Wednesday, April 15, 2009

is modesty out the window?

The other morning, while eating a bowl of fresh blackberries, I checked facebook. While scrolling through updates, I saw a picture that, at first glance, I couldn't quite tell what it was. So, I clicked on it so it would enlarge. When it did, I nearly spilled my bowl of blackberries. It was a photo of three positive pregnancy tests.


A friend's husband announced her pregnancy by posting a photo of the used and peed-on sticks on facebook.


I sat there in shock for a few minutes. I don't consider myself a prude, but really? Was this necessary? I know that people are constantly posting their ultrasounds on facebook and whatnot, and honestly? That bothers me too. I don't want to see your insides! My best friend didn't even send me her ultrasound when she was pregnant; I don't want to see ultrasounds for a girl I haven't seen since 7th grade or the wife of a college friend who I have met once.


I just feel that some things are better to be kept private. There are limits people, limits! When did we become a society where anything goes and everything is acceptable? When I am having babies, I will not announce it via facebook, I will not post ultrasound pictures and frankly, I may not even post weekly belly shots (at least bare belly!). Sure, baby bellies are cute, I don't mind that, but that doesn't mean that everyone else in the world wants to see my expanding waistline!


Perhaps I'll feel differently when I am having babies. Call me old fashioned if you wish, but I just think some things should stay close to the family. Oh and I also don't want to find out the sex of my babies before I have them, but that is a totally separate story.

I'd also like to add that I am so thrilled for my friend and her husband, as I am always thrilled when friends are expecting babies, so please don't think that I am saying otherwise in this instance. I hope this isn't sounding offensive to anyone, because that certainly isn't my intention in the least.


Am I taking this too seriously? Am I being ridiculous? Your thoughts on the matter?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

i think it would have been acceptable to crop the photos of the sticks to just the indicator areas... crop out the pee side.
some people choose to use facebook instead of real communication these days... it's unfortunate but that's their choice.

and the answer is yes, modesty is no more. same with etiquette, all gone, no more. no decorum. nuthin'. it's really a shame but i'm just hoping it'll come back around... like fashion trends. i'd like to think i can single handedly combat this by having lots of kids and raising them right but who knows.

Laura Jean said...

I definitely agree with you! I saw one the other day of a new baby in her sweaty mother's arms not even wiped clean from the birth canal yet! I don't have children and like you say maybe we'll change once that time comes, but I sort of feel like I don't even want to put my children's pictures on facebook.

Megan said...

Yeah, this is just gross. I think stuff like Facebook just encourages people who might think about doing this stuff anyway to go ahead an do it-- there's no privacy anymore, so you get to see EVERYTHING your friends are doing (usually TMI). If it makes you feel any better, I found out that my stepsister was pregnant when she posted sonogram pictures to Facebook and captioned it "10 weeks." Classy.

P.S. Wow, I sound really grouchy, don't I?

Melanie said...

I agree in principle, although I don't think I would have a gut reaction to seeing a photo of a positive pregnancy test.

I really don't like bare pregnant belly pictures. Yes, it's amazing what the human body can do to produce a child. However, if I'm not in the habit of seeing your stomach normally, I don't want to see it when you're pregnant.

an orange county girl said...

have you seen the STFU, parents blog? i'm not a fan of TMI on facebook. especially that post about a placenta sandwich.

yes, a placenta sandwich. ew.

Britni said...

I've never really thought about it because I have a ton of friends that post pregnancy sticks and ultrasounds on their blogs as a way to announce the pregnancy. Doesn't particularly bother me.

Maris said...

I'm a little uncomfortable with things like that being on Facebook. I know for sure as hell I wouldn't want a guy I went to third grade with and haven't spoken to since, to see my ultrasound if I were pregnant.

But I suppose everyone has different levels of comfort with that kind of thing. I agree with you though - it seems like everything is just OUT THERE and that's a little scary!

Janssen said...

I am not particularly bothered by other people doing it, but I will NOT be putting pictures of my naked belly or pee-stained sticks online, thank you very much.

La Petite Chic said...

Looks like I'm in the minority here, but that doesn't bother me. I'm actually looking forward to posting belly pics too...but perhaps that is the blogger in me :)

Laurie // 312 Beauty said...

Yeah, I'm not a fan either. I like belly pics - but I don't like when people post ultrasound pics. It bugs me for some reason. It shouldn't be on the internet!

I don't want to find out the sex either - love the thought of it being a surprise. If I have to give birth (oh the pain!) I want something fun to look forward to (not that the baby's birth isn't exciting enough, but you know...)