B.I. (Before the Internet)

What did pregnant women do before the internet? Though sometimes I think there is TOO much information on the web, and that sometimes, a neurotic pregnant girl can drive herself mad researching anything from cribs, to car seats and cramps, when maybe instead she should be taking a walk or reading a book…Most of the time, I think the information highway is a gift from the heavens.

Several weeks ago, I started having a horrible side ache in my right side. My husband and I were at our dear friends’ house for dinner and it was a Saturday night. The last thing I wanted to do was moan and groan to our friends about my sharp, debilitating pains, so I just tried to tough it out, knowing we’d be heading home soon.

Once we finished dinner, I gave the “look” to my husband and he knew it was time to say adieu. Immediately in the car, I said “Will you do a Google search for ‘sharp pains in your right side during pregnancy?’”

Of course, being the concerned hubby he is, he said “Well, shouldn’t we just call your doctor, babe?”

“No, no,” I protested. “I just want to see if this feeling is common during pregnancy before I bug my doctor on a Saturday night.”

Rolling his eyes at me, he acquiesced with my request, and sure enough, within a minute, he was reading to me about “round ligament pain” and describing the symptoms and the explanations, and I immediately felt at ease. What he read was exactly what I was feeling. Even though I was still having the pain, which felt like quick jabs to the appendix, I felt so much better knowing this is a common thing during pregnancy as your round ligaments expand to make room for the baby.

There are so many new, strange, and often uncomfortable things happening to my body during pregnancy, so it helps to know that sometimes, a quick glance on the web can help you determine when to just relax and ride it out, and when there might be something more serious occurring that would necessitate a call to the doctor.

So though I much prefer browsing my favorite online boutiques (like Twilite Moon!) when surfing the web, it’s nice to know that sometimes it can put my husband and I at ease on a Saturday night…and I am sure we’re only a few months away from Google searching the term “how to soothe a crying baby…”