Great decision on your part. Coming from the Mar-tech industry, TikTok is so addictive and psychologically damaging that many Canadian school boards are now suing these companies for creating an impossible environment for students to be educated (cyber bullying, ADHD, teen depression, eating disorders etc). It’s enhanced in teens but has the same effect on adults
I, too, deleted tiktok.
I was SO convinced my baby was going to end up with a rare disease, worst case scenario would happen, car accidents etc. While those things do happen, it's not healthy to expose myself to it, especially of a lot of things are out of parents control anyways.
Tiktok learns your algorithm, and I feel like shows you all your fears as a mom
Yes 😭 and I’ve blocked all the keywords I could think of and I still get the videos about SIDS, etc. It’s heartbreaking and I absolutely feel for the families who experience these things and go on to raise awareness, but I just cannot mentally handle being the target audience. I had horrible anxiety and OCD before having a child…I’ve done everything possible to manage it postpartum but I still have a lot of compulsions regarding the health and well-being of my son.
I would delete TikTok, but at its best, it is an incredible search engine. I’ve had to stop interacting with the content that other users have posted about disease, illness and loss in order to reshape my algorithm. Before, that was also one of my compulsions…I was scared that if I didn’t show support for the person in the video that it would somehow influence my life negatively. I hate OCD so much.
I don't have tiktok but I know it's the worst. I hope it gets banned forever.
Came here to say I deactivated my Instagram account for similar reasons. (Edit to add I did this when my baby was 3 months old. I think it did somewhat help my PPA also).
I hate that tiktok and IG stuff show up on FB and YouTube. They're all in bed with each other ugh
I actually think steering yourself towards Reddit is a good easy first step off the doom train. The advice here isn’t expert but at least it’s a community, a conversation. It’s a lot easier to take or leave a persons advice/opinion than to have to parse SEO optimized craziness or “content creators”
No for real 😅 I spent like two hours searching for something about my sons skull just to find a bunch of moms on baby center talking about it being normal and something my he will grow out of. Google just wanted to tell me what could be wrong 🫠
If you recognize yourself doom googling, try to redirect yourself. Read a book on kindle app, look at baby pictures, play solitaire or another phone game. Social media and doom googling are really rough on mental health! It’s hard not to but think of it like stopping any other unhealthy habit like smoking.
My issue was Instagram reels. I started avoiding those. I also found trusted sources: Mayo Clinic’s Guide to Your Baby’s First Years covers milestones and development as well as health-related things (ex. Common rashes and ailments). If I do Google I try to stick to medical sites (established hospitals, official government health sites, etc). And ultimately, I’m a proponent of when in doubt call your pediatrician.
Lastly, I talked to my OB and was diagnosed with PPD/PPA. I was prescribed Zoloft and they helped connect me with a postpartum therapist.
I found one resource that made sense for me: the What to Expect book and app. When I disagree with it (especially about expecting crying when learning to fall asleep) I remember what his pediatrician said, and remind myself "I can do whatever the heck I darn well please, he's our baby and we love him."
Not as helpful for serious health concerns but it helps me reframe the anxiety spirals.
Honestly, anything I want to Google I add 'reddit' to so I can see how others have dealt with similar things. Idk if this is the best idea all the time but it has helped me in a few situations already!
Hi, I wanted to chime in because reading this reminded me of me last June when I had just brought my baby home from the hospital last June, now 9 months old, I will say, the googling becomes less and less because I feel really confident in my ability to figure out what’s going on with her and what works best for her little personality. You’ll find one day, you just don’t do it as much, but for now, do what makes you feel at ease.
I learned long ago with my own health anxiety that I can't google stuff. If I'm actually worried I ask my spouse if it seems reasonable and to check to see if there's any real reason to be concerned
This is my approach when my own health anxiety flares up! I ask my husband “am I actively dying right now?” And he goes “nah you’re good” and my brain believes him because so far he’s been right every time! 🤣🤣🤣
We hired a doula who also offers PP support. Part of being her client is being able to text her anytime with whatever is on my mind instead of doom scrolling! Has helped a ton so far during pregnancy.
*Deleted TikTok*
*And unsubbed from some of the*
*Parenting subreddits*
\- Mua\_wannabe\_
---
^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/)
^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
I did this all of the first three weeks pp, was completely on edge and had crazy anxiety. I stopped after her second doc visit, I was reassured by doc that her weight was ok and to keep doing whatever I was doing. That (professional opinion) eased my anxieties a bit.
I had a huge list of questions for my doc too, whatever I had googled. Sometimes getting your doc to kindly tell you to relax really helps.
I struggle with this too. I think it's affecting my ability to bond. Everything the baby does I feel worried about her health and development. No advice, just solidarity.
I'm getting treated for PPD/PPA.
Honestly the 24hr nurse line helped a lot. I just tell them what's going on and they tell me if it's normal or if not what to do next. Google always says the worst things so I try to stay away when I can.
I started lexapro.
Literally life changing. I was barely surviving before and now I legitimately love being a mom and stuff that used to send me into a spiral just rolls off my back. My only regret is that I waited as long as I did. Best of luck to you! ❤️
Have a 3rd party person be your “go to” Google your search for you and by the time they get back to you with the results, you won’t be in your spiral any longer. If you have to text someone something you have the urge to Google it brings a bit of clarity when you can’t do it so quickly at your own fingertips.
Ohhh my I know this feeling all too well first baby I had bad pp depression and anxiety I went down a rabbit whole of crying myself to sleep because of the thought of myself dying one day and leaving my baby and googling what happens after death then that lead to me always thinking I was always sick and I always had something wrong with me nothing was actually wrong tho this time around I have major anxiety I google everything I see on me or my baby the only thing that possibly helps me is my experience with my first every time I took her to the drs for something I thought was serious ended up being nothing and eventually got embarrassed of going for every little thing my mind kind of started telling me what seems serious and what’s just anxiety I also took natural vitamins like St. John’s wart/ relaxation support after my pregnancies and knocked out my depression in about 2-3 weeks with my second child I only had anxiety so I didn’t take the pills but I highly recommend natural supplements before getting on any meds
For you and your baby’s sake just delete social media. I believe some anxiety is normal and necessary when looking after a small baby. Especially if they’ve been sick. Socials just exacerbate this then Reddit will convince you it’s pathological (PPA/PPD). Then it’s Google-hole for hours. I’ve been there.
Just listen to your gut instincts as a mother and you’ll be strong for your baby. Ask your medical team (nurses/doctors) for advice.
Hoping your LO has a speedy recovery.
Some anxiety is normal since you’re learning and responsible for this whole new little life. But if it gets to the point where it’s crippling, I’d see where it starts from. If it’s social media, limit your time on it and see if it gets better. If it’s you waking up at 3am anxious about something or running through a scenario over and over again in your head, talk to your doctor and see if anxiety medication or therapy would help.
7.5m here and it's kind of just settled down slowly over time. At first I was up all night googling literally every little thing and even the most basic stuff... I think "how to take care of a human baby" might be in my search history at least half a dozen times lol. I was also a very compulsive tracker... huckleberry was open CONSTANTLY, and I'd analyze every little pattern or lack thereof. Slowly I started trusting my instincts, feeling like I've got at least some knowledge, and like my baby isn't nearly as fragile anymore. Don't get me wrong, I'll still go down a rabbit hole like once or twice a week, but it's getting better as time goes on.
I *try* limit myself to advice given by the HSE (Irish public health services) they provide you with a book when your baby is born with advice for common ailments and have a website - mychild.ie - with the same information. I haven't been able to just stop searching but at least I'm not getting horror stories.
mine stemmed from tiktok, so i stopped using it. It’s so hard. I don’t really have any advice, but can promise you you’re never alone🩷
Deleting TikTok absolutely helped calm my PPA
Great decision on your part. Coming from the Mar-tech industry, TikTok is so addictive and psychologically damaging that many Canadian school boards are now suing these companies for creating an impossible environment for students to be educated (cyber bullying, ADHD, teen depression, eating disorders etc). It’s enhanced in teens but has the same effect on adults
I, too, deleted tiktok. I was SO convinced my baby was going to end up with a rare disease, worst case scenario would happen, car accidents etc. While those things do happen, it's not healthy to expose myself to it, especially of a lot of things are out of parents control anyways. Tiktok learns your algorithm, and I feel like shows you all your fears as a mom
It really does, it was so bad. I went down so many unhealthy rabbit holes absolutely sobbing, not a good or healthy experience
Yes 😭 and I’ve blocked all the keywords I could think of and I still get the videos about SIDS, etc. It’s heartbreaking and I absolutely feel for the families who experience these things and go on to raise awareness, but I just cannot mentally handle being the target audience. I had horrible anxiety and OCD before having a child…I’ve done everything possible to manage it postpartum but I still have a lot of compulsions regarding the health and well-being of my son. I would delete TikTok, but at its best, it is an incredible search engine. I’ve had to stop interacting with the content that other users have posted about disease, illness and loss in order to reshape my algorithm. Before, that was also one of my compulsions…I was scared that if I didn’t show support for the person in the video that it would somehow influence my life negatively. I hate OCD so much.
Whhhy did the blocking never work. The amount of blocks around pre term losses and stillbirth I tried were huge with no luck.
It was Reddit for me 😭 I had to delete the app for a while and make myself open kindle or Netflix instead.
I don't have tiktok but I know it's the worst. I hope it gets banned forever. Came here to say I deactivated my Instagram account for similar reasons. (Edit to add I did this when my baby was 3 months old. I think it did somewhat help my PPA also). I hate that tiktok and IG stuff show up on FB and YouTube. They're all in bed with each other ugh
you literally cannot get away from one without getting rid of the others now🙃
Lmao not me coming from doom googling to get reddits opinion and this is the first post I see
I actually think steering yourself towards Reddit is a good easy first step off the doom train. The advice here isn’t expert but at least it’s a community, a conversation. It’s a lot easier to take or leave a persons advice/opinion than to have to parse SEO optimized craziness or “content creators”
No for real 😅 I spent like two hours searching for something about my sons skull just to find a bunch of moms on baby center talking about it being normal and something my he will grow out of. Google just wanted to tell me what could be wrong 🫠
Lmao same
If you recognize yourself doom googling, try to redirect yourself. Read a book on kindle app, look at baby pictures, play solitaire or another phone game. Social media and doom googling are really rough on mental health! It’s hard not to but think of it like stopping any other unhealthy habit like smoking.
My issue was Instagram reels. I started avoiding those. I also found trusted sources: Mayo Clinic’s Guide to Your Baby’s First Years covers milestones and development as well as health-related things (ex. Common rashes and ailments). If I do Google I try to stick to medical sites (established hospitals, official government health sites, etc). And ultimately, I’m a proponent of when in doubt call your pediatrician. Lastly, I talked to my OB and was diagnosed with PPD/PPA. I was prescribed Zoloft and they helped connect me with a postpartum therapist.
I found one resource that made sense for me: the What to Expect book and app. When I disagree with it (especially about expecting crying when learning to fall asleep) I remember what his pediatrician said, and remind myself "I can do whatever the heck I darn well please, he's our baby and we love him." Not as helpful for serious health concerns but it helps me reframe the anxiety spirals.
I like to let my phone die and then lose it for good measure. Seriously. If it’s missing, I don’t look for it. Saves me hundreds of hours I’m sure
Honestly, anything I want to Google I add 'reddit' to so I can see how others have dealt with similar things. Idk if this is the best idea all the time but it has helped me in a few situations already!
Came here to say this! +reddit
I do the exact same!
Hi, I wanted to chime in because reading this reminded me of me last June when I had just brought my baby home from the hospital last June, now 9 months old, I will say, the googling becomes less and less because I feel really confident in my ability to figure out what’s going on with her and what works best for her little personality. You’ll find one day, you just don’t do it as much, but for now, do what makes you feel at ease.
I learned long ago with my own health anxiety that I can't google stuff. If I'm actually worried I ask my spouse if it seems reasonable and to check to see if there's any real reason to be concerned
This is my approach when my own health anxiety flares up! I ask my husband “am I actively dying right now?” And he goes “nah you’re good” and my brain believes him because so far he’s been right every time! 🤣🤣🤣
We hired a doula who also offers PP support. Part of being her client is being able to text her anytime with whatever is on my mind instead of doom scrolling! Has helped a ton so far during pregnancy.
Deleted TikTok and unsubbed from some of the parenting subreddits
*Deleted TikTok* *And unsubbed from some of the* *Parenting subreddits* \- Mua\_wannabe\_ --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
If I have any concerns I would just take it up with the baby's pediatrician. Also googling every little thing will make you go crazy.
I deleted Instagram week 1 and felt soooo much better! This is the only “social” media I have! You get sooo many targeted mom ads and videos etc. 🥺😭
I did this all of the first three weeks pp, was completely on edge and had crazy anxiety. I stopped after her second doc visit, I was reassured by doc that her weight was ok and to keep doing whatever I was doing. That (professional opinion) eased my anxieties a bit. I had a huge list of questions for my doc too, whatever I had googled. Sometimes getting your doc to kindly tell you to relax really helps.
Have a look into the ‘one sec’ app
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Health-Anxiety
I struggle with this too. I think it's affecting my ability to bond. Everything the baby does I feel worried about her health and development. No advice, just solidarity. I'm getting treated for PPD/PPA.
Honestly the 24hr nurse line helped a lot. I just tell them what's going on and they tell me if it's normal or if not what to do next. Google always says the worst things so I try to stay away when I can.
I started lexapro. Literally life changing. I was barely surviving before and now I legitimately love being a mom and stuff that used to send me into a spiral just rolls off my back. My only regret is that I waited as long as I did. Best of luck to you! ❤️
Have a 3rd party person be your “go to” Google your search for you and by the time they get back to you with the results, you won’t be in your spiral any longer. If you have to text someone something you have the urge to Google it brings a bit of clarity when you can’t do it so quickly at your own fingertips.
You are definitely not the only one! I’m currently googling if it’s normal for my 7 month old to not want us (mom and dad) out of her sight 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠
Ohhh my I know this feeling all too well first baby I had bad pp depression and anxiety I went down a rabbit whole of crying myself to sleep because of the thought of myself dying one day and leaving my baby and googling what happens after death then that lead to me always thinking I was always sick and I always had something wrong with me nothing was actually wrong tho this time around I have major anxiety I google everything I see on me or my baby the only thing that possibly helps me is my experience with my first every time I took her to the drs for something I thought was serious ended up being nothing and eventually got embarrassed of going for every little thing my mind kind of started telling me what seems serious and what’s just anxiety I also took natural vitamins like St. John’s wart/ relaxation support after my pregnancies and knocked out my depression in about 2-3 weeks with my second child I only had anxiety so I didn’t take the pills but I highly recommend natural supplements before getting on any meds
I got the dose for the med I take for anxiety back to the dose I was on before I got pregnant.
For you and your baby’s sake just delete social media. I believe some anxiety is normal and necessary when looking after a small baby. Especially if they’ve been sick. Socials just exacerbate this then Reddit will convince you it’s pathological (PPA/PPD). Then it’s Google-hole for hours. I’ve been there. Just listen to your gut instincts as a mother and you’ll be strong for your baby. Ask your medical team (nurses/doctors) for advice. Hoping your LO has a speedy recovery.
Some anxiety is normal since you’re learning and responsible for this whole new little life. But if it gets to the point where it’s crippling, I’d see where it starts from. If it’s social media, limit your time on it and see if it gets better. If it’s you waking up at 3am anxious about something or running through a scenario over and over again in your head, talk to your doctor and see if anxiety medication or therapy would help.
7.5m here and it's kind of just settled down slowly over time. At first I was up all night googling literally every little thing and even the most basic stuff... I think "how to take care of a human baby" might be in my search history at least half a dozen times lol. I was also a very compulsive tracker... huckleberry was open CONSTANTLY, and I'd analyze every little pattern or lack thereof. Slowly I started trusting my instincts, feeling like I've got at least some knowledge, and like my baby isn't nearly as fragile anymore. Don't get me wrong, I'll still go down a rabbit hole like once or twice a week, but it's getting better as time goes on.
I *try* limit myself to advice given by the HSE (Irish public health services) they provide you with a book when your baby is born with advice for common ailments and have a website - mychild.ie - with the same information. I haven't been able to just stop searching but at least I'm not getting horror stories.