Motherhood: Google It

So much about me has changed since I became a mother. I am now responsible for keeping another human being alive.

I am now responsible for keeping another human being alive.

Let’s unpack that statement a bit: Another person is depending on my dubious abilities to feed, (mostly) clothe, and occasionally bathe him. That little person wakes me up in the middle of the night, expecting a response other than me shutting him in the laundry room (as I’m wont to do with our sometimes noisy dogs). I get up with this child, change his appalling diapers, allow my (much abused) breasts to perform essentially the same function as a Holstein, then gently rock him back to sleep and creep quietly from his room like a breastmilk-soaked ninja.

In response to all of this new pressure, so many things are different. My wardrobe has changed (all things stretchy), my go-to hairstyle has changed (hello, ponytail every. single. day.), my dedication to wearing makeup and brushing my teeth on a consistent basis has changed (understatement of the year).

However, one change overshadows all the rest: my Google search history. 

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For your perusal, here’s a small sampling of things I’ve Googled since my son was born. Just to prepare you, there are so many poop/vomit related questions on this list that it borders on the absurd. The fact that I am so invested in another person’s bodily fluids is somewhat depressing.

 Sleep

Question: “How to make a child sleep?”

Answer:  Conflicting advice that is usually summed up with “but all children are different.” Swell.

Question: “Best swaddles?”

Answer:  “Drop hundreds of dollars on the most expensive ones you can find only to figure out that his favorite is the one you forgot about in the box of hand-me-downs from your cousin Linda”

Question: “How long can a baby go without sleep?”

Answer:  “A long, long time.”

Question: “How long can an adult go without sleep?”

Answer:  “Not as long as a baby.”

Poop

Question: “What makes poop green?”

Answer:  A stupid long list of things, but in our case, blueberries were the culprit.

Question: “How to get a diaper genie to quit smelling?”

Answer:  The overwhelming opinion seems to be emptying it more frequently, but I found that holding your breath every time you’re within a five foot radius is also effective.

 

Question: “How to get poop off walls?”

Answer: “Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and a hazmat team.”

Question: “How to get a child to poop in a toilet?”

Answer:  “Patience and shameless bribery.”

Question: “Is PTSD from potty training a thing?”

Answer:  There are some lovely support groups out there. Their “new member” gifts include Pull-Ups and mini bottles of liquor.

Teething

Question: “Best medicine for teething infants?”

Answer:  “Typically Motrin.”

Question: “How often can I give a child Motrin?”

Answer:  “Not as often as you’d like.”

Question: “While breastfeeding, can a teething child actually bite a nipple off?”

Answer:  “Possibly.”

Question: “Best nipple cream?”

Answer:  Sadly, I never found one truly up to the task.

Sickness

Question: “How to get pizza vomit out of an area rug?”

Answer:  “Blot, don’t scrub. Pray. Pray some more. Turn the rug so that the offending stain is hidden under a piece of furniture. The stain is in the center? Sounds like a good time for a new ottoman.”

Question: “Best carpet to hide stains?”

Answer:  “A magic one.” (I think it flies, too.)

Question: “How to use a NoseFrida?”

Answer:  A YouTube video you can never unsee.

Question: “Can Benadryl make a baby hyper?”

Answer:  “Yep.”

Question: “What causes hair to turn gray?”

Answer:  “A sick child who is hyped up on Benadryl.”

Question: “How much can I drink while breastfeeding?”

Answer:  “Not enough.”

Question: “How do you know if a child has a blood blister under a fingernail?”

Answer:  “Look at some truly horrifying images and go from there.”

Question: “How to treat a blood blister under a fingernail?”

Answer:  It’ll probably just fall off, “but call your child’s pediatrician to make sure.”

Question: “How long does it take for a lost fingernail to grow back?”

Answer:  “Longer than you think.”

Long-term questions

Question: “Will my child support me in my old age?”

Answer:  “Maybe. But if not, perhaps by that time your potty training support group will offer different sizes of Pull-Ups and full-size bottles of liquor.”

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This is just a smattering of the new questions I’ve asked the in last few years. Like my life (and my breasts and my ability to not pee a little every time I sneeze), my Google search history – and the ads that go with it – will never be the same.