A walk down memory lane to discuss how and why babywisemom.com got started. Learn what sparked the whole thing in this post!
I am not really one to celebrate “blogiversaries.” Not that I am against it at all, it just doesn’t really occur to me. I was just thinking that I started this blog in November two years ago. I looked what date my first post was, and I see it was November 20. SO…too late to celebrate on the exact day, but we are within the same month. I thought I would tell you a bit about the beginnings of this blog and take a little trip down memory lane. I know some of you have been around since the beginning, and others just found this blog today. Here is the story…
A little less than 2.5 years ago, I decided to look up information on Babywise online. I have no idea why it never occurred to me to do this before that, but it never had. Kaitlyn was two months old. It started with me searching for information about reflux since she had reflux, but I found that none of it really was applicable to me since I did Babywise. I wasn’t having problems like others did out there. So I started looking around for Babywise and reflux.
Boy was I surprised! I basically only found negative information out there! I didn’t understand that; I had never had issues with Babywise before. Through all of my searching, however, I did find a Yahoo! group for Babywise moms with babies born about the time of Kaitlyn. I was excited to be able to talk to other moms who did Babywise.
I quickly discovered that I was one of only a few moms who had more than one child, so rather than asking questions, I was answering them. Over the next five months, I started to answer the same questions over and over and over again. Any of you who have spent time in an online community know that is common–whether Babywise or not. I started saving some of the “stock” answers on my computer and would just paste the answers as the questions got asked again.
In the meantime, several of my friends started getting into blogging. They were just doing it to stay connected and keep each other updated on their lives. I thought that looked fun and started doing it, too. I started a family blog. About a month and a half later, it occurred to me one night that I should just create a Babywise blog and publish my “stock” answers on there. That was November 20, 2007. I started with a post about me, then over the next few days compiled and posted basic, common answers. These included information about reflux, swaddling, CIO, consistent schedules, and waketime when baby wakes early.
I put a few posts up, then the holidays came and I got busy with all that entails. About a month later, I remembered about my new little blog and came to check on it. To my surprise, I had some comments on it! As I checked out the comments, I saw most were from a gal I now know to be a Babywise dissenter. She started asking innocent questions, which I answered, and soon discovered she had much to say :). At that point, I decided I had better stick to this blog.
I didn’t want all of the information online to be negative. I wanted a positive place for parents to come and find answers to their difficulties. I wanted them to know they were not alone, and that they can get through it. I wanted to help people, because people like Tulipgirl were out there putting forth much energy into bashing Babywise.
So, I started publishing like crazy! I let my Yahoo! group friends know that I had this blog. I then searched out another online community (then known as Mayas Mom) and let them know about it. I fell into a groove of publishing. At first, I tried to just publish things extremely pertinent to Babywise. Over time, the blog has grown into a one-stop location for parents who follow Babywise. I try to cover parenting in all its realms, from diapers, to gas pain, to educating children.
Before I started this blog, when you googled “babywise,” you basically found nothing but negative information. Now when you google “babywise,” this blog is on the first page! And here we are today, two years later. Funny to think that it really started up thanks to a major Babywise basher. How sad she will be to know that she is what really got this going 🙂 Funny how out of adversity, great things can happen 🙂
Reader Thank Yous
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I would post some of the reader thank-yous. I really appreciate all of the thank-yous. They make all of the effort worth it.
- Meredith said…
Thank you so much for this blog – It is so useful to me. - Kate said…
Hi!I just found your blog a few days ago. Your entries are very encouraging. Thanks for taking the time to write your experiences. They are sincerely appreciated by this new mama. - Lindsay said…
I just found your blog and I have to say Thanks. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! I have read Babywise, but your blog has really helped me! I’m so glad you do this! I have been looking for answers, reassurance, whatever on naps and your blog finally put me at ease. Thanks again!!
Plowmanators said…
You are so welcome! Thanks for saying thanks–it makes all my time worth it! - AquaNet said…
Hello Val,I really enjoy your blog on babywise. Thanks for taking time to share your experience. - John and Amanda said…
I love your blog! Oh how I wish I had stumbled across this 6.5 months ago! I couldn’t ever find anything positive (or helpful) about BW anywhere on the Internet! I’ve been winging it!This is such a great idea and resource! Thank you for investing your time and experiences with all of us! I am a huge advocate of BW! I knew I would use it before I was ever even pregnant! I introduced it to several friends who were pregnant at the same time as me, too! It seems all their baby’s took to BW to a T. My little guy took a little more figuring out before we got it right with the whole sleep training thing. I use BW in combination with Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. That book was very helpful to me in my sleep training issues where I felt BW let me hanging! I am starting to implement BW II. I love BW II and look forward to reading more of your blogs as you work through it all with Kaitlyn! It’s always nice to see what other moms are doing and what is working for them! Thank you again for sharing your experiences! I will likely be a regular reader!!! 🙂 God Bless! - Mom2Cohen said…
I love your blog as well…it has really helped support our decision to do BW. - Nanny4Two said…
I want to thank you for writing such a imfortaive blog about YOUR experinace w/ babywise. - Bethany said…
Thank you so much for this website! I have a 4 week old and have been trying to follow BW methods but still have so many questions. My BW book is a permanent fixture on my coffee table for frequent reference. I truly appreciate a website I can reference for additional help. By the way, BW is not the only book ever written that uses this method, but it seems to be the only one that gets blasted. - Beth said…
I love your blog and your approach to BW. I have found lots of valuable and helpful information here! Thank you! - Nanny4Two said…
Plowmanators, thank you;=)Your doing a great thing for mom’s and nannies by writing a imforative blog like this, it really helps out women who find BW to be very successful. - Micoise said…
First, thanks for your blog. I have been reading it since my twins were born 11/9/07, and it has been a huge help. - Jessica said…
Hi BWMOM.Just found your blog. Thanks for doing this. I have a friend who lives in another state and has read BW but didn’t get all the fun we did locally of classes, etc. She has a reflux baby at 3 weeks and she falls asleep really fast. I am so happy that I can look up info for her here. My son is 13 months, so a lot of this has escaped my mind. Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Plowmanators said…
I am also one of those in a state with no classes. I am glad to help! - Courtney said…
Thank you so much for your blog. I really appreciate the help. - jahanschen said…
This comment is not related to the post, I just wanted to let you know I happened upon your blog today when looking online for more Babywise-centered parenting groups. I’ve been perusing your archives, and I really appreciate all the advice and explanation of Babywise principles you’ve provided. I especially like your series disclaiming the Babywise Myths since I’ve also run into those so many times. People do not want to take the time to actually read the book and make decisions for themselves as to the value of the principles in it. I had a mother tell me that her pediatrician told her not to do BW because it would kill her newborn. She had never actually cracked the cover of the book–just asked others about it, and in doing so lost out on the benefits and had a 4 month old who was underweight, constipated, and never went longer than 2 hours before feeding (snacking). Anyway, thank you for your efforts. I also enjoy the non-BW posts. I am a SAHM with a BA in English. I taught for a few years before having my baby, and always identify with other English majors (and our love for reading!). Keep up the good work 🙂
Plowmanators said…
I am glad you are enjoying the blog! It is always good to hear so I know the work is worth it! - artsychic76 said…
Thanks for this post [Combating Babywise Myths: Go 3 hours between feedings no matter what ]!! I have a book called Baby 411 and I really dislike the viewpoints of the Pediatrician who wrote it. I finally tossed the book when she bashed Babywise and said that it says to put your newborn on a 3 hr schedule, which we all know is WRONG. She obviously didn’t do her research. She also made me feel guilty that I couldn’t breastfeed for long; something my OWN pediatrician does not do, she supports my decision to formula feed and we love her for it! Our baby is healthy, smart, happy and thriving AND sleeping well, thanks to BW. Thanks for all you do, Val. Its much appreciated!! - kindra said… Oh I appreciate your defense of BW so much! As a mom of a happy, healthy 6 month BW baby girl, I am so sick of BW bashing! I love that you have this blog here to help us other mom’s out in the way of advice and questions. I gave up on looking for a BW question and answer forum, because like you said as soon as you Google it, all you find is how terrible it is. So again, thank you.
- Sara Louise! said…
Thanks so much for your blog- I have found it to be so helpful! - david, blair, and sadie beth said…
This is a great blog! Thank you for taking the time to post so much helpful info. - Amy said…
Thanks! all your blogs have been very helpful to me. sometimes i think a question i have is ridiculous and then i see you have a blog about it and feel so much better lol! i am going to try leaving one arm out of the swaddle and see what happens!
Plowmanators said…
Amy, I am glad you have been able to find your answers–we have all had those questions! 🙂 - Becky & Scott said…
I just found you too! I’m sooo glad I did! I felt like I had no one to talk to about BW! - susie said…
I read your blog page daily. It is sooo helpul. I love all the topics. - susie said…
Thank you. This will be my goal for the week. I love reading your blogs daily as another resource and much support for our family. Anyways, I love all your blogs! They are so HELPFUL! Susie - Catherine said…
Hi Valerie,Thank you so much for this blog. It has helped me and my son tremendously! - The Pinnt’s said…
Thank You so much Val, I am here via Mayasmom. You posted this as a suggestion for one of my questions about Pulling Up. I’ve started to get frustrated but reading this makes me feel a lot better, thank you! I know you’ve heard it a ton but Ill say it again. Your blog is a life/sanity saver! =)
Plowmanators said…
You are welcome! I am glad to help. Luckily for me, Kaitlyn hasn’t started to pull up in her bed yet. I am hoping the older she is when she does it, the less of a disruption it will be. Rolling was a big disruption for her, but sitting up hasn’t been. Maybe she is over the disruption thing? 😉 - momtobobby said…
Great advice! I am so in love with this site! I’m soo glad that I found this blog, you have no idea:) I am constantly consulting BW thinking that there will be something in there that i have missed. This site is heaven sent! - Catherine said… Hi Valerie,Thanks sooo much for all your energy and help! I am so thankful I found this blog.
- Jennifer said…
I LOVE your blog. I just wish I would have found it sooner. Thanks again for this wonderful resource.
Jennifer said…
Thanks! We are working on it right now! I appreciate your time and help. - sarah said…
Thanks! I love your blog. - Cristine said…
I’m so glad I found this site! I live in Brazil, but got introduced to babywise by my brother and sister-in-law who live in the US. I read Babywise and tried to implement it on my baby since birth. I had a hard time with a lot of things, but was persistent. I am so glad I tried though, and although I still have a lot to learn, I already see many benefits to everything I was able to do! My baby is now 13 weeks old, he is able to sleep on his own, he’s going through a period of 45 minute intruder of naps and is still waking at 3 AM to eat..but I’m working on these things! I am searching for advice here like crazy! I love it! I wish I had found it sooner, since I felt many times like I had no one to talk to about BW (my sister-in-law was of great help though). THANK YOU!
Plowmanators said…
Cristine,Thanks for the thanks, I am glad you found it! - Shana said…
Thank you for your post. It is so nice to hear a fellow BW mom sharing my struggle.
Plowmanators said…
You are welcome! - Fortibus Marketing of Charleston, L.L.C said…
Hello!! You are an angel, thank you for you blog!!
Plowmanators said…
Oh, and thanks for the thanks! - David and Joelle Turner’s Blog said…Hi. I have found your website to be VERY helpful! I have spent all morning looking for a resource on Babywise like this. Thank you!
- mommytoisabella said…
Thank you for your advice. I really do appreciate you blog and the time and effort you put in to help mommies out. - Tim & Jamie said… Thank you for your blog I read it all the time and look to it for some great insight as I navigate my way through the first year of my childs life.
- lsmith said…
I enjoy reading your blog for the helpful information - Amy said…Oh, thank you so much for your answer to Lindsay’s question. I am having the same problem. Also, thank you thank you thank you for this blog. The books are amazing, but I needed more. So this really helps.
- Ashley & Rhett said…love your blog! it is so helpful for this 1st time mom trying to be successful with BW!
- January said…
Okay, first of all, LOVE the blog! It’s so nice to have someone answering the questions before I even ask them! - The Todd’s said…
My friend and I really enjoyed reading the information you have on this site. You have done an outstanding job with so much info. provided. - Brian and chelsea said…
I just want too say how excited I am to find this blog/website! My good friend told me about it. Im new to Babywise, but so far believe it could be just what we need. Cant wait to learn more! Thankyou, Valerie, for volunteering your time and knowledge to help others. - The Burkes said…
This blog site is an absolute treasure! Thank you so much for being willing to serve others with your experiences and advice!! I’ve passed it on to several Moms. - Lucie said…First, let me say I am so thankful to have found your blog and owe you a HUGE THANK YOU for taking the time to share your experiences with all of us. I have spent over a week looking through and reading your blog! It is very thorough.Jaclyn said…Thanks for your sharing your wisdom and experiences. For a first time mom, it’s a HUGE blessing!
- Jaciblessedwife_mom said…This blog is such a wonderful resource. Thank you for all of your great topics.
- The Lewis Farm said…I have a question on morning naps. First off, I have to extend a sincere, very deep from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU for this blog. It has been helpful more than I could ever explain to you. You are heaven-sent!
Plowmanators said…
Kelly, you are welcome! Thanks for the thanks. - Katiejojohnson said…Hello. I want to thank you for this blog. All of the sleep books are sometimes very general and don’t seem to always address specific questions. This blog has helped me a lot.
- Lucie said…
Hi! Again, thank you so much for your time and effort! You are playing a VITAL role helping me work out the kinks of teaching good sleep habits to my Little Man. - twinsx3 said…First let me say congratulations on the girl! Also, I wanted you to know that this blog has been a blessing to me in the past year. Thanks for continuing it even when you are not feeling well.
- susanne said…Thanks so much for responding to all our comments. I know that creates a lot of extra work for you, but I know that we all appreciate the time you take to respond to us. I know that I personally have gotten a lot out of all your posts and wisdom. Your blog has been a true God-Sent to me as a first time mom.
Plowmanators said…
Thanks Susanne! I really appreciate your words. It means a lot. - lisa said…Thanks for keeping us posted; I’d like to say thank you for this blog as well! We just started BW after Thanksgiving, and went on our first trip away from home for Christmas. Our 3 month old wowed the whole family with his routine of 5 feedings a day, restful naps, and STTN, not to mention his happy demeanor and cheery personality. This blog helped me get through CIO and other various BW questions. Thanks again!! Happy New Year!
Plowmanators said…
Thanks for your thanks Lisa! I appreciate it. I am glad things have worked well for you 🙂
