Boot Camp

Williamsburg, 2012

When I was first pregnant I didn't want to go near other women's birth stories or think too much about the reality of life with a newborn. It was all too too much for me. Things felt very abstract.

But somewhere around 28 or 29 weeks I turned a corner and really wanted to know as much as I possibly could about childbirth, babies, and more.

Maybe I went a little off the deep end with all those message boards. I am a studier. I study. I actually liked taking the SATs and filling in all of those little circles with a very sharp pencil. I think this is why, early on, I was so entranced with studying the theories behind various childrearing "philosophies." Attachment parenting, French women do it better, etc. It was like, philosophy? I guess I should have one of those.

Lately I've been taking more of a "collage" approach. Since I've been snooping around the internet so voraciously, I figured I may as well share the info. Some highlights?

This very funny piece on Jezebel, "What is Wrong With My Baby?" about being convinced your child has a rare disease (the author convinces herself that her baby's vein is, in fact, a tumor.)

Alpha Mom's Q&As on parenting, like this one on establishing a bedtime routine. Everyone freaks you out that if you don't get this one thing right, you will become an unhinged banshee and your child will be sleeping in your bed in college. I really like Alpha Mom's tone in general and her emphasis on being flexible. She seems like my kind of problem solver.

I am also a big fan of Pregnant Chicken's advice. She has tips on vistors after baby is here, packing the hospital bag that everyone seems so darn obsessed with, the so-called "fourth trimester," and words of wisdom for new dads who do not want their wives to scream at them.

Though the more mainstream baby boards can be useful, often I find they make me really anxious. One exception seems to be the 0-3 month baby board on The Bump. It's a good reminder that, after all this pregnancy stuff, a baby is actually on the way.

Oh, and blogs written by moms with new babies are always fun to check out. Caitlin of Healthy Tipping Point just had her baby boy and Leigh at Marvelous Kiddo has a birth story of the week which is interesting. She just welcomed a new little one too and has some good posts about breastfeeding.