I think there are plenty of "face palm" questions on here when some of us just can't believe what we're reading. The problem is, those aren't always the same questions for each of us.
When I see a bunch of them in succession, I wonder if it's some of the same people opening duplicate accounts ("Maybe if I ask the question in a different way, I'll get more responses") or someone who has just looked at the most recent posts and said "Hey, this looks like a place where a lot of people post medical questions. I will too."
I don't think we should assume, just because someone has asked a question briefly or even awkwardly, that they are an idiot and deserve an answer that begins with, "Um.... we aren't doctors" or "What does the pediatrician say?" That's a tip off to the questioner that she's viewed as an idiot and that we are a community that serves first to be right and second to be helpful. Not sure that helps our membership. I think it doesn't hurt to be kind - and even if the person does need a kick in the behind (because, hey, we're all experts on mental health and human behavior), it can be done nicely through suggestion.
And, frankly, some people on this site have been horribly
If we say that questions shouldn't be on this site because someone should consult a professional, then we should ban the following:
Questions about your child's school/teacher/homework/testing? "Umm...no, you need to consult a child development specialist or someone with a doctorate in education."
Questions about lice, bumps on the face, dandruff, acne? "Umm...no, we're not dermatologists."
Questions about recipes? "Umm...no, we're not chefs or registered nutritionists."
Questions about my abusive husband with anger issues? "Umm, sorry, we're not trained domestic violence counselors or LICSWs, don't listen to us."
Questions about hair products/processes? "Umm...no, you need to talk to a licensed beautician certified by your state."
Questions about foster care, adoption, custody? "Umm...no, we're not Court Appointed Special Advocates or family care attorneys?"
Questions about vitamins? "Umm...no, I'm not trained in food science or the microbiology of cellular nutrition."
So, we should just shut the site down because, by that logic, none of us has anything to say on 99% of the subjects posted, and we have no value as a community of moms.
Alternatively, we can say we have something to offer, we can suggest questions you might ask of your medical professional, we can encourage you when perhaps you have been mistreated or misled or even abused by a medical professional in the past. Some us say "go to urgent care" while others say, "Good Lord, don't go to urgent care because something horrible happened to me when I did that." Some say, "Go to the doctor immediately" while others say "wait, it might be a 3-month wait or maybe you don't have the $25 co-payment or maybe your doctor is dismissive of your concerns."
I think, if medical questions bother someone so much that all they can do is lecture the questioner, they should just pass by those questions. Same as any other topic that doesn't interest them or that infuriates them. Life is too short to get riled up by someone who doesn't think like you do or I do. There are members on this site whose answers I read even on subjects that are of limited applicability to me, just because I like the way they think and the way they make ME think, and I learn a lot about gentle ways to be helpful or to phrase things. There are members on this site whose answers I don't even read because I know exactly what they are going to say, it's going to be nasty or arrogant, and I don't need that negativity in my life.