It’s 2019, and that means everything and everyone is on the ‘gram – including real-life pregnancy and birth.
Some people are a little more private about their experience, and that’s okay.
But if you’re like a lot of modern parents, you are planning to document your journey from bump to baby on Facebook, Instagram, or your other chosen social media platform. So what are some ways to ensure that you have a great experience as far as privacy, social support, or visibility? Here are some tips on making a social media plan for your birth.
Privacy and Safety
Say you want to share your journey with the world, but only up to a certain point. As doulas, we never “check in” at your hospital or birth center while we’re attending you there because it can violate your privacy and open you up to unwanted visitors (both benign and malevolent). We recommend that you do the same, or wait to share your “check-in” post until a couple days after you’ve already gone home with your new baby.
You also may wish to enjoy a day or two of completely uninterrupted bonding time as a family before sharing your news. It’s totally your prerogative! If you do choose to share the news with any close family and friends before making your big announcement, be sure to clearly and firmly communicate with them that you have not yet announced the baby to the world. This goes for when you get those first little double pink lines, too!
Boundaries and Getting Your Needs Met
Utilizing social media is also a great way to communicate your boundaries, wants, and needs to your friends and relatives without causing a lot of tension and backlash. For example, design a cute photo or graphic with something that you feel strongly about, perhaps:
- all visitors please call us first prior to coming as we will be spending our first few days together bonding as a family
- visitors may trade a casserole and a loaded dishwasher for baby snuggles
- visitors, please postpone your visit if you or your immediate family members are sick
- we ask that all visitors wash their hands upon arrival and avoid kissing the baby
This can help you communicate your expectations ahead of time, avoiding any potentially awkward situations in the heat of the moment.
Ideas for Documenting Your Pregnancy, Birth, and Baby
We’ve all seen those cute time-lapse videos of baby bumps growing, and thought “I wish I had thought of that!” People are really getting creative, incorporating dance routines, props, and their other family members into their masterpiece. The key is to know what you want to do ahead of time, so you don’t miss out on the early weeks or months of pregnancy. Check out these fun ideas of pregnancy progression photos.
While some parents set up and photograph or video their journey themselves, others hire a professional photographer to capture their pregnancy announcement, reveal the baby’s sex, maternity shoot, the delivery, and baby’s first year of photos. If you do not have a professional birth photographer, your doula is happy to snap a few photos for you during a quiet moment here and there in labor.
If you want to go all out with the support and encouragement of a thousand or more “virtual doulas”, you might even consider live-streaming your birth. Yes, I said live-streaming your birth – it’s actually becoming very popular! The BirthTUBE group on Facebook has grown to nearly 50k members, and features several live-streamed births per month where parents are supporting each other and normalizing birth as a part of life.
Social media definitely makes things different now from when we were younger. Good thing our generation is known for its adaptability and can roll with those punches! With these tips, you will be able to come up with a social media plan that is enjoyable for you and your family, no matter how public or private you would prefer to be. Need some more help or suggestions on planning for your ideal pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience? Hit the “contact us” tab to connect with the best doulas in Denver, Colorado Springs, and surrounding areas in Colorado.