Another thing to worry about?! Vent!

cait040415 · May 2016

ok all, I have an EXTREMELY anxious person (OCD and anxiety) and silly me, I thought we were done with all the warnings now that we aren't pregnant anymore. Boy was I wrong! Just yesterday, I saw a thing about how we aren't supposed to swaddle now, because it increases the chance of SIDS. Cool, I swaddled for four months. Today, I just read that high levels of folate, or folic acid, are now thought to be associated with a higher chance of autism! I'm pretty sure I took, and still take, a prenatal with a high amount of folic acid. Wtf. I'm already freaked about autism because I had gestational diabetes, and I read that THAT and PCOS (which I have) can contribute to a higher risk of autism. I know that autism is NOT the worst thing that can happen, and I will lovelovelove my girl no matter what, but it seems like no matter what, I'm a horrible mother and my kid is going to be permanently scarred! Everywhere I turn there is doom and gloom relating to parenting. Oh! And don't forget Zika. That terrifies me. And my pediatrician told me my LO's head was measuring big at her 6mo. appt. Ugh. I give up. I need a drink. Anyone else?!

amp61470 · May 2016

Okay breathe! You swaddled for 4 months and she is perfect. The folic acid is surprising. Oddly I remember asking my doctor about the prenatal vitamins and autism. I think they are just unsure what the cause is. You ARE NOT A HORRIBLE MOTHER! I swaddled, hell he has a blanket in his crib right now. His head measured big like 85th percentile since birth, he is finally growing into it. JUST BREATHE!

missliz53 · May 2016

I read that article about SIDS too and it's only a higher risk if a baby is swaddled and put to sleep on it's side or stomach which to me kinda seems like common sense. Especially with all the back to sleep stuff.

As for Zika all I can say about that is thank goodness I was pregnant and had my lo before the virus hit. There's just so much to stress and worry about with our babies, it's amazing we are all able to function sometimes. I want to wrap her in bubble wrap and tie her to me until she's 20.

LoveLee85 · May 2016

Zika freaks me out, too! We don't know long term anything on it because it's so new. I'm freaked if LO gets bit this summer, what if he gets something weird from it?! Ugh. Thank goodness this wasn't around last summer. I would have NEVER left the house, no joke!

Autism seems to be everywhere. It is scary. Nobody wants their child to have any extra obsticals to overcome in life. Life itself is difficult enough! Of course we would all love our sweet babies no matter what!

Im just kind of weird and don't let LO get much screen time, or really play with toys that make noise. I just worry about all the different screens there are in the world! TV, phones, iPads, tablets, laptop, desktop, video games...back in the day screen time was TV. I'm not trying to block it all, we use almost all those in our home daily, at some point. BUT I'm worried about him being obsessed with those things. I just want him to enjoy thinking for himself and using his imagination! I want him to enjoy reading a traditional book(not on a tablet). I want him to take things apart and Play with toys in his hands, instead of on a screen. Like I said, I'm a dork. This is the stuff I worry about.

shelbydd · May 2016

As far as the swaddling thing, the increased risk of SIDS from swaddling is if you were laying LO on their side or their stomach (why anyone would swaddle a baby then lay them on their stomach I do not know but that is what the statistic is talking about if you read the articles on it) the folic acid thing- I've only ever heard the yellow dye used in folic acid pills as being an issue. But statistically the only thing that increases risks of autism is 1. Being a boy as they are more often diagnosed and 2. Having a family history of autism or aspergers. There is scientifically no proven cause for autism.

wannabeamongoose · May 2016

Literally everything we do is going to be a risk. It's like eating eggs. They change their minds every other day about whether eggs are good for us or bad for us. I have co-workers who tell me when they had babies the common medical advice was to have baby sleep on the stomach (my cousin's doctor, who is super old, even recommended stomach sleeping with her youngest, who is now 5). MIL thinks I'm a nut for not giving baby water when he was exclusively breast fed (I explained that our doctor said water for an exclusively breastfed baby can throw off their electrolytes) because 32 years ago she was instructed to give hubby sugar water every day because that was the common thing to do (which seems just crazy to me). It's obviously easier said than done, but we just have to make our choices, based on whatever information we have at the time, and then be confident that we did what we thought was best.

Also, i hear you with head size. Baby is in the 5% for height and weight, but 75% for head circumference. Our doctor said it's so not a big deal, as long as baby is staying on a general curve with growth, and eventually he will grow in to his ginormous noggin.

TeacherMom210 · May 2016

Studies come up with new and contradictory information all of the time. As pp have said, don't worry about it. From what I read, the folic acid thing was observed at one hospital, so the article I saw said that there wasn't a clear link, it's more of a possible correlation. I also believe in not worrying about things we can't change (or at least trying not to!). Things change and new information comes and goes; all we can do it what we, in good conscience, believe to be the best for our LO's, as countless generations of mothers have done before us. That and, of course, love them to bits.

chelseajeanene · May 2016

This is the exact reason I don't read articles like this. Your baby is beautiful and healthy. If anything were to ever happen, it will on its own. You're not a bad mommy! Don't freak yourself out