Having a baby in today's day and age is definitely not the same as it was a few years ago. With technology at our fingertips every step of the way, many parents like to document their child's journey through photos and videos.
Unsplash | Kelly Sikkema
Image Of Hospital Sign Shaming New Parents Causes Debate Online
For many new parents, using their phone is a way to stay in touch with friends and family.
Unsplash | Hush Naidoo
Some families choose to share their special journeys with their loved ones via phone, video, photos, and social media posts. Others get helpful tips and advice from those online who have already gone through the journey of raising a child.
Especially when you have a child in need, some new parents need support.
Unsplash | Sharon McCutcheon
When you have a child who is in the critical care unit, the stress and anxiety can sometimes be unbearable for parents.
One Twitter user, Ash Cottrell, shared a photo that was posted in a hospital's Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).
Unsplash | Sharon McCutcheon
The sign indicated and hinted that many parents spend the majority of their time while in the SCBU on their phones, rather than "caring" for their children.
The sign reads:
"Mummy & Daddy . . . Please look at ME when I am feeding, I am much more interesting than your phone!! Thank you."
Cottrell said that the sign "made him sad."
Unsplash | Paul Hanaoka
While the sign makes you think about how much attention new parents are paying to their newborns, it also makes you think why the hospital is putting up this sign in the first place.
The photo of the sign sparked a debate among Twitter users.
Unsplash | Sharon McCutcheon
Some people felt the sign was warranted, but others said it was absolutely in poor taste.
One Twitter user shared that her phone was her lifeline during her time in the SCBU.
When having a child in critical care, sometimes you need to get some support.
Another said she would have, "gone mad without her phone."
Maybe it takes going through it to understand.
Another added it was wrong to assume looking at your phone was "bad parenting."
Phones do help people stay in touch with family and friends.
This mom who had her son before the era of smartphones said life in the hospital can be isolating for a new mom.
Phones can provide necessary entertainment in addition to being a connection to the outside world.
However, others online said that phone time should be saved for later, when the baby is not there or is sleeping.
They even cited studies.
Others chimed in and agreed with the sign's message.
This Twitter user advised using your phone when the baby is asleep and putting it away when the baby is active. They said this routine was important for bonding with the baby.
Another user said the poster was "spot on."
They agreed with its message and said a baby needs a parent's attention.
One user also pointed out this important distinction.
The sign informs parents to stay off their phones only when the baby is feeding. It doesn't say parents are banned from having phones completely.
Another user, who agreed with the sign's message, said that the sign's wording could be the problem.
This user echoed others who said parents should focus on their baby and not their phone, but agreed that the sign's wording could be interpreted "harshly."
Cottrell also clarified his stance on the sign.
While many online thought he was against the sign's message, he said he was prompted to post the image intially because he was, "... sad only that such a sign needed to be printed at all."
At the end of the day, how you choose to spend your time with your baby in critical care does not make you any more or less of a parent.
Unsplash | Dayne Topkin
Remember, some people fight battles differently — let's practice empathy before we judge someone else.
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