Women and childbirth have always been synonymous – and all over the world, families have been bringing up children as a part of their lives. While these things remain the same by way of concepts, the way we carry out our parenting duties has been evolving with each passing decade.
There are some trends today pertaining to parenthood that were unheard of in the past. Here are some of them.
Maternity/newborn photoshoots
We can assure you, posing in front of a camera with a pretty piece of fabric being fan-blown across one’s bare, pregnant belly were never a thing in the past. Similarly, most photos of babies too were nowhere near what we have today, with all those cute outfits, adorable props, baby beanies, etc.
For expectant or new parents today though, these photo sessions seem to be evolving into a new tradition – almost a must. It’s not even about a photograph or two, for we’re talking a whole photoshoot to fill an entire album in one go. Having these prenatal and baby photoshoots seem to have taken the world by storm and Malaysian families are not to be outdone. Plus, with their respective social media platforms, families can showcase the results of these photoshoot sessions to glory!
Baby mooning
Travelling here and there before giving birth, especially during the second or third trimester was unheard of in the past. You’d be expected to use your spare time preparing for your birth and baby and ponder on how to be the best mother, wife, and housekeeper. Even now, most people from the older generation simply cannot comprehend the concept of baby mooning, which means going off on a holiday before the baby is due. To modern parents-to-be, baby mooning is akin to one last chance to freely enjoy each other’s company before the baby comes along and commands everybody’s attention!
Setting up a magazine-worthy nursery
Probably the only similarity the generations of the past had with this new trend are those pretty, handmade baby quilts/blankets that they received as gifts. Today, however, it’s a serious matter of looking for the perfect furniture, bedding, wall decor, etc to go with the chosen overall theme. Setting up the perfect nursery can take weeks or even months, and have even been sources of arguments between couples, especially when tastes clash.
A couple of decades ago, a nursery itself wasn’t exactly a thing among Asian families, for traditionally, our babies slept with us or at least, very close to us, and not in a room somewhere else in the house… which coincidentally brings us to our next trend.
The use of baby monitors
These nifty devices have taken the world of modern parenting by storm. They allow parents to monitor their baby either by sound, sight, or both, as they get about their daily duties in other areas of the house. It’s a commendable trend however, for it alerts parents whenever a baby is awake, crying, etc, even when they’re not in the same room.
Before the creation of baby monitors, especially the video type ones, parents had to keep making their way to where the baby was to check for wet/soiled diapers or hunger cues. So, baby monitors are a huge help to parents, that’s for sure.
The art of using a baby carrier
While baby slings aren’t exactly a new thing, they never really took off at such a large scale like they do today. These days, carrying one’s baby in a baby carrier is an art to be perfected. The chosen carrier itself has to be a stylish, or at the very least, presentable, for most parents.
Needless to say, parents, these days do not just walk into a store and buy a carrier off the shelf just like that. There’ll be testing, trying out different models, checking for defects, determining if a baby will be comfortable in it, etc. Once a purchase is made, lots of practice goes into placing baby into one and taking the said baby out of it too.
Tracking baby’s well being through the phone
Technology has brought about so many exciting new things into the world of modern parenting, so much so that we sometimes ask if some things may be a tad too much information. For instance, apps that monitor baby’s bowel movements, sleep patterns, and even nutritional needs – soon we’d have to ask what exactly will be left for parents and doctors when it comes to taking care of a baby’s needs.
Teaching baby to self-settle/soothe
Here’s a rather controversial one, the trend of teaching a baby to self-settle or self soothe. Perhaps the problem some people have with this practise is the fact that there will be a whole lot of crying to contend with before the little one gets the idea of how things should be. Modern parents who buy into this new concept, however, are found to be quite diligent in their quest to train their little ones to fall asleep on their own and do not fuss when it comes to sleeping and napping.
Ask any grandma however and she’ll tell you a baby’s cries and fusses are necessary indicators that it’s time to sleep, which in turn means that it’s time for some pacifying – i.e. time to pick the little one up and lull him/her to sleep. Either way, parents just want what’s best for their babies, so if self-settling works, good for them, we say!
Discussing baby issues with strangers on social media
We can neither dis nor glorify the parenting trend of discussing baby care issues or asking advice on parenting matters from people you hardly know on Facebook. For many, it has helped them shed some light on many things, and most importantly, solutions to some of their pressing issues were found. We find that while there are many people out there who are willing to help and are sincere in their gestures, one should still be a tad careful when it comes to strangers – read: never reveal too much information about yourself or your family.
Enrolling babies into classes
It’s a modern thing to see babies who have not yet even begin to walk being enrolled into a baby enrichment class. Here, they will mostly parallel play ( play separately, side by side with other babies) while their parents look on and socialise with other parents. Absolutely nothing wrong there, for sure, and even baby will get to meet other babies!
