by Laura Falin posted in Mom Stories

OK, young whippersnappers, here it is: When I first got pregnant, 14 years ago, I didn't have all these online forums and websites to read.
It was just at the beginning of this whole new world, where all our information and opinions and personal updates could be accessed online. Sure, there were some websites around, but not nearly as many as there are now, nor were they as easy to find. Instead, I got a copy of "What to Expect When You're Expecting," read every article on BabyCenter, talked to friends and family who had babies, and muddled along as best I could.
I had no idea there were so many ideas on pregnancy, or raising kids, and I had no idea there were so many passionate opinions on the different ways to do it. In a lot of ways, I think it's harder for new moms now than it was even ten years ago.

 
If I screwed up, there wasn't a stranger with an iPhone nearby to snap a picture and write "An Open Letter to the Mom Who (Insert Screw-Up Here)" and post it on Facebook to go viral. I couldn't go online and discover that a large number of moms or doctors felt that whatever method of sleep-training I used (or didn't) was going to leave my children socially isolated and unable to love for the rest of their lives.
But, by the same token, I can now go online and come up with new ideas for ways to play with my baby. I can look up the after-hours nurse line, and I often live-chat with them to see if my baby's fe...