Stephanie Liu's popular mom blog shares fact-based advice on parenting.
Photos: Laughing Dog Photography
In light of the overabundance of mom blogs with questionable content, one University of Alberta family physician decided to offer women an alternative and start up her own mom blog, called Life of Dr. Mom.
"There is some very serious misinformation on mom blogs that can cause harm to mom and baby if not rooted in evidence-based science," says Stephanie Liu, '13 MD.
When she was pregnant with now three-year-old Madeleine, for example, she read a mom blog that claimed sleep training is dangerous and can cause attachment disorder and ADHD later in life.
"I can tell you based on research that studies suggest sleep training is safe," she says.
There is no research on mom blogs themselves and whether the comfort and advice women take from them may also have negative consequences, says Liu.
However, there is plenty of information about how to work with advertisers to monetize mom blogs-which adds another potential red herring to the accuracy of the content, she notes.
Estimates suggest there are 4,000 mom bloggers in Canada and 4.4 million in the United States.
"As I am hearing from women more and more, I am discovering just how little is well known about baby health. And moms will turn to a blog where they can ask questions and feel like they are having a conversation with someone they know, more than they will read a handout from their physician. There's a tremendous need for more evidence-based mom blogs like mine."
Stephanie Liu launched her blog during a year spent in Atlanta for training for her husband Graeme Mulholland (shown here with daughter Madeleine and baby George).
Photo: Laughing Dog Photography
It was a few years after giving birth that Liu found time between her family medicine practice and her clinical lecturing work at the University of Alberta Hospital to start her blog.
"By then I was really desperate to do it. I'd been reading blogs and the misinformation drove me crazy," she says.
In 2018, her husband, otolaryngologist head and neck surgeon Graeme Mulholland, '09 BSc, '13 MD, was offered training in Atlanta for a year, and the family packed up and moved south. While there, Liu launched the mom blog with Suzanne Black, a psychiatry resident with experience in developing web platforms and an interest in advocating for mental wellness.
Now back in Edmonton, Liu collaborates with Erin Manchuk, '05 BScPharm, a clinical pharmacist in acute care on the family medicine ward at the U of A Hospital, to keep a steady stream of blog content flowing.
Life of Dr. Mom draws readers using beautiful photography and content that is rooted in studies published by credible sources. For example, a popular post on anxiety and motherhood contains a wealth of proven tips to help stave off anxiety. The blog's companion Instagram account @lifeofdrmom has attracted more than 9,500 followers, with Liu sharing intimate glimpses of her full days with baby George and daughter Madi while she was on maternity leave, and how she is now swinging back into work mode.
Listen to 'Dr. Mom' on an episode of The Line podcast, produced by UAlberta Alumni
Even as a doctor and busy mother of two, she plans to both practise and blog. "I'm in love with blogging. It would be my dream to reach as many moms as Goop does, while providing credible advice," says Liu, referring to the popular lifestyle website with articles about health and wellness that are often not founded in evidence-based medical information.
She admits she's still working on getting over patients knowing her personally.
"But if it helps them not feel alone when they're struggling with breastfeeding-something I totally underestimated until I gave birth-then I'm happy to do it."