Do you remember getting a card in the mail from your cousin in Cleveland announcing the arrival of their new baby? Snail mail used to be the primary way for distant friends and family to know you had given birth.

Well, long gone are those days.

Now most couples take to social media to introduce their new addition to the world.

It’s a great format for friends or family to send their well-wishes, and it's much faster. But this new digital approach brings another question to the table: What to do about over-eager friends and family who wish to make the announcement before the mother and father have even had a chance?

Couples are now being proactive in announcing the births of their children by using a little graphic like this one to spread the word.

This trend just recently started gaining traction and I think it will be standard practice before too long. Since social media is still in its infancy, we don't have a lot of norms surrounding the medium. However, as millennials, who have had social media for over a decade now, begin to age, more social media norms are being put into place.

And I hate to say it, but younger generations are much more sensitive about what they post on social media than Baby Boomers.

In this new era, it’s a parents' job to take responsibility for their children in the digital space – even when they are infants. Some parents refuse to post pics of their kids on social and they want their friends and family to comply.

Christa Marie is a blogger at Little Us Blog where she wrote about Facebook etiquette and announcing the births of other people's kids last year. Christa said she posted a similar image when she was pregnant. "I didn't want my family or friends telling people that I was in labor or that I had a baby. It was really well received and we didn't have any issues!" You can find more images like the one Christa posted on her blog.

There are a myriad of reasons why parents want the honor of announcing their labor and births. Here are a few valid reasons why moms and dads might choose to make a post on social.

False Alarms

I had false alarms with both of my kids. I can't image all of the messages I would have had to respond to if someone else had posted on social that I was in labor. False alarms are enough of a hassle on their own.

Complications

God forbid there are complications, but if there are, the responsibility of addressing friends and family with sensitive news should be left to the parents.

Privacy

Sometimes people just want privacy and that does not require an explanation.

Misinformation

We all know how the wheel of social media gets spinning with false information and never seems to stop.

Picture Control

Let's be honest. You do not want your MIL posting that pic of you with your hair all crazy right after giving birth. You should not have to worry about that!

Sarah Mauser, an expectant mom in Arkansas, reposted one of Christa's images on her Facebook wall as she entered the final days of her pregnancy. "I posted it because I feel like it's not really anyone else's place to announce something so special. I'm a pretty private person, so my fear is to have someone other than myself post that I'm in labor and all of my Facebook friends then stalk my Facebook for updates."

Images by iStock