You might think it is weird when pregnant women, would-be fathers, new parents are posting crazy posts and pictures and your timeline is flooded with baby pictures and poop descriptions.
I also found it weird many a times until I was thrown straight into that situation. I also had the urge to vent out my feelings online but my friends who are bachelors or who are just married will be least interested in it. Why should I bore them?
Everybody will agree that pregnancy and child birth both are taxing times and it’s natural to have the urge to be connected. As I always say, everything should be done in a limit and aesthetically, to keep the audience engaged.
My two cents on how to be connected and gain strength from your community members: (and what to avoid)
-
Feeling sick in the morning: this should not be your first post of the day.
-
If you want to share your nauseated conditions, ups and downs experienced during nine months , join a community such as Baby Center that is specific to you and other future parents. Do not bombard your timeline with pregnancy/child birth related posts.
-
Nine months and post-child birth are mentally and physically exhausting. Spare 10-15 minutes a day when you are logging in and connecting with fellow community members. It will give you a break.
-
Announcing your baby’s arrival: Spare a moment on which will be the first picture to accompany your announcement. My ground rule is parents should post it rather than enthusiastic relatives.
-
If you are a regular blogger, plan and prepare the posts which can go up while you are away from the scene. I made a mistake of keeping few posts in the inventory.
-
With the ubiquitous presence of smartphones and tablets, you don’t need a computer to login on your favorite social sites. Install the apps beforehand so that you don’t have to pick and open the bulky gadgets.
It’s a new role. Enjoy the motherhood period. Stay connected, feel connected and be connected!
P.S. It’s an individual choice to maintain your social profile once you have your baby. You may prefer to be a social diva or shun the online world altogether. The views which I have expressed here are my own.