I'm having a baby!

...Did I get your attention?

Google knew about my pregnancy long before any of my friends or family did. 

When I made my pregnancy announcement by Googling some of the thousands of questions newly expectant mothers have, I certainly grabbed the attention of the internet.

Maybe I was lacking awareness with just how much data is collected from you when you Google, but I was shocked by how the ads I saw changed. Every ad that popped up on Facebook, most emails I received, the ads on Google - all were targeted towards the alien I'm growing in my belly. Whenever I typed a phrase into Google, it ended my sentence with "during pregnancy" or "while pregnant."

Being a first time prego has been a journey like none other. I have been very aware of my buyers journey along the way, as has the internet and all of it's product pushing friends.

What am I doing?

According to the research of Janet Vertesi, assistant professor of sociology at Princeton, the average person’s marketing data is worth 10 cents to brands, but a pregnant woman’s data is upwards of $1.50.

A while before the waddle started.

While I was trying to figure out the basics (what can't I eat, what shouldn't I be doing), the internet was already trying to sell me on baby accessories. The marketers out there knew just how little I knew about babies, and they were ready to capitalize on that.

Don't you want to provide the best nutrition for your baby? Of course, but can I figure out what food I can eat?

You want your baby to be comfortable in it's diapers, don't you? Certainly, but shouldn't I first know how a diaper works?

Are you considering banking your babies cord blood? ...What?

I was feeling clueless and sure that I was going to fail at this motherhood thing. I was trying to take in too much of what the internet was throwing at me. I had to limit what I was looking at. I ignored all of the discount offers, and pretty much anything having to do brand loyalty. I had a lot to worry about before I got to choosing brands.

What is this, do I need this?

What they say is true - EVERYONE will have advice for you. Your family, your friends that have babies, that stranger in the checkout line behind you. They all have their two cents to give. It's amazing how brazen people are with the "you should" and "you had better not" statements. ESPECIALLY the internet marketers.

I had enough information coming my way, and I was tempted to listen to the advertisments. They're in the baby business, they know what they're doing, right? Maybe, or maybe they just want to sell you things.

I was fairly convinced that without a wipe warmer, my baby was sure to have a frigid rear end, leading to all kinds of illness and distress. If I don't buy the right stroller toy, my child won't learn on pace and will forever be behind.

Do you need a lot of items to raise a baby? Yes. Do you need every item in the aisles at Buy Buy Baby? Mmmm, probably not.

Battling for Brand Loyalty

I had read the books and pamphlets, I had gathered information from those close to me. I felt a little better about knowing what was going to really be necessary to make sure my newborn survives despite having me for a mother.

This is where the internet came in handy. But not all the ads, not all of the coupons. Ratings were where it was at. I spent a significant amount of time on Amazon looking at ratings. Forums were helpful. Real mothers and fathers who had been through it, they can tell you what was useful and what wasn't.

Enter the mid-pregnancy ads. Now begins the brand war for the attention of expectant mothers. It has gone from what you need, to which you need. Every brand of diaper claims to be the best. All of the different brands are coming after you to make you a lifelong consumer. Wipes, baby food, diapers, the list goes on and on.

I have had more offers for sweepstakes than ever before. Lifetime supplies of this or that, freebies galore, all aimed towards making me a regular customer. And mind you, I still don't have my baby in hand yet. They all want to lock you in and make sure you don't buy from anyone else, when in reality, there's no way to know what will work best until you are in the thick of it.

Expectant Mothers vs. the Internet - Final Thoughts

Remember that free advice everyone gives you? Here's mine - don't listen to the internet when it comes to what you "need". Ask you friends, troll the forums. Most of the emails and ads you receive just want you to buy something, they aren't a hotbed of great information.

I am still living in expectant mothers land. I might have more advice for you once I'm a functioning mother. In the meantime, don't let the internet overwhelm you, after all, that's what your family is for!

Tell me how the internet helped or hurt you while being you were expecting in the comments!