When I was pregnant with my son, I was constantly on the Internet reading up on pregnancy. Websites, message boards, blogs, I wanted to know everything. And in the end, I found out I learned too much unnecessary info, and not enough practical information.
I spent my days scared to death my baby wasn’t moving enough, convinced each doctor’s appointment would yield some terrible news, petrified that some food I was ingesting would ruin my unborn child for life.
Then, he was born. And I checked his breathing all the time, worried the formula I was supplementing with would make him slow, etc and etc.
Eventually, my time to spend trolling the Internet dwindled, especially when I went back to work. I found an amazing phenomenon… I suddenly wasn’t agonizing over every milestone or convinced making the choices best for our family (like supplementing with formula) would lead us all to ruin.
It really didn’t hit me until I became pregnant with my second child. I realized I wasn’t worried before each doctor’s appointment or dreaming up end of the world scenarios. Between taking care of a toddler, making it through morning sickness, and trying to become a published author, there wasn’t time to read about every possible tragedy.
So, my best advice to pregnant Moms? Avoid the Internet, utilize your doctor’s knowledge, confide in friends/family who have given birth. Worrying over every little thing is taxing, and you have better things to think about.
Nicole Helm 