Should mothers tweet while giving birth?

Reportedly, more women are logging on to social networks during labor. Is this an effective way to combat "impersonal" childbirth, or a sad sign of the times?

New mothers, is it time to push? Why not tweet about it?
(Image credit: Corbis)

For today's mothers, instant digital documentation of childbirth "feels like both a rite and a right," says Tina Cassidy in New York. New moms now routinely broadcast intimate details of the experience, from "up-to-the-minute tweets tracking cervical dilation" to Facebook videos of their new bundle of joy. As "contemporary childbirth becomes increasingly impersonal," says Cassidy, parents are trying to make birth more communal. But not everyone applauds their efforts. Several hospitals have recently banned photography until several minutes after a baby is born. And some say social networking during childbirth is inappropriate. Do iPhones and labor go together?

Absolutely. Share this special moment: Most people have a "knee-jerk reaction" to social media during childbirth, says Cassidy, as quoted by Rachel Zimmerman at Common Health. Relatives, friends, and others "on the receiving end of the texts and emailed pictures... want to know the details of your birth," and don't care about the "ick factor." Proud marathon runners post photos on Facebook. Why should childbirth be any different?

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