Internet is ‘best friend’ to mothers

by Laura Cummins | 14 October 2014

If you're a new mum or a well experienced mother but every now and again you are still taken back with the tiniest of things, who do you turn too?

Parenting on Female First

It seems many of British mums seek advice from the internet and rely on Google to answer their niggling questions.

Mums are turning to the internet to answer questions or concerns they have after having a baby, with health worries, sleeping habits and a child's development, the most popular search topics.

The most common questions Googled by new mums are 'How can I get my child to sleep more', 'how to clear my baby's nose' and 'why is my baby crying'.

Many mums are referring to the wide web as their 'best friend' with almost two thirds admitting to this in a survey carried out by Cussons Mum&Me Voice of Mums.

It also emerged as many as 85% of mums felt they had no idea what they were doing after giving birth to their first child.

For mums it is still a shock to the system being a parent with three quarters describing having a baby as the 'biggest shock of their life'.

As well as Googling answers to their questions, the study also found 26% of mums have asked friends for advice on Facebook, while another 12% have turned to Twitter.

Just over half have browsed parenting sites for the answer they are looking for, with 19% actually posting their question on parenting forums.

A spokesperson for Cussons Mum&Me Voice of Mums, which commissioned the research, said: ''Becoming a mum is a massive life-changing event, and it's natural to feel unsure or apprehensive at times.

''The study results show that while mums often feel like the only one in the world worrying about a particular thing, more often than not it's something really common that most mums will have experienced and asked for advice on.

''When you first bring your baby home, it can feel pretty daunting knowing you are responsible for this little person, who doesn't come with an instruction manual.

"This can be especially true when dealing with their first cold or illness.

''But every mum you know will have been there, so you don't need to feel alone about asking them for advice.''