“Even though we’re a few days into the new year, the greatest thing that 2023 could have done for me, was bring me my son,” Bailey captioned the photo. “Welcome to the world my halo the world is desperate to know you.”
DDG took to his personal Instagram and shared the same photo of his son not long after with the caption, “my biggest blessing by far son son.. never been so in love. baby halo.”
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Though she may have said it in jest, Halle wasn’t playing around when she said, “The world is desperate to know you.” For months, Halle and DDG’s socials were full of comments questioning whether the pair was expecting. People poked, pried, and gave little concern to the couple’s privacy as they all but demanded they confirm their pregnancy. The fact that neither gave in to those pressures is a testament to their unity and commitment to establishing proper boundaries, not only as individuals but now as parents.
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If we’ve learned anything in the past couple of years, particularly from the experiences of women who’ve miscarried or are undergoing fertility treatment, it’s that people’s bodies shouldn’t be commented on, especially when it comes to weight gain, weight loss, and speculation around pregnancy. We’ve become so accustomed to people in our personal social circles announcing and sharing things on social media that we expect celebrities to do the same. Halle and DDG, however, established an important boundary with their collective following, and in doing so were not only able to have a pregnancy out from under the public’s watchful and often scrutinizing eye, but set a precedent for social access to their child going forward.
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There are benefits to keeping things under wraps and using social media as you — not your followers — deem fit. Halle and DDG went against the “norm” and decided to share their pregnancy when they wanted to and not when the Internet demanded it, and there’s a lot to learn from that, even if you’re not a public figure. Here are three reasons to keep your wins private, or at least delay posting, when it comes to personal news.
You Can Be More Present
It’s become natural to want to immediately post a big win or a huge life change, but sometimes when we do that, we forget to be present in real life. If it’s your first time being pregnant, you should be savoring every moment. Posting too soon can leave you thinking about the views you’re getting or who’s responding to what you posted instead of celebrating each milestone. Sharing with your close circle first before social media at large can make a world of difference.
You Prioritize Your Mental Health and Wellbeing
Many women choose to delay announcing their pregnancy until the end of the first trimester (12 weeks) when there’s less risk of pregnancy loss. This is an important safeguard against having to then announce unfortunate news and answer other intrusive questions. Speaking of the latter, personal inquiries are sure to follow social media announcements of any kind, and those questions can lead to stress about your choices or even contention within your relationship. If you’re experiencing something new, it’s always a good idea to check in with yourself and your feelings about it first before opening up yourself to other’s projections. This is a stance Halle has maintained since going public with her relationship, telling ET, “I think what’s really cool about love and being young is that you could just live and have a good time. But my personal life is something I keep sacred.”
There’s No Pressure to Post Social Media-Ready Content
It’s so easy to get hooked into the comparison game and get hung up on how many views or likes your posts are getting. When you post content, you might start to think about how people will react with it and even alter it for the sake of engagement, versus simply sharing a special life moment authentically. It goes without saying that this is the last thing you should be thinking about while nesting or embarking on any new chapter that’s personal and, above all, exciting to you. There’s a reason Instagram vs Reality content is popular – most of what we see on social media simply isn’t real, and as expectant parents you have enough real-life things to focus on other than your image online.Whether we like it or not, social media is a part of our daily lives, but it’s important to understand how it affects you. You don’t have to be an influencer to feel pressure to post the perfect photo or want to have other people share in your big moment. But remember, life is more than likes and people aren’t always going to be happy for you or respect your privacy once make certain things public. For that reason, it’s important to take a step back and put boundaries in place for yourself and your partner when it comes to social sharing. You may not gain more followers waiting, but you won’t lose your mind worrying about what other people think either.
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