Now? Not so much, but that doesn’t mean people still watch the award show when it airs.

Nevertheless, by most reports, the 2011 VMAs were a hit, as over 12 million people tuned in. They also tweeted about it–en masse, apparently–but the Twitter count hit another all-time high in regards to tweets per second when Beyonce’s pregnancy was announced, which takes place in the video leading this post. For those that haven’t seen it, the announcement comes after her performance.

According to various reports, Beyonce’s “I’m with child” announcement broke the TPS (tweet per second) record, one that was set during the Women’s World Cup Final. The title for TPS has switched hands a few times, but now, thanks to Beyonce’s announcement, MTV is, vicariously, the proud owner of the new TPS title.

So yeah, more people tweeted about Beyonce’s pregnancy than any other event since the inception of Twitter. For some reason, when I think about the societal impact of such knowledge, I keep going back to this song by Trent Reznor. It’s fairly NSFW, but it definitely captures the tone of what motivates such reaction quite well.

Digression aside, did Beyonce’s announcement improve the ratings for the VMAs? If you listen to Twitter, perhaps, but then, there’s another perspective that blows the idea out of the water.

In a post over at Forbes, Brandon Mendelson scoffs at the idea that all these Beyonce tweets did much to impact MTV’s rating count for the VMAs, regardless of the propaganda offered to support such a claim:

Is it possible that Twitter could lead to an increase in the ratings of a television show? Absolutely; however, since the service rolled out in 2006 this has yet to be the case…

But when you consider Twitter is only used by 13% of Americans (according to PEW), and that of those 13%, less than a quarter of them are responsible for the majority of tweets sent, the truth disproves the fiction. Not to mention, given the number of people like me who use the service to write jokes, how many of them do you think are watching the thing they’re mocking?

It’s a compelling argument, especially the 13 percent aspect, but when you see headlines that say stuff like “This year’s VMA ratings reach record-breaking levels,” then maybe social media as a whole should be given credit.

Granted, that 13 percent sticks out like a sore thumb, but it’s highly doubtful Twitter was the only social media platform where the VMAs were being discussed. Facebook, I’m sure, was also a conduit for the discussion, which could very easily contribute to the ratings increase as well. Of course, then there’s the idea that nothing was on that Sunday, except for new HBO Originals episodes–True Blood, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage–and Breaking Bad.

When you consider the average age of the pop music sycophant who uses Twitter–no data here, but just from a quick glance at the various pop music trends that show up daily on Twitter–they probably weren’t allowed to watch those mature shows, and so, they resorted to living vicariously through Beyonce and Jay-Z.

Whatever the case, Beyonce’s pregnancy announcement now holds the tweets-per-second record, and that’s kind of sad.

If you are pregnant, you can now add your unborn baby to your list of family members via the “Expected: Child” option. Little baby X will appear alongside other labeled family members like your siblings, cousins, parents and aunts & uncles.

This minor little addition to the network’s information options has apparently creeped out the internet community. Of all the things, Facebook…this one is the worst! Some of the response on Twitter would lead you to believe that Facebook how now implemented a mandatory ultrasound photo-album for every expectant user. “NO FACEBOOK, PLEEEAASE DON’T ADD THE EXPECTING STATUS FFUUUUUUUUUUU.”

Other quips: “REALLY?!” “Ugh….” and “Very, very wrong.”

And my favorite, “Too far, Facebook. Too far.”

Really? And yes, the outraged public has got me saying “Really?” to their “Really(s).” This is the strange, creepy action of questionable privacy practices from the good folks at Facebook that makes you “want to rip your eyeballs out,” as one Mashable commenter said?  Apparently for some interweb denizens, this is the ultimate Facebook faux pas.

In light of this turgid reaction, I thought I’d make a quick list of things that Facebook allows users to do that are either just as creepy or more creepy than this new expecting baby thing -

• Poking.  Did you realize that poking any one of your friends at any time is still an option?  And people still do it?  Nevermind the strange sexual connotations of “poking” your friend, but the act of poking (with your finger or an inanimate object) is strange enough on its own.
• Facebook allows you to tag people at places without their knowledge.  If users haven’t disabled this in the privacy settings, they can be geotagged anywhere for all of their friends to see.  This option is loaded with chances for pranks – “No, I wasn’t with Jake at the sperm bank…I swear.”
• Religion and Political affiliation – two of the oldest profile categories around.  Can you honestly say that baby news is inherently more private than personal ideology?
• Relationship Status changes are creepier than the new pregnancy status changes.  Hands down.  People volunteer their breakups minutes after they occur.  “John went from “In a relationship” to “single.”  And people can LIKE that!  Plus, the announcement of an engagement is just as personal announcing a child, but people love to do that on the social network.
• Every single thing that every single person says about their daily lives.  The weird everyday things that people divulge on Facebook can make announcing a pregnancy look as mundane as “liking” the page for “cheese.”

An unborn child becomes part of a family as soon as the parents learn of its existence. They love it, prepare for it, and accommodate it in the same way they do for existing children. At least that’s my experience with expecting parents. Why not share that information with your Facebook friends? Sure beats creating a profile page for the little guy/girl.

Some have complained that these kind of things will make the sharing of scared information very “clinical.” Sure, to some, announcing your pregnancy on Facebook sounds like a terrible idea. But for others, would it really be bad to log on and see hundreds of “likes” and hundreds of congratulations from people in their life? Sure beats calling everyone on the phone. (And people announce babies on Facebook anyways, just not as members of their family until now)

Of course it could lead to an awkward situation if an expectant mother or father lost the child.

And the Daily Mail quotes one woman as saying, “‘Have duly added “Expected: Child” to Facebook profile. Will now await deluge of targeted pregnancy ads.” So yeah, there’s that.

But like most other options to share information about yourself on Facebook, there are privacy settings involved. You don’t have to do it. And to call the new “expecting” option on Facebook the creepiest thing ever is just ridiculous.

This is why we love the Internet.

Marc Stephens deserves equal credit for foresight and grace under fire (for the unflappable latter he credits the Royal Navy). The BBC reports Stephens googled “how to deliver a baby” as a precaution the moment his wife went into labor.

His cramming* session paid off for when his wife reached the critical five-minute contraction stage (the stage they tell you to head for the hospital or call your midwife), the Stephens’ midwife was a bit busy. The baby would arrive before the ambulance did.

One of the YouTube videos Stephens viewed was an instructional video from YouTube’s ExpertVillage channel, which illustrates in eerie (and kind of icky) plastic dummy realism how to deliver a baby in a taxicab.

While this is a story with obvious human interest quality, it is also serves as a nice example (if you’ll allow to me to cheapen it) of how businesses can both serve the community and gain valuable exposure. The expert instruction on YouTube, now getting international attention, was demonstrated by Laurie Fremgen, who runs Austin Midwifery Services.

While the video itself is a testament to local parents-to-be that Fremgen knows what she’s doing, the attention her video receives from the Stephens’ story just significantly upped her profile. The example also serves as a testament to the power of the how-to testimonial. When people use the internet mostly as an information utility, business-related how-tos can provide a much needed branding and advertising boost.     

*The word “cram” seems crassly appropriate but is necessary in lieu of the Anglican synonym “swot,” used by Stephens, which my meager American vocabulary forced me to look up.
 

Other health conditions that were frequently searched in February include "flu" (1.8 million), depression also (1.8 million), followed by diabetes (1.7 million) and addiction (1.4 million).

ComScore also looked at the most commonly searched prescription brand name treatments and found that Chantix, a smoking cessation treatment, topped the list with more than 500,000 search queries. Adderall an ADHD treatment received 469,000 search queries followed by Viagra with 348,000 searches.

The most searched health condition, "pregnancy," is searched 17 times more often than the most popularly searched brand name, "Chantix." The second most searched term "cancer" had 1 million queries specific to the term "breast cancer."

"It’s not too surprising that some of the most common health conditions, such as diabetes, depression and flu, have made the list, but it’s interesting that these terms generate fewer searches than significantly less prevalent conditions like cancer and pregnancy," said Carolina Petrini, comScore senior vice president.

"A reason for this may be due to life-changing nature of a cancer diagnosis or a pregnancy." 

Yahoo’s Vera Chan says that in the month of January, “we have a whole lot of conceptualizing going on.” Searches for the term “pregnancy” entered Yahoo’s top 600 list.

Searches for “states of pregnancy” are up 247 percent, and “pregnancy week by week” are up 23 percent. Many are calling on the ancient oriental wisdoms by consulting the “Chinese pregnancy calendar” and the “Chinese baby calendar.”

Those who didn’t get a special delivery from Santa this year haven’t given up. Searches for “ovulation calculator” are up 32 percent, while searches for “ovulation predictor” were up 249 percent.

Where will the new pumpkin patch of chilluns be planted? Chan says most pregnancy searches are coming out of Jackson, Tennessee, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Waco, Texas.

Note to self: get down to Jackson, Tennessee. The people are apparently very loving.

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Whether the suits have merit or not, clearly pregnant women are “feeling” discriminated against and, in my opinion, that’s enough to make it a business issue worth addressing. As a recently pregnant business owner, I empathize both with Google and with Christina.

The Google Suit

Google has an image of caring about their workers with a foosball tolerant, dog-loving culture and a focus on helping workers balance life and work with great maternity and paternity benefits. That is why the news of Christina Elwell’s pregnancy bias suit against Google is so hard to believe. Not Google, right? They love workers and babies and worker’s babies!

The suit claims that after Elwell broke the news of being pregnant with quadruplets, her job was eliminated and then she was demoted, fired, rehired, and then demoted again after medical leave. Google says the lawsuit “is without merit and we will defend vigorously against it.” I kind of suspect “defend vigorously” will shake out into “settle quickly.”

My Take on This Issue

If the allegations of the case are true, it sounds like the employee-centered culture was not being embraced by middle management. Her manager is quoted as allegedly calling her or her situation “an HR nightmare.” But, I empathize because, let’s face it — he’s right. And I suspect that comment, while insensitive, came from her manager’s feelings of bitterness and betrayal. Here is this top performing sales executive, at the top of her game, recently made sales director. Google loves her and she loves Google. And then one day she tells her boss that she loves her career so much that she has chosen to implant (I am speculating) not one but four embryos into her uterus, and it’s not going well. She’s going to miss a lot of work these next nine months. And after that? Don’t ask — it’s illegal.

As a manager, even if you have the caring heart of a saint, this news makes you want to throw up. Of course she’s not going to consult you about the decisions she makes with her family and her uterus; you know that logically. But you cannot help but feel betrayed. All the time invested into her career, all the training, and she has chosen to do IVF right now. Let’s face it; it seems like she doesn’t value her job. Or certainly, she values it second to a family. And now she’s heading for a family of four instantly. Does her career honestly stand a chance? What do you say now as she sits across from you?

Now here’s the flip side. If your employee-centered culture has really permeated middle management, your manager will be able to sincerely say (without 5 minutes of hesitation or further questioning), “Congratulations!! This is so exciting!” That’s because he or she will not see a revenue stream sitting in the chair across from them, but a person. I have to believe Christina’s manager made the mistake of seeing her as a revenue stream. Before the pregnancy, a beautiful flowing incoming stream with lots of future flow potential. Then suddenly that flow was not only dammed up but was backwashing out through HR in “nightmare” fashion with short term disability, maternity leave, and a potentially vacant job held open in vain for a woman with 4 kids.

But when you realize that this pregnant revenue stream is really a person, you can also realize that like all humans she struggled to make this decision. And she is most likely open to being influenced by her environment. Not only is her future uncertain, but probably very flexible.

Keep these things in mind when an employee tells you she is pregnant:

* If my iVillage pregnancy discussion board participation has taught me anything, it is that there is a high likelihood she has not made up her mind about returning to work.

* If she’s come far and succeeded in her career (read into also as fairly compensated), there is a higher likelihood she wants to keep the job, if at all possible.

* What makes balancing a child and a career possible? The company does. If this experience is met with unconditional support, there is a higher likelihood she’ll make efforts to balance her career with family. That’s speculation, but pretty common sense, don’t you think? And by support I mean emotional and logistical.

* Her husband might be the one staying home.

* As a business owner, if you create (or claim to have) an employee-centered culture, do it because you actually care about the people in your organization, not because some business book told you it will help with retention. Because if the culture is real, then your management staff will believe in it — for themselves and for their employees. And that means they will say things like, “Having four babies must be scary. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help along the way.” As opposed to, “Wow. This situation is an HR nightmare.”

As it turned out, Christina had one child. I imagine she could have been back at work full force as a high contributor to Google after a few months. Instead she’s gone from HR nightmare to PR nightmare. Regardless of the merit of Elwell’s case, Google failed on this one. That’s my ruling anyway.

Rocky Lewis is co-founder and a managing partner of SageRock.com, which is an online marketing company specializing in SEO, Paid Search, and ROI/Usability Analysis.

With nearly 30 percent of online moms using the Internet to get information about pregnancy, parenting or being a new mom,(1) this new resource for the first time joins respected content from Healthy Pregnancy with Baby Talk and Parenting magazines, all in one convenient location. The new channel delivers customizable planning and organizational tools such as the Healthy Pregnancy Planner and a new baby namer, the latest, need-to-know parenting information and shopping guides to meet everyday parenting needs. By joining Pregnancy Circles and Mom-to-Mom Circles, parents can connect at anytime with other moms and dads for advice and support.

“Managing a family is one of life’s greatest challenges, so AOL Parenting offers a comprehensive array of services and information parents need, in an easy to access format,” said Tina Sharkey, senior vice president of AOL Life Management and Community. “AOL Parenting marks a continuation of our Life Management strategy to provide members with all the services they need to make their days, and lives, easier to navigate.”

Available at AOL Keyword: Parenting, the Parenting channel joins AOL’s series of offerings to make everyday life easier. Through services such as Bill Pay, AOL Food, AOL Diet & Fitness and AOL Research & Learn, AOL provides busy parents everyday tools and solutions that simplify their daily routines and responsibilities, including raising a family. Recognizing parents’ concerns about their family’s online safety, AOL offers Parental Controls to help members manage their kids’ and teens’ activities and time spent online. The KOL and RED services are designed entirely for the kids and teens audiences to ensure for a more secure and personalized online experience for young audiences.

“The daily demands of parenting and raising a family can no doubt be overwhelming, as can the endless questions that surface throughout pregnancy and the stages of childhood,” said Susan Kane, Editor-in-Chief of BabyTalk. “That’s why we are thrilled to further the AOL/Time Inc. Interactive relationship, bringing AOL members expert editorial advice and answers to such plaguing questions as ‘How do I choose the right day care center? What type of stroller should I buy? What are the most popular baby names?’”

Key features of AOL Parenting include:

– Ages + Stages: This comprehensive directory featuring thousands of articles from the editors at Parenting magazine provides AOL members with authoritative information on the major milestones to look for in a child’s physical, mental and emotional development. Topics such as health, eating and lifestyle are addressed for children ranging from birth to 12 years.

– The Healthy Pregnancy Planner (HPP): This innovative, customizable weekly planner provides the mom-to-be with personalized information from Parenting, BabyTalk and Healthy Pregnancy magazines, coaching her from conception to due date. The customized Weekly View illustrates fetal development with photos and gives timely tips on health, exercise, body changes and more. Synched up with AOL Calendar, a Pregnancy Calendar not only keeps track of prenatal care appointments and the baby’s first kick – it also links to relevant articles for each week of pregnancy. A weekly e-mail includes even more relevant news and tips from other women based on their own pregnancy experiences.

– The Pregnancy Record: Moms-to-be can create, print and share a keepsake of their personalized pregnancy experiences. This record captures milestones, thoughts and information about the baby for easy retrieval of what moms want to remember most about their pregnancies.

– Pregnancy Circles and Mom-to-Mom Circles: AOL’s community of 23 million members offers a built-in support network to which expectant mothers and parents can turn for real-life advice and to share momentous occasions. The Pregnancy Circles and Mom-to-Mom Circles are an extremely popular way for members to meet other parents across the country, with members posting more than 2,500 entries a week to the two communities.

– Shopping: Integrated with AOL’s inStore commerce channel, AOL Parenting makes shopping easy with the click of a mouse, allowing parents to search for different items while comparing the various brands and prices. Also on the AOL Parenting channel, parents can consult expert recommendations and Parenting “Mom-Tested” reviews on the latest gear such as strollers and high chairs, as well as the must-have toys of the season. Parents can also consult a checklist of essential items and create, store and share “wish lists” with friends and family. Additionally, parents can sign up for free product recall Alerts and other timely product safety announcements.

– Baby Namer Tool: Members can explore thousands of names gathered by the top experts in the field, organized in fun to use categories like “Celebrity,” “Cool Trends” or “The Classics.” The Baby Namer also provides the story behind a name, tracks the name’s popularity over time and enables members to share their favorites with friends and family.

– Learning: Through AOL Research & Learn, families can obtain tips on how to maximize a child’s potential and properly prepare kids for school. Grade readiness checklists track a child’s progress from preschool through high school.

– Other AOL Parenting features include a birth options planner featuring a checklist to help guide women through the many delivery options.

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It is very important to keep your stress level as low as possible during this time, and that’s not always easy. You will find yourself prioritizing your activities, and filtering out unnecessary tasks. My work schedule isn’t particularly demanding, but I have had to cut down on evening activities in order to make time for exercise and extra rest, two things that don’t come very easily to me.

When you’re supermom, taking time for extra rest is extremely important. When I first found out that I was pregnant, I had to keep reminding myself that I needed to slow down and rest more, including going to bed earlier. I resisted a little until I discovered that I am expecting twins. After recovering from that shock (I still haven’t), I decided that no activities were more important than getting my much needed rest. Rest is something you may not getting much of after your baby is born.

Don’t be afraid to ask for extra help around the house, with pet chores (don’t touch that litter box!), laundry, cooking, dishes, etc. Your husband and older children are perfectly capable of helping out, and will probably be more than happy to if you ask. Or, it just might not get done occasionally. My husband is getting used to the fact that he is “on his own” for dinner a night or two out of each week when I’m not hungry or can’t bear to cook.

Exercise is also very important, especially if you work in front of a computer all day. If you are able to join a family court club, they have many activities to choose from for the whole family. Ours offers a prenatal water aerobics class. If you can’t afford the monthly dues, often you can pay a one-time fee for a particular class. At the very least, get out and walk as much as you can, during your lunch hour or in the evenings.

I’m still in the first stages of pregnancy where most food doesn’t sound very appetizing. My tastes are constantly changing. I try to bring a variety of foods to work with me so that something will sound good when it’s time to eat. Lately I have been eating dried fruits, instant oatmeal, canned fruit cocktail, bananas, apples, tuna and sprouts on a wheat bagel, and chicken cup-of-soup. The hardest thing for me is drinking the 8 plus cups of water a day. I feel like I’m going to float away and hate getting up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I have been assured that drinking all this water will keep me from getting too bloated later in the pregnancy.

It can be hard to find good maternity work clothes. Look for local consignment stores and on Ebay.com. You will find a lot of great deals there and not have to pay “new” prices. Buy several pairs of neutral pants that will go with any top, and that will help save on your wardrobe.

Now is the time to start looking into your employer’s maternity benefits, if any. I have 6 weeks short-term disability I can use, at 66% of my current income. Income taxes, 401K, etc., are not deducted. If you plan ahead, you can take the time off you need without a large financial burden. Find out ahead of time what paperwork needs to be filled out and by when. Your doctor may need to fill out some of the paperwork for you.

If someone is to fill in for you while you’re away from the office, plan ahead and make sure someone knows what you do every day. My doctor told me I could be in bed as early as 6 months, and I have to plan on that even if it doesn’t happen. Don’t leave your employer without a replacement, if possible.

Don’t be afraid to get up and walk around when you need a break or to kick your shoes off under your desk when no one’s looking. Hopefully your employer is watching out for you and wants to help you through a successful pregnancy.

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer, mom, and owner of several
home and family web sites. To sign up for her bi-weekly
newsletter and to find complete resources for the Christian home,
visit her web site at http://www.Christian-Parent.com.