Whether it is your first or sixth child, a new baby is exciting news that you want to share! But how do you manage the spread of this joyous news in today's day and age of social media and minute by minute updates? I have some suggestions for you! The key to pulling any of this off is thinking about it ahead of time. If you wait until the baby is born, it's probably too late. Preparation is key!
Don't Say Anything For 24 Hours I know this is kind of controversial, but hear me out. Those first 24 hours are so special and important for your family. You are bonding with your baby and recovering from delivery. It may not be completely possible to go radio silent, but if you can do it, I think it will be a gift to you, your spouse, and your family. However, I totally get it if the grandparents expect to be told or you're just so excited you have to tell someone! Which is where the next tip comes in. Tell Immediate Family But Swear Them To Secrecy Your mom and mother-in-law may have been there for the birth. Sometimes sisters or sister-in-law are there as well. So some of your family may already know, but if you are telling immediate family, swear them to secrecy. This can be a conversation ahead of time. Ask them if they can handle knowing but not telling because you want time to tell people and you don't want to feel rushed to do it in the first hour after birth. If they feel like they can't handle that, then let them know that you will tell them when it is okay if they share it around. Make A Plan Come up with a (short) list of people you and your spouse want to tell yourselves. Maybe this is Grandma or siblings who aren't around or a best friend. Once you have told those people, let your friends and family spread the word! Trust me, they want to tell everyone anyway so let them take care of that for you. If having a special announcement is important, try to type something up ahead of time that your family can text out. Give them your phone, (the announcement can be in your Notes app), a list of people to text, and let them fill in the details of date/time/weight etc. No one will know you didn't actually type it out and hit send and it doesn't matter in the long run! Hold Off On Social Media Unless you are just so excited that you cannot contain yourself, I recommend waiting a week to post to social media. Let yourself and your family get home, adjust to life with a new little one, and enjoy these precious days. I recommend staying off socials completely and being present! If you feel like you need to post or just really want to, have something pre-drafted that someone can add details to and post for you and include something like, "Thank you for all the love and support! I am taking some time off to be with my new baby and will respond to all well-wishes when I get back!" Here's what all this comes down to - I don't believe you owe most people, and especially social media, and instant announcement. You know the people who need to know "right away" or who need to hear it from you, but the rest can wait a day or two or can be told by family and friends. This is an exhausting and precious time for you and I want you to be free to be present and do what is best for you and your family in this time. A Note To Friends And Family When your loved one tells you the happy news, ask if you can share it with others. And never, NEVER post ANYTHING on social media until you see that they have. I know you are excited, but give them the courtesy to tell people how they want and in the timing they want. Please don't spoil the surprise because you could really hurt people's feelings. Of course, if the parents ask you to make a post, then that is a different story. But otherwise, please be patient :) How did you tell people when your kids were born? Or do you have thoughts on what you will do someday? (I have a free gift for you! Grab your pack of ten free screensavers - five for computers and five for phones. Enjoy!)
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Hi! I'm Sarah!
I am a natural light portrait photographer. I've been taking photos since 2014 and would eat a smoothie from Tropical Smoothie Cafe for lunch everyday if I could. Thank you so much for stopping by. I blog about sessions, things I'm learning, stuff in my life, and information for YOU, my client. If you like what you see around the site, I'd love to work with you! I'd also love to connect with you on Instagram. I'm @sarah_jayne_photo :) Archives
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