When I first joined essentialbaby: there were militant breastfeeders modern cloth nappies were highly sought after signature creators were in high demand there were many active and heated discussions, which drew in the crowds

friday bar was busy and drunk militant bf, we went to task as i ff from birth AND used disposables your sig was everything found my favourite online store run by Decentia. I still shop at tragic beautiful

I joined during the Matty Johns rape scandal of 2009? I think? I never posted much. I lurked and liked a LOT. Welcome squeekums! You have a lot of fans here.

The general threads were full of knock-down, drag-out fights. They were awesome. I spent so much time reading them. Too scared to post in them, though. The breastfeeding posters. Exhausted mums would post about how hard it was and ask if it was okay if they tried formula and they’d be told “breast is best, did you try a football hold?” There was also a lot of woowoo around breast feeeding. Total opposition to any sleep training even the gentlest kind. “Oh, you haven’t slept for six months and you feel suicidal? Well, I wouldn’t allow my child to cry for five minutes because they will definitely experience raised cortisol levels that will destroy their lives but maybe you’re different.” There were a lot of antivaxxers and people on their own vaccination schedules. I think those people disappeared to facebook groups because they didn’t like being challenged.

I think I joined in about 2008 and was too scared to post for the first five years. Privilege was around? Lots of interesting people with different opinions. There was the Bronzie scandal. Loads of fights that I didn’t understand. If you were up late at night with a baby or whatever there was always someone around. Was super interesting though. I knew nothing about kids until I had mine so I learned a lot. Something for everyone.

I came in though a link via The Age. It was an argument about other people telling off your kids. I didn’t have kids at the time and was very earnest and preachy.

There were a lot of trolls, too. I remember someone posting they were in hospital having a miscarriage (with twins, of course) and the mean nurses were ignoring them. Another poster said “My sister works in that hospital, I’ll get her to go and check on you” and there was a long silence and the thread was closed not long after.

MrsT I never posted much. I lurked and liked a LOT. Welcome squeekums! You have a lot of fans here. You so should have posted more ooh chuffed, fans giggle lol looks like blinkybill on way out on neweb Privileged was a fun poster to tangle with on old eb back in the day

What was happening on essentialbaby when you first joined?