Soon after the tidal wave of labour is over, most millennial mothers (aged between 22 and 37) will have a picture taken with their baby like generations past. But, in 2018, most newborns will have an online presence within the hour, some even with their own account and hashtag. “I’ve seen a shift happen,” says Jennifer Mayer, New York City-based birth doula and founder of Baby Caravan, an education platform and doula network. “Millennials don’t spend as much time bonding with their baby without a device around, than in years past.” Now, she says, parents FaceTime with relatives and upload pictures to social media very soon after birth. Mayer’s not judging. She embraces tech too – asking clients to download and use an app to collect their contraction data in real time.

“Millennial parents desire things fast,” says Mayer, also a millennial mum who’s well aware of being pulled in many directions. “Now, soon-to-be parents often ask if there is a podcast or video tutorial they can watch online so they can learn remotely. When I started my career 12 years ago, parents wanted a lot of information and preferred in-person classes.”

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