4 Reasons to Ditch Social Media When You Have a Baby
Another Month-Long Break from Social Media
In March, I took another extended time away from social media & was once again delighted at all that I gained from the experience. I learned SO much about myself, focused much needed time on refining my business goals, & most importantly - felt more fully present during the first few weeks of my son’s life. This is the third month-long detox from social media I’ve taken in the last year and each time I take a step back from social media, I gain a renewed, much need perspective on what really matters to me. This time around, I was most grateful for the way that it impacted my experience of having a baby and cherishing the early newborn days with him.
During my time away, I also led a guided group detox with several other people who wanted to take a break, too. I sent out daily morning emails throughout the month with some thoughts & questions. It is so much fun for me to do these detoxes along side others because I love the introspective conversations that spark from it. If you want to join my next social media detox, you can get on the waiting list here.
Now, here are four of the biggest ways not being on social media impacted my life with a newborn baby.
Birth & Newborn Days without Social Media
1. Not sharing his birth on social media right away made spreading the news more intentional & sweet.
It was so interesting not being on social media the day our son Bear was born. With our older two girls, I could not wait to share the news of their arrival on Instagram & Facebook. The days I gave birth to my children were hands down a few of the most meaningful days of my life. My heart could explode with the joy and it felt natural to want to share the news with everybody and anybody who would listen. (And there’s nothing wrong with that!) One of the beauties of social media is the way it enables us to share good things with others - things that are true & lovely & beautiful. But, I didn’t have that outlet this time around.
Though I did want to share Bear’s birth on Instagram, I really, really, really enjoyed sharing his birth more directly with all of our friends & family. Of course I would have done so even if I was on social media at the time, but it made me think a little bit longer & harder about who I wanted to spread the news to. And it felt really sweet getting to have those 1-on-1 conversations with the people who mean the most to us.
2. Removing social media reduced my FOMO (fear of missing out) in the early grind of newborn days.
In the early newborn days, it is a constant routine of feeding the baby, changing his diapers, swaddling him for a nap, REPEAT. And while it may be well & good to keep up with what everyone is doing on social media, I think it can actually turn into a sticky web of negativity. It can feel hard enough adjusting to the changes of having a new little person that is so dependent on you for everything, but to then be constantly reminded of all of your friends going on vacation & dancing at weddings & just going on with life as usual can add a little salt to what’s already tender.
I think having that removed from my life in the early baby days was actually a really beneficial thing that allowed me to enjoy the newborn days for what they are! Yes, they are hard, but they are SO incredibly SWEET. And I feel that now more than ever after seeing how quickly the days fly by with my two oldest. I am already mourning my little guy growing up and he’s not even a month old yet - ha!
3. Late night feedings without scrolling social media improved my sleep.
I know all my mamas can relate to this. It has been a normal habit for me in the past to scroll social media while breastfeeding my babies to pass the time. Especially in the beginning when feeding them every 2 or so hours, it was normal for me to pull out my phone and start mindlessly scrolling.
Granted, there are plenty of other things I can do on my phone that aren’t related to social media - checking my email, managing my to-do lists, watching Marco Polo videos from friends, listening to podcasts or music. But those things at least feel more productive & intentional than scrolling through my newsfeed.
More specifically, it was great not having the distraction of social media for late night feedings. I have intentionally tried to not be on my phone for any reason during these feedings so I can keep my brain in sleepy mode. Reducing the light & stimulation has definitely made falling back asleep easier & I am grateful for that!
4. Removing the immediate outlet of social media gave me a chance to pause & consider what I want to share about my baby online.
During my last social media detox in December, I spent most of my time offline researching safety issues in regards to how & what we share of our kids on social media. The information I gathered during that time greatly informed some changes I’ve made to how I have been sharing about my kids publicly on the internet since then. (You can read about some of the safety changes I’ve been making, here.)
So, I think it was beneficial to not have social media right away when Bear was born because as much as I have wanted to baby spam all of you with his cuteness, the break from social media was a good chance for me to pause, reevaluate, & think through how I want to share his life online with others with a clear mind. Yes, I am obsessed with him. Yes, I have a camera roll full of his face already. But, I’m thinking a little bit more safely and strategically about his privacy & digital identity before sharing him in the social media space.
Totally Worth It
As I mentioned, there were times that I missed sharing & connecting with others on social media, but overall what was gained was immensely worth it. I think I am better for it and overall I’ve enjoyed this season all the more without social media. It’s sort of funny, when you take time away from it, you wonder how you ever had time for it in the first place. My life feels SO full right now with our three kids, work, & just the regular rhythms of daily life - I wonder how I ever made as much time for social media as I have in the past. It really puts into perspective how precious our time is and what matters most to us.
If you’re going through a big life transition in the near future, whether that be having a baby, or moving, or starting a new job, etc., might I suggest you consider taking some time away from social media, too? It won’t be easy & in fact, it may make some things feel harder because for many of us, social media is a crutch we don’t realize we’re using until it is taken away. But I would dare to bet it could also make your season of change & transition much richer as it forces you to tap into the people & values that you really care about. It has definitely been that for me & I’m so thankful for all that I’ve learned from yet another break from social media.
