What to Expect

First published in 1984, What to Expect When Your Expecting is one of the most popular pregnancy books on the market. It’s often the first gift a pregnant woman receives and remains a valuable resource throughout pregnancy. While this book does capture much of the information an expecting woman needs to know, what it lacks is the accessibility we have come to demand from our information sources. What happens if in the middle of the night I awake with a sharp pain in my right abdomen? I can run to my What to Expect and thumb through the pages or perhaps check in the index for “Pain”, no “Abdomen”, or, wait, maybe “when to call the doctor?” By this point, I’ve stirred myself up into hysteria and have to read 15 sections related to the topic to find that none are relevant to my particular situation.

As a tech savvy mother-to-be, I can take an alternate route to quell my mid-night fears by hopping online to www.babycenter.com for immediate access to relevant information. After typing in a quick search for “pain in right abdomen” I get Articles, Expert Answers, Videos and Community Answers featuring similar inquiries and responses from other pregnant women so I can quickly know whether or not I should call the doctor or if this is a common, non-emergency symptom that other women have experienced. I quickly read a few posts and find out my ligaments are just stretching and I should get back in bed. Now, that’s what I expect.

Sure What to Expect has now developed an online supplement to the book, but I have not found it as comprehensive or user friendly as BabyCenter. Since launching in 1997, BabyCenter offers millions of new and expectant parents interactive content to take them from conception to birth and through childhood. The company reaches over 78% of new and expectant moms online and has received numerous awards, including six Webby Awards, for its online excellence. I’d like to add to the list with my very own, first-ever, Technically a Parent Must Have Resource™ award.

As an expectant parent, BabyCenter has become my Must-Have Resource, because it is relevant, interactive and accessible. The site successfully incorporates the latest in digital technology so parents can stay connected and informed in whatever format works best for them. In addition to endless amounts of valuable, searchable, hyperlinked content, BabyCenter provides customized weekly e-mail updates so you can receive quick overviews of what to expect during the upcoming week of your pregnancy (and the option to click to further explore topics mentioned); mobile updates/ texts with fertility, pregnancy or parenting tips; a community forum to post anonymous questions, explore the experiences of other parents, share photos and more; interactive tools such as the due date calculator, weight gain calculator, and baby costs calculator to help with every step of planning; social networks to connect with parents in similar situations or with similar interests to share stories and offer support both online and off; news and blogs to access up-to-date information on news of importance to parents, product recalls and more; an e-commerce section in partnership with Diapers.com to purchase everything needed for pregnancy and baby; and videos and slideshow tutorials on various topics (ahem, how exactly do you wash a baby?).

Over the past 6 months, BabyCenter has been a lifesaver to me and it’s definitely top on my list for excellent parenting technology. As I further explore what’s available out there, I wonder if it will hold its place…