2014 was the year of the bump. Everyone from Kelly Rowland to Blake Lively broke their news on social media, obligatory bump pic included. But what about the rest of us – should your news be plastered across every news feed for all to see? Two mums share their views.
“When I first found out I was pregnant with Lee I was 28 and, horror of horrors, I didn’t have Facebook. I still don’t. You won’t find me on a single social media channel.
“There is something immeasurably special in seeing people’s reactions when you tell them that you’re going to be a mummy. I told some of my family face-to-face, others over Skype. I called my closest friends. The hugging, screaming, and look of delight on their faces was so special to me. I just can’t imagine missing that.
“I was so proud of my blooming bump, it was great to run into old friends or colleagues and receive their genuine congratulations. I also enjoyed the look of shock on many people’s faces when they saw me, eight months pregnant, and couldn’t believe that they hadn’t heard yet. In our age of mass information sharing it’s not common for a young woman to keep things private.
“It actually made me re-connect with more people. I had emails and phone calls from people who had heard through friends of friends, and because they couldn’t type a quick comment, we actually had a proper conversation. As for scan and bump pictures – to me, they are too special to share with the world. I showed my nearest and dearest.
“My logic on the matter is quite simple. If I haven’t spoken to someone directly for nine months, they’re not worth telling anyway!
“Remember when Beyoncé got on stage at the 2011 MTV Awards and told fans she was pregnant with Blue Ivy? It was a huge announcement, and the next day it was in tabloids all over the world. When I got pregnant it felt like world news. I think lots of women feel the same way. You have a person growing inside you, it’s unbelievable.
“I put my scan picture on Twitter. I wanted to tell anyone, and I mean anyone, who would listen – ‘LOOK! THIS IS MY BABY!’
“The response was incredible. I had women I didn’t even know congratulating me. Within the twitterverse I found little pregnancy groups where we tweeted each other questions, and showed support to those trying to conceive. As I didn’t know many pregnant women this support was fantastic.
“When I started my own business recently I made a new Twitter account and deleted the old one. At the time I didn’t even think about it, but now that Connor is coming up for his first birthday, I would love to be able to go back and see what I wrote on that happy day, when I couldn’t wait to tell the world.
“Anyone who is thinking about sharing their news publicly, my advice is to do it. You’ll be overwhelmed with support.”
