In a modern world, we share much more of our lives than we used to – from pictures taken on first dates, to videos of proposals and even snaps of our children’s first day at school. Many people love sharing happy snippets of their lives with their friends and followers, but how much sharing is too much sharing?
Should you share your pregnancy on social media or is it better to tell only your close friends and family?
Here are some things to consider when making your choice:
Social media privacy settings
Do you have a private profile where your content is only shared with friends? Can your employer or colleagues see what you post, or is your account public? If you have an open Instagram account, for example, your personal posts will be seen by a much wider audience. Consider how comfortable you are with people knowing your news and limit the privacy settings, as appropriate.
Have you protected your personal information?
Whilst many people share their ultrasound pictures as a way to announce their pregnancy, you should do this with caution. You should avoid sharing anything that highlights personal or private information such as your medical ID or home address. Don’t forget, once images are in the public domain, they are very difficult to erase forever.
Your friend’s personal circumstances
As much as you want to celebrate your good news – is your announcement likely to upset any of your close friends or family? It may be triggering to see scan photographs and pregnancy announcements on Facebook, particularly if you are have recently dealt with pregnancy loss, repeated miscarriage or are having trouble getting pregnant. Whilst it shouldn’t necessarily stop you from sharing, you may want to consider your timing carefully.
Instant support
Sharing your pregnancy news more widely can actually encourage you to get help and support from friends and family earlier on in your maternity. For example, friends may provide offers of hand-me-downs and pass on clothes their children have outgrown, whilst others may offer to have your eldest child for the day so you can sleep. They may also be more understanding if you’re cancelling plans at the last minute.
For the memories
Becoming a parent is definitely something to celebrate, so it’s understandable you may want to shout it from the rooftops! Once shared, it will also appear on your Facebook memories every year going forward. You can even show your child when they are older so they can read all the genuine reactions from their family members, something that’ll make heartwarming reading for sure.
How do you want to announce it?
Will you draft a simple written message, share your scan photo, create an ‘Instaworthy’ pegboard announcement or even get older siblings involved? You could always go one further like musician Tom Fletcher and do a “Player 2 loading…’ video – one of our favourite celebrity pregnancy announcements to date!
Is there anyone you should tell face to face first?
Not everyone uses Facebook or Instagram regularly, so whilst social media can be a great way to tell a bulk audience of more distant friends, our advice would be to tell close family members in person or on the phone first, if you can. Getting a call from a well-wishing friend saying ‘congrats on becoming a Nana’ when your mother-in-law hasn’t logged on socials for a week doesn’t even bear thinking about!
