Insecure and Sleep Deprived: A New Mom Shops at Night

Since the arrival of our baby girl three months ago, I often find myself sleepless in the middle of the night.  After feeding her at 2:30 a.m., it takes a moment for her to go back to sleep. When she does, I am wide awake. I know I should relax, meditate, drink some water but instead, against better judgment, I reach for my phone. I browse social media and read blogs, especially mom blogs. I search for answers to questions like, are we feeding her too much or too little? When is the right time to introduce solid foods? What are the pros and cons with vaccinations? Is her slight cough a sign of a serious illness? And there, in the middle of the night, I seek the guidance of strangers. Well, I at least read what they have to say.

Little did I know before parenthood, how prevalent mom blogs are; today, most moms have blogs that they read regularly (Amaral, 2013). Many of these sites are full blown communities with lots of information on how to parent along with suggestions on what to buy to help in the process. Online searches for “how to” will lead to lists of “must have” items that are easily accessible with a link inside the commentaries. These are tempting suggestions for a tired and insecure new mom eager to get her baby exactly what she needs. Things like designer diaper bags (because just any old bag won’t do), bottle warmers (rinsing under warm water is too primitive), and stroller cup holders (what would mom or dad do without a coffee within reach?) all of sudden seem essential. No wonder that the bringing-up-baby business is a $23-billion-dollar industry (O’Brien, 2014) and that large brands will specifically target successful bloggers with the most trafficked sites (DeMers, 2014). This is a powerful corporate marketing tool especially considering that more than 3/4 of US online consumers trust information posted on blogs (Amaral, 2013).

Lipstick and Chopsticks. Today’s Object of Desire: Gucci Diaper Bag. Retrieved from http://lipstickandchopsticks.com

In fact, mommy bloggers are the most influential among personal bloggers. Why are they so powerful? Maybe because as readers, we develop a personal relationship with the writer. Perhaps we are also especially open, maybe even vulnerable, to the impact of messages that are close to the heart, in this case our children and the burning desire to be a good parent. Therefore, opinions and suggestions on these sites might impact us just as much as those from friends and family. And a recommendation from someone that we trust is the most influential factor in making any kind of purchase (Young, 2014). Taking this reasoning one step further, the influential mom bloggers are close to being mavens to devoted readers, the term Malcolm Gladwell introduced referring to everyday influencers in our closest circle of friends and family (Young, 2014).

Before parenthood, I would occasionally find myself after a busy day at work in front of my laptop with a glass of wine for some mindless internet browsing. Did the relaxed setting facilitate online shopping of clothing I didn’t really need? Probably (you are welcome, Nordstrom). And now, are my nighttime online purchases prompted by mom bloggers tapping into my insecurities about parenting skills? Most likely. Again, the solution to a perceived need or problem, right there, accessible at the click of my fingertip. But stuff won’t bring my child health and happiness, which is what I want the most in this world for her. So I try to be a rational consumer by evaluating and comparing before making impulse purchases. But more than anything, I try to give myself a break because as a parent, what matters the most, is doing my best. For that reason, I better try to get some sleep now. I just might have some 3:00 a.m. shopping to do.

References

Amaral, C. (July 2013). Why mom bloggers are so valuable to brands. Aabaco Small Business. Retrieved from https://www.aabacosmallbusiness.com/advisor/why-mom-bloggers-valuable-brands-173022432.html

DeMers, J. (November 6, 2014). How to get mommy bloggers to bring customers to your brand. Huffington Post. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com

O’Brien, E. (April 15, 2014). 10 things the baby-product industry won’t tell you. Market Watch. Retrieved from: http://www.marketwatch.com

Ramsay. (July 3, 2015). How stay-at-home moms can make money blogging. [Web log post].

Retrieved from http://www.blogtyrant.com/stay-home-moms-make-good-money-blogs-online-business/

Young, A. (2014). Brand media strategy: Integrated communications planning in the digital era. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.