Social media is the easiest way to share
your life with your family and friends, and in some cases, complete strangers.
It’s the perfect opportunity to make your life seem exactly how you want it to
be. Pregnancy announcements are often made on social media, even more, now with
the trends of ‘gender reveal’ parties and baby showers spreading across the
world. It can become almost like a competition, especially for somebody who
isn’t in a good mental state. Who had the cutest baby shower? Who had the most
creative/funny/unique gender-reveal? When is it considered too far? You may be
familiar with the story that hit the news about a gender-reveal gone wrong. A
homemade device that was supposed to release a colorful powder (pink or blue)
exploded, “like a pipe-bomb”, and tragically caused the death of a 56-year-old
woman.
Bereavement in obstetrics is a tough topic
to share on social media, therefore, there is a lack of awareness on the
subject. The excitement to share pregnancy news, and the many congratulations
that follow, could make it very difficult if the worst were to happen. Sadly,
miscarriages are actually very common. You could argue that losing a baby in
such a ‘public’ way could at least mean it’s out in the open and you have
people to talk to. However, the other side of the argument is that it can
emphasize any feelings of failure that come with a miscarriage. Of course,
anybody experiencing a miscarriage should not feel like a failure – it’s not
their fault; no matter how often it is said, this doesn’t stop those negative
feelings from making their way in.
There is another side to all of this –
those who are struggling to conceive. They too are bombarded with other
peoples’ gender reveals and baby showers, scan photos, and newborn shoots. Some
couples are trying for many years before they conceive, and depending on the
reasons they had difficulty conceiving, there may be a higher risk of
miscarriage. All miscarriages are heart-breaking for those involved, but the
power to make it less-so is in our hands.
