is my baby colicky?
- How long can I let my newborn cry?
- Why won't my baby let me put her down?
- How can I tell if my baby has acid reflux?
- Do babies cry when they are mad?
- Why don't babies have tears?
"Why don't babies have bad breath?"
Maybe you read all the books, but the real-time ticker of life throws curveballs of confusions daily. OK, hourly. Babies are mysterious minibeings, so you turn to the Internet to answer your burning questions:
- Do babies have bad dreams?
- Is it normal for the umbilical cord stump to smell?
- Can babies get teeth at 1 month?
- Is it normal for babies to grunt/sweat?
- Can my baby see me?
- Is my baby afraid of my husband?
"What are the signs of a concussion?"
Health woes are big on a new mama's search mission. From bumps and bruises to aches and pains, thanks to the Internet, we're practically doctors when it comes to our kiddos. We're looking up several things:
- What is considered a high fever in a baby?
- Images of baby rashes
- Can my baby get the flu?
- How to treat a stuffy nose in a baby?
- Tylenol (Benedryl, Advil, etc.) dosage for children
- How can I tell if something needs stitches?
- Signs of food allergies in babies
- Does my child have an ear infection?
"When will my hair stop falling out?"
Postpartum concerns aren't limited to the baby; new moms have a slew of questions regarding themselves.
- How long does it take to lose the baby weight?
- How do you relieve mastitis?
- When does the Linea Nigra go away?
- How often do I need to do Kegels?
- Do men have maternal instincts?
- Can your uterus fall out postpartum?
"Is my breast pump saying something to me?"
Admit it: you felt like your breast pump repeated the same word over and over again — you're not alone, either. Don't believe me? Google it. A wealth of information on breast-feeding and bottle-feeding is at the tip of your fingers, no thanks to the nonjudgmental World Wide Web.
- Can my baby choke on my nipple?
- Can my newborn be allergic to my milk?
- How much breast milk should I be producing?
- Can I pump in a public restroom?
- What happens when my baby gets teeth?
- What bottle is best for breast-feeding babies?
- What is the best formula?
"What's the earliest age I can send my child to preschool?"
The buck doesn't stop with older children, either — the topics may venture away from newborn poop, but the searches stay consistent.
- How to get a picky eater to eat
- Toddler sleep regression
- Which is worse: twos or threes?
- What's the fastest way to potty-train?
- Does time-out mentally harm a child?
- Is my child gifted?
- Can you tell if someone is going to be a criminal when he is a toddler?
And don't even get me started on what the parents of teens are googling . . .