Congratulations on your pregnancy, mama! Pregnancy is a beautiful, life-changing experience that many moms-to-be are excited to share with friends and family.
Over the past few decades, social media has become a popular way for expecting moms to document and share their pregnancy journeys. From creative pregnancy announcements to adorable baby bump photos, there are so many milestones to celebrate online!
That said, sharing pregnancy news and updates on social media requires thoughtful consideration. As joyful as it is to post about your pregnancy, it's important to think about online privacy and safety for both you and your little one.
Let's explore some of the most common ways moms share their pregnancies online, along with helpful tips for navigating social media during this special time.
Popular Ways to Share Your Pregnancy Online
If you have a social media account, chances are you've seen a few clever pregnancy announcements from friends and family members sharing their exciting news. Family portraits, festive backdrops, and themed photo shoots are also popular ways to document pregnancy journeys online.
Here are some of our favorite ways to introduce your little one to the world.
Celebrate with Creative Pregnancy Announcements
Post Positive Test Results
A picture's worth a thousand words, mama! Uploading a photo of your ultrasound image or positive pregnancy test can quickly spread your good news to your friends and followers!
Share Sweet Baby Items
Posting a flatlay with cute baby items like shoes or onesies will get everyone excited for baby's arrival!
Embrace the Bump!
Your body will experience significant change over the course of your pregnancy, and posing in a way that highlights these changes—like showing off your growing baby bump month by month—is a sweet way to document just how much things can change from the first trimester all the way to your delivery date!
Let Your Creativity Shine
Using artsy lettering or drawings is a fun way to announce your pregnancy in your next family photo! This adds a personal touch to a sweet moment.
Take Inspiration from the Seasons
Lean into a seasonal photo shoot to let everyone know about your new addition! Think: flower crowns for spring, beach scenes for summer, pumpkins in the fall, and cozy, festive decor in the winter. If you're pregnant now and expecting in the fall or winter, find some great photo shoot ideas for baby's first winter on our blog!
Let Family Members Join in the Fun!
If you tell your family early, you can even add them to the announcement fun! Ask your parents to pose for a picture wearing cute merch announcing their new status as grandparents-to-be, or get your older kids involved with a sign that says they have a new sibling on the way (just as long as you're comfortable sharing their photos online).
No matter how you choose to announce your pregnancy, sharing a heartfelt caption along with your photo is a sweet way to express your joy and excitement. It really can be as simple as uploading an ultrasound photo paired with a simple message like "Baby on the way, coming [due date]!"
Check out our blog for more ideas on clever and fun ways to announce your pregnancy!
Documenting Pregnancy Milestones
From that first baby bump pic to progress updates, moms often use social media as a way to document their physical journey through pregnancy.
Snapping monthly or weekly bump photos is a fun way to watch your belly grow and share your progress with friends and family during this exciting time.
Many parents also post about big pregnancy milestones like feeling those first kicks, finding out baby's sex, choosing a name, or decorating the nursery. Sharing these exciting moments allows your community to feel connected to your experience and share in your joy from that first ultrasound all the way up to birth.
Remember, there are no right or wrong milestones to post about—every mom and every pregnancy journey is unique! Whether you prefer to keep things simple with just a couple key updates or want to document every detail, sharing should feel natural and authentic to you.
Connecting with Other Moms
Social media is a great place to connect with other parents and moms-to-be. Tapping into a community of women who are going through similar experiences provides invaluable support and advice throughout pregnancy and into motherhood.
Many moms join private pregnancy or due date groups on Facebook and other social media sites to navigate everything from the first trimester to parental leave. These spaces create a safe space to ask questions, voice concerns, and celebrate the joys and challenges of pregnancy together. They're also great places to meet and connect with other expecting moms with similar timelines.
Do You Have to Share Everything With Your Followers?
As wonderful as social media can be, it can also feel overwhelming to constantly see moms experiencing a "perfect" pregnancy.
Remember, mama, not everything is as it seems. What we see on social media is just a snippet of someone's life, and for some people, that means curating their feeds to only show the best moments. We don't always see moms struggling with morning sickness or depression. We don’t often see real talk posts about being on bed rest, either, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. And while we know miscarriages occur, it's understandable that not everyone wants to talk about them.
No matter what happens during your pregnancy journey, don't feel pressured or obligated to post every detail of your experience. Share as much as you want, whenever you can, mama. At the end of the day, it's your call.
Find us in The Pumping Room
At Aeroflow Breastpumps, we have our own support group on Facebook, The Pumping Room! When you join, you'll find a welcoming place to find friendship and support for your pregnancy and breastfeeding journey. Plus, our team of expert IBCLCs and clinicians are always available to provide guidance and education to help create a smooth transition from pregnancy into the postpartum period, sharing all the information you'll need for your pumping and nursing needs.
Important Safety Considerations for Sharing Pregnancy News Online
As exciting as it is to announce your pregnancy online or post about your pregnancy journey, safety comes first.
Be mindful of your audience, mama. Private accounts give you more control over who might see your posts, while public accounts make it challenging to keep track of who's visiting your profile. Both options are great as long as you feel comfortable.
Here are some more tips for sharing your news:
Set Privacy Boundaries
Before you start sharing pregnancy updates online, check your privacy settings on each social media platform to ensure they’re at a level you’re comfortable with.
Make sure you're only sharing with your intended audience, mama. Whether that includes your closest friends and family or a wider network of followers, it's important to know who has access to your profile and the content you share there.
And remember that anything posted on the internet can live there forever, even if you delete it. Be thoughtful about what personal details, photos, and information you're comfortable making public. It's completely okay to wait or be selective and only share certain parts of your journey with certain friends and family members.
If you’re a more privacy-minded mama that still wants to share, consider posting photos taken from angles that don’t reveal facial features. You can also use digital tools on your computer or phone to blur faces or other parts of images you’d rather not share.
Communicate with Family and Friends
Talk with your partner and pregnancy community to make sure you're on the same page about what you will and won't post on social media regarding your pregnancy and child. Some couples may decide to wait to share their news online until the second or third trimester, while others are excited to document every week of their pregnancy, and others opt out of sharing any baby news or images of their child until they're much older.
Let eager family members and friends know your preferences around posting about your baby and other pregnancy-related content. If you're not comfortable with others sharing your news until you're ready to announce, communicate those boundaries clearly and kindly early on in your journey. A simple, direct request like, "We're so excited to share our joy with you, but please let us make the first public announcement," can help get everyone aligned.
Be Mindful of Your Child's Online Presence
In the excitement of pregnancy, it can be easy to forget that your social media choices impact your child too. Every family will have different philosophies around posting photos of baby once they arrive. Some parents are comfortable freely sharing, while others may be more protective of baby's privacy online.
Before your little one makes their debut, think carefully about how much of their childhood you want documented on social media. Will you post with caution and keep things minimal? Will you create a private, separate account just for baby photos? Or will sharing your family life online not be a concern?
There's no wrong approach, but reflecting on your values in advance can help you make posting choices you feel good about in the moment and throughout your baby's life.
Ready, Set, Post!
However you decide to navigate social media throughout pregnancy, the most important thing is protecting your peace and savoring every step of your journey.
By setting boundaries, communicating openly with loved ones, and being intentional about what you share online, you can relax and focus on the beautiful road to motherhood ahead. You've got this, mama!
Looking for more advice on navigating pregnancy and new motherhood? Check out our collection of educational classes and resources. Whether you need tips for your first trimester or want to see if you're eligible to get a free breast pump through insurance, Aeroflow Breastpumps is there for you, mama.
