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Birth announcements

Share your unique birth stories and read heartwarming stories from fellow mums. For more on your baby’s development, check out the Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

Details announced in birth announcement

79 replies

Confusion101 · 19/03/2022 15:25

I'm a while off this stage yet but it has always annoyed me so much that some of the first questions people ask when they hear a woman has given birth is 1. What weight was it and 2. Did she have it naturally? I really don't want to tell people what weight my baby will be and whether I push it out my vagina or not. It's so strange to even ask. (It's just very personal imo). I think it's more than enough info to know the date, gender, name, and how both of us are doing. And let's be honest, in this day and age all of that info will probably be accompanied with a photo. Anyone else feel the same or am I just being ridiculous?

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GrazingSheep · 19/03/2022 15:26

The weight question has been around forever.

TeenPlusCat · 19/03/2022 15:28

Date name sex and how the baby / mother are doing are fine.
weight people are interested in, it gives something to talk about.

Can't say I've ever seen whether a birth has been 'natural' or Caesarian

LoudingVoice · 19/03/2022 15:28

I’ve never ever heard anyone ask how a baby was born, if that info is offered it’s down to the parents.

Weight is just something people ask to be polite, I don’t think anyone puts that much thought into it!

Give whatever info you like, nobody is going to interrogate you.

Beees · 19/03/2022 15:29

No one asked me if I had my son naturally or not, quite honestly I wouldn't have cared if they had, it's just a question people ask when people have had a baby. There isn't much to actually ask.

I'm not entirely sure why you wouldn't want anyone to know how much your baby weighed though, that is quite odd as it's a pretty normal question.

kitcat15 · 19/03/2022 15:31

You are being ridiculous 🙄

Twizbe · 19/03/2022 15:31

The weight thing is something to ask. It can be the only surprise as well. For some of my friends I've known date of birth, sex and name all in advance.

I think before scans it was just another unknown about baby that people could have fun guessing.

I've never asked anyone how baby was born. Sometimes the information is volunteered. I would ask if mum was ok and if she was healing alright.

But when it's your baby you can decide what you share and what you don't.

Original poster

Confusion101 · 19/03/2022 15:32

I'm in Ireland so maybe it's asked more here but any conversation I've had around friends / family, the question "and did she have it naturally" has always been asked!

I just don't understand why the weight of the baby is such a key piece of info that people really want to know. What difference does it make what it weighed.

OP posts:

AwkwardPaws27 · 19/03/2022 15:34

I think the weight question is quite ingrained as even within the last century a higher birth weight would have indicated a child more likely to survive.

My nan was born prematurely for example, but without accurate dating scans this would have been mostly inferred from her size and she wasn't expected to survive.

I don't mind that as a question, or asking if they have hair etc, but can see how the method of birth bit could feel a bit intrusive.

There's not a huge amount you can ask about a newborn, is there?

Sunshinedreaming2022 · 19/03/2022 15:34

I've never announced how I gave birth, but you will have people (mothers generally) asking how the birth was. not to judge whether it was vaginal or c-section - more out of concern as it can be quite traumatic.
The weight thing isn't necessary to say if you don't want to, I don't know why its announced, it just is. But only share what you want.

Beees · 19/03/2022 15:34

I just don't understand why the weight of the baby is such a key piece of info that people really want to know. What difference does it make what it weighed.

It's not a key piece of info but there really isn't much else to tell people other than if it's a boy or girl, the name and when they arrived. Although many of those are known in advance these days so the weight might be the only bit that's new information.

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 19/03/2022 15:36

No one I know has ever asked that. More of a how was the birth question. I had a planned c section anyway

Papayamya · 19/03/2022 15:37

I've never been asked if I had DS naturally (whatever that means anyway), but weight wouldn't even cross my mind to find it weird. I've always just thought of it as a combination of small talk they're not actually bothered by, or just a way to seem interested without asking deeply personal stuff.

LoudingVoice · 19/03/2022 15:39

I just don't understand why the weight of the baby is such a key piece of info that people really want to know. What difference does it make what it weighed.

It’s just something to ask to try and show some interest, there’s very little else that can sensibly be asked about a baby - name/sex/weight/are they doing ok?

What else would you expect anyone to ask? If they said they didn’t care whatsoever would you be offended?

Sleepyquest · 19/03/2022 15:41

Woman of a certain age ask the weight every time without fail. I didn't tell anyone the weight but they all asked! I didn't mind though

DuckyNoMates · 19/03/2022 15:42

Absolutely no idea why people are obsessed with the weight.

Twizbe · 19/03/2022 15:44

I don't think people are obsessed by the weight but so often now it's the only thing about the baby that people don't know in advance.

Raindancer411 · 19/03/2022 15:47

Weight wise is handy if people are planning on getting baby clothes. No point I getting new born if they are tiny or bigger than a newborn size.

I personally didn't have an issue with giving the weight out. Birth experience I talked about if people asked but didn't plaster it over social media.

Teastheword · 19/03/2022 15:47

@DuckyNoMates

Absolutely no idea why people are obsessed with the weight.

There isn't a lot you can ask about a newborn baby, weight is something you can ask about. Also handy if you want to buy clothes for the baby.

DuckyNoMates · 19/03/2022 15:49

Just get 3-6 months size and they'll grow in to it

NeedleNoodle3 · 19/03/2022 15:49

I think the weekend guy thing is just something to talk about.

Thewindwhispers · 19/03/2022 15:49

The weight thing is a polite way of asking if the mother and baby are ok / need extra help. A 10lb or 5lb baby means the mother probably needs extra support and new mothers with babies those weights should be taken to see a doctor if they haven’t seen one already (rare now but much more common in previous generations when home birth was standard).

The ‘was it natural’ is just a nosy question trying to find out how painful it all was.

Halllyup17 · 19/03/2022 15:57

Date, sex, name and weight are standard. I've never announced that I've pushed 6 babies out of my vagina (fortunately not all at once).

kitcat15 · 19/03/2022 15:58

@Confusion101

I'm in Ireland so maybe it's asked more here but any conversation I've had around friends / family, the question "and did she have it naturally" has always been asked!

I just don't understand why the weight of the baby is such a key piece of info that people really want to know. What difference does it make what it weighed.

Well it makes a difference for buying a clothing as a present....if its a 6 orv7 pounder then I may buy newborn or 0 to 3m....if its a 10lb er I will buy 3 to 6 m.....Iotherwise i think people ask to show an interest...they really don't give a shit one way or the other.

ellesbellesxxx · 19/03/2022 15:59

Those wouldn’t bother me too much. However when I was expecting twins or walking around with them, I kid you not, complete strangers would ask if they were conceived naturally! 😯

lilahbelle · 19/03/2022 16:00

OP I'm in Ireland too and am guilty of asking how the birth went! 🙈 I think it's normal enough to ask here, it's strangely not weird at all to discuss it once you've been through it yourself.

Most people I know just announce the date, sex, name and weight though. The birth question usually comes when people visit the new baby and want to know how you are.

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