Facebook

[Pickles77]

Quick question did you ladies announce your pregnancy on Facebook and is it such a big deal? I'm not sure I want to, although it may be slightly odd when baby arrived that I didn't but hey, people managed before fb? It's just
My mum is going on about it as I've been quite shy telling people in person due to circumstances, most people know but I'm dreading walking into people with bump and them not knowing what to say so mum thinks fb is a good idea. Close friends and family know but I can't help finding fb quite impersonal sometimes. Sorry if I've offended anyone?!

I have not put anything on facebook personally although now I am 31 weeks I am no longer hiding it (and some friends have unintentionally outed me) and will respond to other people who bring it up or discussions with other friends who are pregnant. It will mean that some people get a surprise when the baby is born but they are not real friends if that is the only contact in 9 months.

I have been very keen to not put up scan pics or week by week bump shots as when I had a miscarriage one friend had a similar due date to me and it was very difficult to have to see every status referring to her pregnancy and continuous photos of how she was getting on bump wise. (Luckily I discovered the hide button to stop seeing things from her.) I would not want anyone to be in the same situation and I found out at 18 weeks from one friend that she was due a couple of weeks after me and so I was glad I hadn't put her through it as my 12 scan pic would have been around the time she was miscarrying.

I didn't. The only way it was mentioned was that I went on a business trip at 30 weeks and posted some photos of myself next to some lovely scenery.

DH never mention that I was pg on his FB or announced DD's birth. I'm not sure anyone who isn't a mutual friend or speaks to him regularly even know he has a second child (his reasoning - if they aren't good enough friends for us to be in touch them it's none of their bloody business )

I didn't, my dh did though.

I did put a picture up of him once he was born for the friends and family far away.

Nope, I didn't put it on FB either. We told all our friends and family anyway. Just think its a bit strange publishing it to loads of People you never see!

I found out the hard way that you have to specifically tell some people NOT to put your personal news on Facebook (like it's their news to share anyway!!!). After we told friends and family, and not a mention at all, I thought we were safe. However when we had the 2nd scan and found out we're having a boy, the SIL took it upon herself to announce (on her own page, so we couldn't quickly delete it without confronting her) about how excited she was to be having a nephew. Since she only has one brother, a number of her friends (not personally DP's friends) knew exactly who she was talking about and made comments as such. Arrrrgggghhhh!

However she might have just shot herself in the foot with that manouvre, because I'm gonna be strict, strict, strict with DP once we've decided on a name. I think I'm guaranteed to win the "to share or not to share" argument. :)

I think we need to specifically spell it out once baby is here - no announcements allowed!

I didn't tell anyone via facebook - my view was that the people who need to know know, those who don't will find out when I next see them. That said, I was 'outed' by one of my friends who wished me and the bump a happy christmas on my wall - people started asking then!

zoobaby think we will have similar problems once our little one is here with people wanting to put all Our photos and stuff up there which we don't want

First time: only in passing- mentioned something about how the only time I get to be the thinnest person in the gym class is when it's pre-natal yoga (I was 20 wks (keeno) - everyone else was 30 wks plus)

This time: No, and now I'm at 32 weeks it seems a bit late, so I'll just leave it till it's born.

I haven't posted anything on Facebook about my pregnancy either. Like lots of you I figure if we know people well enought I've told them in person, but can't be bothered with a load of people who I haven't seen since primary school suddenly taking an interest. I also specifically told family not to mention anything on there. There have been a few passing comments by friends which I'm not too bothered about, but strangely nobody's really picked up on it.

I put my scan pic up last time, but mainly to share the picture as I turned out to be 16+3 and they had a new super scanner so the photo was amazingly clear. My friends and family knew before that anyway.

This time I haven't put anything on fb and I'm just telling people when I see them. If I see some when I have a huge bump and they didn't know before, why would I care? If they hadn't found out from me or a mutual friend by then then they're clearly not important in my life so it doesn't matter!

I'll put a photo up when the baby's born. That'll be more interesting anyway.

I'm the same as Nervous. When it comes to photos, I think that unless it is your own child then you have no right to post pics whatsoever. I'll have to be strict with particular people... just cos you took the pic on your camera, doesn't mean you can post it any old place you like.

I have just had my 12 week scan today but have decided not to say anything on fb this time dc3. I think my reasons are I had a mmc in December and around that time it seemed like so many of my fb friends became pregnant and each one I said congrats to was like another knife in my heart. Also today one of my dp's friends has had a mc so I'm just thinking maybe I'll keep quiet.

I was also gutted for my sister when her dp announced it on fb and then she went onto mc. This is just my personal opinion and really am happy for all my fb friends who are pregnant I just remember how it felt for me. Shit does that sound preachy? I don't mean it to be.

I think scan pictures are a bit ick - it's your womb on FB people!!!

TheCountess I don't think a scan pic of the uterus is all that intimate tbh. It's just a little circle with a foetus in it. Other than that there is nothing to see. It's hardly like showing a picture of your vag for all of Facebook to gawp at.

FWIW I did put scan pics on FB but I live far away from my family who I knew would love to see them and this was a good way of sharing the news. However some not so close family and friends were most put out that they didn't get to find out I was pregnant until I was 15 weeks.

Oooo they would have been seriously put out by me as I only found out myself at 21 weeks. Heehee

the way I see it, its quite impersonal to tell anyone who is a real friend through a general facebook status - its nice to involve the people you care about by telling them individually! If someone I thought was a good friend was pregnant and the first I heard was a general facebook status, I'ld be a bit "oh, okay, guess we're not so close..."

and anyone who's NOT on your tell individually list.. well why do they need it to be announced?

either way I don't get it, but I understand it LESS if all "real" friends aren't told first

We havent put anything on FB for various reasons, the main one wanting to keep it quite private. It's our first, we want to make sure that kiddo arrives safely before we annouce it to the various people we 'know' on fb.
We had obviously told our family, friends and work colleagues and they've all been great and not put anything on FB as they've clearly seen that i havent put anything on there. However when i was 16 weeks one of my closest friends almost had a stand up row with me about it because i said i didnt want it on there and she couldnt understand it, and then some old work colleagues (who i havent worked with for 5 years) got wind of it last week (i'm 26 weeks now)and started posted on my wall.
So i deleted their posts, and then they pm'd me asking why i'd deleted and why hadn't i put anything up!!
Sometimes i really dont understand people...

with my first I had people say "oooo you kept that quiet???" like I was hiding my pregnancy!, when I didn't at all! loads of people knew in the first trimester, everyone I speak to even semi-regularly knew by 16 weeks, I was humongous! We were shouting it from the roof tops, we just didn't put it on facebook!

Also, the people who made the "keeping it quiet" comments KNEW via traditional non facebook means! so WTF! some people are so strange, its not as if its not official till its on facebook! the baby wont refuse to engage till it's been statuses about!

I never put anything on FB, including scan photos, photos of bump etc. However I didn't ask anyone else not to mention it, so people who read my conversations may have noticed.

However, I did go for a bit of a reunion lunch with a couple of old school friends (all of whom Im FB friends with) at about 35 weeks and one of them was shocked and surprised at the pg, even though we do have the odd natter on FB.

Nobody ever got funny with me though.

I'd rather friends didnt mention it at all on FB than regale me with stories of their heartburn / mucus / diahorria / contractions every 10 minutes SIL

And them bloody timeline ticker things they did on there....fair enough, YOU want to know what stage your baby is at but every fecker on your friends list quite honestly couldnt give a shit.

Gosh.....and breathe.

I really wanted to put it on Facebook after my 12 week scan. But my partner really didn't want me to (he isn't on fb) so I didn't do it. Someone commented on my wall about being pregnant and I removed it ASAP. Now I am 19 weeks and really glad I haven't. May post a picture in a few weeks with a huge bump but definitely after my 20 week scan.
I admit I love to be the centre of attention but bumping into someone on the street and telling them, I'm finding, is much more fun! x x

you do get such better responses in real life or with individual calls/texts

on facebook its just:
"congrats xxxx"
"omg congrats"
"congratualtions"
"contratulations xx"
"OMG everytime I check facebook someone else is pregnant"
"congrats"

• meh!

when you tell people individually you get so much more back!

Most people I wanted to tell in person or lived near me or family or whatever already knew anyway. I certainly didn't announce it on FB but various comments or conversations mentioned it and that was ok. By then, I was well past half way. Those that didn't know, found out but the important people all knew (My privacy status is set to only friends anyway, and I am quite selective about who I am friends with)