New research has uncovered the most popular trends that expectant mums and dads are taking part in - and some are stranger than others.
Finding out that you're pregnant, whether it's your first child or your fourth, is an incredibly exciting time for many. Sharing the news with friends and family, planning for your newborn's arrival... everything is tinged with equal levels of nervousness and excitement. But, in the age of social media, there are a few extra things expectant parents are adding to the list of must-dos in preparation for expanding their family.
New research commissioned by Vitabiotics Pregnacare has revealed that online pregnancy trends are massively booming in popularity - and some are stranger than others.
The love for baby name and gender reveal parties is perhaps the least surprising trend that's taken off - you can't scroll for more than two seconds on Instagram or TikTok without seeing pink or blue confetti bursting out of a cannon! But it seems that this has led to a massive increase in people finding out the gender of their baby, with the number of parents doing so having almost doubled since 2020.
Another sweet trend taking off sees parents filming the reactions of their family and friends to them sharing their pregnancy announcements, documenting their screams of delight and beaming smiles at the news. In fact, this is the fastest growing pregnancy trend, seeing a whopping 600% increase over the past four years.
Health and wellbeing pregnancy trends are also rocketing in popularity, which again isn't surprising given the focus we all have on self-care these days. Hypnobirthing, as well as pregnancy workouts like yoga and pilates, are all hugely popular online now, as are pregnancy photoshoots and filming videos to document the pregnancy journey.
Bump painting, 4D scans, babymoons, and playing music to a bump are also growing pregnancy trends.
But some of the trends are a bit more out there. One tradition growing in popularity sees parents set up an email address for their baby, with this particular phenomenon experiencing a massive 500% increase in the last four years. Similarly, setting up a social media account for a baby is another growing trend, with three times more parents doing this today than four years ago.
However, there are also trends that are fading away. Just one in ten fathers now carry out the tradition of wetting the baby's head, a popular trend that once saw many new dads head to the pub upon the birth of their child to toast the birth and the healthy baby.
A spokesman for Vitabiotics Pregnacare said of the research, “Some trends come and go in life, and the same seems to be true for pregnancy. Social media and celebrity trends mean there are things which are now becoming a staple part of pregnancy, that weren’t in the past.
“Whatever the latest trends, the most important thing is to do what’s right for you, never feel pressured by social media, and enjoy every moment you can.”
Top 30 most popular pregnancy trends
- Filming the reactions of family/friends to the pregnancy reveal (up by 600%)
- Following pregnant influencers/celebrities (up by 550%)
- Hypnobirthing (up by 500%)
- Gender reveal parties (up by 500%)
- Name reveal parties (up by 500%)
- Setting up an email address for the baby (up by 500%)
- Creating a registry/list of baby gifts (up by 450%)
- Elaborate social media pregnancy announcements (up by 400%)
- Putting a recording of the baby's heartbeat inside a teddy bear/toy (up by 400%)
- Filming your other half's reaction to a positive pregnancy test (up by 400%)
- Setting up a social media account for the baby (up by 300%)
- Bump painting (up by 300%)
- Baby showers (up by 270%)
- Babymoons (up by 267%)
- Making a birthing music playlist (up by 250%)
- 4D scans (up by 225%)
- Buying personalised items with the baby's name on (up by 233%)
- Pregnancy yoga/Pilates (up by 200%)
- Pregnancy photoshoots (up by 200%)
- Making an Instagram reel or TikTok video of the pregnancy journey (up by 200%)
- Bump/belly casts (up by 200%)
- Taking bump photos at home (up by 183%)
- Meditation during pregnancy (up by 167%)
- 3D scans (up by 143%)
- Writing a birth plan (up by 143%)
- NCT (National Childbirth Trust), or similar classes (up by 128%)
- Playing music/singing to the bump (up by 100%)
- Finding out the gender of the baby before birth (up by 96%)
- Exercising during pregnancy (up by 76%)
- Keeping the pregnancy to yourself for as long as possible (up by 70%)
In other family news, new data reveals the top trending baby names of the last decade and they're not what you'd expect, and find out can childhood memories shape who we are? Plus, grandparents who refuse to respect parenting choices may pay a big price, new research shows.
