How to Choose the Best Pregnancy Information Online
Obie Editorial Team
There are sources of information all over the Internet. Some sources offer personal information so you can learn from the experiences of others while others offer medical information from a trusted source like doctors and clinical studies. Hidden no so secretly in the middle of all that good information is a source of pregnancy advice that no woman should follow. Before choosing which pregnancy information to believe and trust – follow this simple checklist.
Is the information providing advice or medical information? Advice does not require links to clinical information or trusted medical sources, but you have to understand that no two people are the same. Just because one person has a certain experience during pregnancy does not mean that all people will have that same experience.
Medical information, however, is a completely different story. If a website is offering medical information, there needs to be either a source for that information that is trusted in the medical community or the information needs to come directly from a medical source that can be verified. For instance, articles on BabyMed can be linked to Dr. Amos Grunebaum and his background can be verified.
Is the information realistic? Sometimes information that offers advice is completely unrealistic. For instance, if a pregnancy article suggests eating two pounds of spinach with every meal to increase folic acid intake – a red flag should go up immediately. Spinach contains folic acid, but no pregnant woman should eat two pounds per meal.
There is a lot of bad medical information online and pregnancy is a sensitive subject that often leaves women searching for answers from someone other than a medical provider. Finding accurate and helpful information is extremely important, especially when there is dangerous information out there that should not be trusted.