History of Baby Birth Announcements
Throughout time, proud parents have spread the news of a baby’s safe arrival into the world in many ways. In the United States, traditions announcing a new baby have evolved from very intimate gatherings to mass mailings of customized photo birth announcements.
In the 21st century, parents rely heavily on the Internet to get the news out. From a simple text to a social media broadcast, even baby’s very own website, nobody should be able to say, “I haven’t heard yet!”
Here’s a closer look at this history:
PRE-VICTORIAN ERA (1700s) Proud papa handed out cigars with either a blue or pink ribbon to indicate a boy or girl baby.
VICTORIAN ERA (1830S – 1900) The ladies received a pink or blue ribbon engraved with baby’s name and date of birth. This was their cue to visit the new baby, placed on decorous display in a basket or bassinet.
EARLY 1900s Parents began placing birth announcements in local newspapers, a practice that continues today in some smaller-towns.
1930s Parents wrote letters to out of town family and friends to spread the news. Some announcements even shared photographs when possible.
1940-1960 Hospitals gave parents a simple folder with a black and white photo of the baby where they could handwrite information.
1970-1980s Generic hospital-sponsored folder birth announcements continued, but with an upgrade to color photos.
1990s Computer technology heightened quality and made photo retouching and small print batches more affordable. Digital photography soon followed, and commercially available digital cameras transformed a specialized profession into a regular past-time, especially for new parents.
2010 Printed birth announcements continue to be in demand and are more customizable than ever.
The most popular birth announcement methods today are:
CALL 76%
TEXT 72%
SOCIAL MEDIA 72%
EMAIL 44%
Other Fun Ways to Announce Baby’s Arrival:
- Personalized Online Announcements
- Baby’s Own Blog or Website
- Edible Birth Announcements
Birth Statistics
BirthDAYS WEDNESDAY is the most popular day for births (15.4% more births occur on Wednesdays) SUNDAY is the slowest day (35.1% fewer births than average)
Birth RATES More than 4 million babies are born in the U.S. each year, but birth rates have been declining recently:
- 14.3 births per 1,000 people in 2007 to 13.5 births in 2009
- From 2008 to 2009, births declined by 111,000
State’s birth rates vary widely:
- VERMONT sees 10 births per 1,000 people
- UTAH sees 21 births per 1,000 people
Average AGE First-time moms are getting older on average, increasing from 21 years old in 1970 to 25.2 years old in 2005.
Birth MONTHS JULY, AUGUST & SEPTEMBER have the most births.
Newborn Vital Stats The average American newborn…
- Weighs 7-1/2 lbs
- Measures 14-20 inches long
- Has a head circumference measuring ¼ of the total baby’s body length
Embed this image on your site:
