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Dear Google, Please Build a Reliable Pregnancy Section

Give Higher Rankings to the Credible Articles

By Andrea LawrencePublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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I am about six weeks pregnant, and it’s true that pregnancy comes with all sorts of epiphanies and revelations. I’m surprised at how happy I am and that the first trimester is way easier than monthly periods (seriously).

Unfortunately, it’s been somewhat surprising how challenging it is to find peer-reviewed research on what you should and shouldn’t do during pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester when your risk for miscarriage is at its highest.

Of course, asking my doctor for advice is the best route, but I can’t constantly be calling their office to ask questions. This would quickly annoy them, and they can’t be privy to my every whim. Constantly asking my mom friends about pregnancy is pointless because they’re not experts, and each pregnancy is its own unique beast.

There are a fascinating amount of articles about what you shouldn’t do, but it’s hard to tell whether I should take them seriously or not. One article will say you should avoid eating pineapple altogether because it could cause you to have early contractions. Another article will say it’s a superfruit with superior nutrients for your growing baby, and let’s be honest, your growing body.

One article says eating potatoes could drastically increase your chance of death by two to three times! Massage devices are seen as big no-nos because they could, again, cause you to have early contractions — but there also isn’t clear evidence for this.

The list goes on and on: Don’t sleep on your back; avoid hair salons; don’t drink too much water; eat 8–12 ounces of fish (but not all fish) a week; smoothies are great meal replacements but don’t depend on them to the point that you don’t eat vegetables in their original form; eat ginger; avoid hot tubs; only consume 15 to 30g of sugar a day; spinach is dangerous; peanut butter could help your future baby to not have an allergy to peanuts; and sunscreen is okay if you wash it all off later.

How Google Can Make This Better

What I want from Google is a highly curated section for pregnancy. I want the most trusted articles written by scholars, doctors, and professionals. Google could put up a meter graphic that shows how reliable the information on the page is: green for this is solid advice, yellow for yield, and red for don’t read this.

I don’t want someone’s mommy blog about smoothies to come before what doctors have to say about fruits. I want clear information about what I really can eat vs. what is a bad idea. If there isn’t a real consensus about something, then be honest! I have no idea how much sugar I can have, or what would cause gestational diabetes. The problem? Sugar is literally hiding in everything. I constantly have to look at labels, read about sugar and the serving amount.

Also, how much should I be exercising? What is too much? Some websites condemn yoga for its deep twists and stretches. Others promote yoga as a way to maintain a healthy weight.

Have a Preference for Correct Terminology

There are websites that are calling your embryo a baby at four weeks old, which is not scientifically true. At four weeks, what would be in your body is closer to a sperm and egg that have merged than a 9lb beautiful baby. There is a reason at 24 weeks if you have to terminate a pregnancy early its called a stillbirth. It’s because your fetus is a lot more developed than at four weeks. A fetus can’t survive out of the womb at 18 weeks. The earliest born fetus to survive was at 21 weeks.

Misleading language is unimpressive, so be honest about when something is a zygote, embryo, fetus, etc. Misleading graphics are also unimpressive.

Also, don’t tell me something has a heart when it doesn’t yet. There is a difference between a cluster of cells that is on the way to forming a heart and an actual heart. Sort through this information and put the experts first, put the best infographics first, and put the most reliable sources first. It should be a team’s job to put together the most reliable section for pregnancy.

Let the Best Articles Rise to the Top

When you’re pregnant, especially for the first time, you have a thousand different questions every single day. It’s exciting in a way because you’re constantly learning something new. But there is a lot out on the world wide web that is written poorly. In a split second, an intelligent person can spot bunk articles.

The lines get blurry when you read 30 different things on fruit. You can get bombarded with terrible or lackluster information when reading about pregnancy. I’m still not sure what the verdict is on pineapples.

I want Google to have the best section for prenatal care imaginable, something that can satisfy the curiosities of parents and future parents alike. I want to know everything, I want beautiful graphics, images, and videos.

Help expecting moms answer questions like these:

  • How can I travel on an airplane without getting sick?
  • Where can I find affordable maternity clothes?
  • What exercises should I be doing throughout my pregnancy?
  • What are soaps I should avoid?
  • What can I do to live with cats and not run the risk of toxoplasmosis?
  • What should I know before I name my baby?
  • Is it safe to do laundry while pregnant?
  • Can I wear beauty masks?
  • Can I put on bug spray?
  • What teas can I safely drink?

Is it really that bad if I sleep on my back?

Make your section interactive. Give me games to play to help me discern correct information vs something pretending to be credible. Don’t scare me with incredibly rare disorders or gross pictures. Be a calming presence that’s full of valuable information. This section should be helpful, an enjoyable experience, and easy to navigate.

Instead of letting different websites compete for the most popular articles on pregnancy, which is often designated by SEO — just build a really strong section that YOU curate. If Google can build a brilliant section for pregnancy, then they can build brilliant sections for other important topics.

***

Originally published: https://medium.com/p/34fd801920a0

pregnancysocial mediaadvice
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About the Creator

Andrea Lawrence

Freelance writer. Undergrad in Digital Film and Mass Media. Master's in English Creative Writing. Spent six years working as a journalist. Owns one dog and two cats.

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