We've had selfies, belfies, babies with crazy hair, hot dog legs, pet shaming and planking, so it was only a matter of time before #MilkDrunk babies became a thing.
If you've been anywhere near social media in the past few days you'll have seen the avalanche of interest in this phenomenon known to parents everywhere. The milk drunk baby has become synonymous with parenting, like 'Jellycat' 'Lamaze' and 'Dreamfeed' have.
And in case you've been living on a different planet, the term refers to
"A blissfully passed out baby 'drunk' following a satisfying feed of milk."
Who could resist this little #milk drunk photo courtesy @renaethompson on Instagram
Anyone who has a baby or has spent time with a little one, will be familiar with the term. Boozy babies come in all forms - happy drunk, silly drunk, one-too-many drunk, angry drunk, can't-hold-my-bottle drunk, almost-passed out drunk and dribbly-drunk, are just a few of them! And these gummy little darlings are capturing the hearts of the nation it seems.
As the editor and co-founder of the Milk Drunk Diary, I have been thrilled and excited to feature in Mail Online and Daily Mirror over the past few days to discuss this 'new' trend, which even ABC 'Good Morning' America have picked up.
I'm delighted that it's getting airtime, because it's a) hilarious b) adorable and c) dam useful to know if you're expecting!
I will never forget how I came across this 'thing'. It was our first week back at home with baby. I was like a maniac googling every single twitch, jerk and sound, just to be on the safe side. One night mid-feed, my baby passed out and went limp on me. So alarmed was my husband that he went to dial NHS Direct, but Dr Google came to the rescue just in time and enlightened me that my baby was in fact... milk drunk!
My little milk drunk one...
I took to Twitter, I flocked to Facebook and I jumped on Instagram to compare notes, and there they were, everywhere. Little strung out babies, in a dreamy happy state thanks to the brilliance of milk.
And whomever coined the term got it spot on, because we can all see a bit of our hammered partners in them, no!?
A few months on when I decided to set up my blog with best friend Aidan, we couldn't figure out a name. What would describe our slightly anarchic style that would sum up parenting with a glint of humour? We thought about it, and I remember blurting out 'Milk Drunk'. Aidan slept on it overnight, then called me hailing me a genius the night morning. You can see why we get on ☺
Fast forward five months on I now see over 97,000 tages on Instagram alone using the #MilkDrunk hashtag, with around 500 new posts every week.
One of the many gorgeous milk drunk babies shared on Instagram, photo kindly given permission to post by @xomynamexo
And I think it's great. Not just because it's cute, or because it brings a smile at the end of a hard day. But because it also unites Mothers and doesn't discriminate whether you bottle or breast-feed. In some ways, it settles the debate about which is best, as both prove wonderful in soothing baby.
When I was asked by the press about why I think it's become 'such a thing' I responded "There's nothing more adorable than a woozy baby contented with a full tummy and milky moustache! It's such a hit because it's something every parent knows and loves. It's a bit like being part of a special club!"
A club you now belong to as well. Now go tell an expecting friend...!
You can follow the Milk Drunk movement at milkdrunkdiary.com as well as Twitter @milkdrunkdiary, facebook.com/milkdrunkdiary and instagram.com/milkdrunkdiary.