New Year's predictions are as popular as New Year's resolutions, but the predictions seem to have more staying power. An investigation of online chatter about pregnancy and babies reveals the following trends settling in for 2014:
Baby Announcements Via Social Media
Today’s soon-to-be-parents are sharing the news far and wide using social media networks that spread around the world. From announcing the pregnancy to announcing the baby’s sex to its birth, electronically savvy parents are getting more creative than ever about sharing the good news and many announcements are so clever they’ve gone viral. A recent letter to Dear Abby suggests not every grandmother likes this trend but those grannies probably set new trends in their day, too.- High-Tech Baby Things
Little is left to chance when new parents go high-tech. Car seats install themselves, baby monitors send iPhone texts, and Smart onesies send status reports describing baby’s breathing rate, position, temperature, and activity level. - Unique Baby Names and Unisex Baby Names
Shorter, cuter nicknames are putting the squeeze on traditional names and unisex names are popping up on birth certificates everywhere. Expected trend toppers include Rowan, Kennedy, Kai, Dylan, and Bailey. - Glamour Nurseries, Baby-Style
A baby’s rapidly developing brain is thought to be stimulated by bold, bright colors and distinctly different textures. The more of these elements in a nursery, the better. - Romance on the Baby Registry
New parents still list the essentials for baby on baby registries but the request for romantic, parents-only items is on the rise. Look for massages, quiet dinners out, movie dates, and wine tastings to show up on this year’s baby registries. - Showers for Grandma
Grandparents are very much involved with the everyday care of grandchildren and it’s nice to have a supply of baby essentials at grandma’s house instead of lugging them to and fro for every visit. Consider showering a baby-tending grandmother with her own baby car seat, high chair, stroller, diaper supply, booties, clothes, food, and toys. Host a baby shower for grandmother only or include gifts for her when a baby shower is thrown for the parents-to-be. - Time at the Barre
Low-impact, full-body workouts borrowed from ballet are capturing the attention of expectant mothers tired of the same old routine. The ballet barre helps with balance as baby bumps grow. Balance is benefited during and between barre workouts.
These pregnancy trend predictions are the result of studying social media, message boards and forums on pregnancy-specific websites, product debuts, and gossip galore about how celebrities are pampering their babies before and after the delivery room.
Source: “7 Pregnancy Trends To Expect In 2014.” HuffPost Parents. The Huffington Post. Jan 15, 2014. Web. Jan 30, 2014.