The stork visits social media

Celebrities like Liv Tyler are announcing their pregnancy on social media, a trend that’s being lapped up by tech-savvy moms-to-be too

Hollywood actress Liv Tyler recently took to Instagram to announce her pregnancy earlier this week — the 38-year-old actress posted a photo with her hand on her tiny baby bump to reveal the good news. Recently, Anne Hathway proudly showed off her baby bump in a bikini during her beach trip, and Bar Refaeli uploaded a picture of the pee stick to indicate her pregnancy.

While celebrities are choosing creative ways to unveil their pregnancy on social media, the trend is picking up closer home too. Now, moms-to-be are putting up photos of their baby bump, ultrasound scans and pregnancy tests to announce the good news. So what exactly is fuelling this trend

A perfect match — social media and sharing

Announcement of one’s pregnancy was traditionally reserved till the baby shower or the godh bharai but social media made it common to share both “important” details about one’s lives. Ask 26-year-old banker, Sneha Raghu, who announced news of her

pregnancy with posters on Facebook. She says, “Today, thanks to social media, every emotion — be it anger, joy, grief, happiness — is being shared with everyone on the timeline. Each emotion is being given a voice. So why shouldn’t one document a life-changing moment like pregnancy ”

A changing view of pregnancy

Television actor Archana Puran Singh says that technological advancements (for instance, ultra tech sound machines) made it easier to predict a sound delivery. She says, “In the previous decades, there was worry if the baby would even make it to the ninth month, given how high the prenatal births were. Today, there is little fear about a miscarriage, thanks to technology. Plus, pregnancy is today seen as a milestone more than a rite of passage. Women do want to flaunt the fact that they are taking a huge step in their lives.”

Tara Sharma, who hosts a parenting and childcare show, says that the added bonus of announcing the good news without having to personally reach out to one and all makes it a stress-free choice.

She says, “It is easier to tell the world about the good news on social media since everyone you want to know is on it. Social media has a huge reach and it helps one get the news out there without having to personally call everyone.”

A support network

While a family may often constitute of a strong support system, Freyaz Shroff, who runs a parenting blog, says that pregnancy announcements can help build support to help navigate one’s pregnancy in the future. She says, “I think most women look to their family for support. But when it is the little things like suggestions for baby care, new mothers do seek advice from their peers. In such a case, it is social media that helps immensely.”