Congratulations! You’re expecting… that’s big news. So, how are you going to get the word out? And when? Even though you now know for sure that you’re pregnant, it can feel like you’re still drowning in questions.
But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
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When should I announce? Is it too early?
Most people wait until around the 12-week mark since this is the end of the first trimester – a phase during which miscarriage is, unfortunately, more likely.
The idea is that, should the worst happen, you won’t have to go person-to-person sharing difficult information in a vulnerable time.
Some people, however, would rather be able to speak openly about pregnancy loss should they experience it, and so are more comfortable announcing earlier in the pregnancy.
Some wait until much later and surprise friends and family with a bump… or even a recently born bundle of joy! It really is down to you.
Is it possible to be showing already?
Typically, a bump starts to make an appearance between 16 and 20 weeks, but some don’t show for a little longer, and some might show sooner.
First pregnancies often take their time when it comes to belly growth, but of course, twins or other higher-order multiples can show much earlier.
With the first trimester comes a whole lot of bloating, which can be uncomfortable and look like the beginnings of a little bump – it’s fairly common for bloat and a baby to be mixed up in this way.
That’s not to say it’s definitely not your expanding uterus you can see when you look down at an extra curve in those first weeks.
As you might have heard, twins and multiples often cause those carrying them to show a little as early as 6 weeks.
How to Tell People You’re Pregnant
If you’ve decided when to tell people, the next question is how. This can be particularly tricky, so we’ve put together some ideas for you.
Some of them may take more preparation than others, so keep in mind that you may have to organize them prior to reaching the stage in your pregnancy at which you’re happy to make the announcement.
A few are ideas relevant to the specific situations you might find yourself in, and the rest are general ideas that anyone could use!
Have a browse and pick out your favorite. Many happy congratulations… and good luck!
Telling a Partner or Spouse
The first person to tell when you see that little plus sign might well be your partner! But how? Here are some ideas:
A surprise gift
Pop your positive test (dry from pee, hopefully) in a gift box or bag, and, when the moment is right –tell them you’ve got something special for them.
You might want to set your phone recording from somewhere secluded to capture their reaction or keep this moment to yourselves… either way watching them open up the gift and find that they’re going to be a parent (or add to their family) is priceless!
Scavenger Hunt
If you two are the playful sort consider a scavenger-hunt-style reveal! Write clues that lead your partner or spouse from one part of the house (or maybe even the neighborhood) to another until they’re led to a meaningful place for you to tell them the big news!
You might like to combine this with the previous idea, so that they find a gift-wrapped positive test, or prepare a few words to say.
Turn-Around Reveal
Tell your partner that you want to take romantic photos somewhere pretty and bring along small chalkboards/whiteboards to use as props.
Set the camera up and tell your partner that each of you is going to secretly write their favorite thing about the other is – and then turn around to face each other for a reveal so that the camera captures both reactions.
On your board, write a cute message that answers the question and reveals the pregnancy. Think… “What a wonderful Dad you’re going to be!”, “That you’re such a good Mommy to both our kids.”, “That you’re the perfect person to start the journey to parenthood with.”
Telling Your Long-Distance Parents
To tell your parents, you might like to use any of the ideas further down this list… but here are a few specific to loved ones who can’t be with you as literally as you might like.
Video Call
Hop on facetime, skype, zoom, or another similar platform and see your family’s reactions right there on your screen! You could bring the positive test into the frame as a visual aid, or just let your words sink in.
Some video-call apps and programs allow you to record the call, which you might like to do so that you can look back on their reaction in the future.
The other benefit of a video call is that any of the other ideas on this list that are related to wording, or obvious visual aids translate perfectly to the screen!
Contact Name
This one’s extra cute. Change your parent’s contact details in your phone to “Grandma” and “Grandpa” (or your preferred variation), take a screenshot, and send it to them.
You may have to point out what you’ve done – but this might be the most exciting time you’ve explained a piece of tech to your parents!
E-Card
If your parents are fans of email (some older people find it easier than texting), this one might be a winner. The internet is full of fun, adorable, and stylish e-cards to help you reveal your big news.
You might find an animated example that shows a stork, or confetti – or you might opt for a customizable card featuring your own images… what a perfect time to show off your first scan!
Telling Parents Who Are Already Grandparents
Sticking with the nerve-wracking moment you tell your parents, here are some tips for telling parents who already have grandkids.
D.I.Y “Again” Announcement Gifts
This ought to make them chuckle! Pick up a mug or similar gift that says something along the lines of “You’re going to be a Grandpa!” or “World’s #1 Grandma.”, and in a bold color of permanent marker (red works well) add the word “again”.
This creates a charming joke about the realities of adding more children to a family and is something your parents can keep around the house for years to come.
Using Their Nickname
Chances are, your parents’ existing grandkids have a particular name they use for your parents – “Pop-Pop”, “Grandy”, “Nanna”, or “Gramps”, it’s already special to them, and incorporating it into any announcement you choose is a lovely touch.
Announcing a First Pregnancy
Whether this pregnancy is after a long journey to conception, or a glorious surprise, spreading the news of a first pregnancy is one of the most exciting things you go through as you build a family. Here are our ideas on how to do it.
“Mommy and Daddy” Photos
Now’s the time to adopt your new titles as parents! Don “Mom” and/or “Dad” t-shirts for photos with your first scan, or the beginnings of your bump to go on your announcement post.
You could just incorporate your parental nicknames into whatever you decide to do – the point here is to celebrate the brand-new roles you’re taking on as parents! Enjoy the novelty!
Pets!
This might be your first human baby – but like so many of us, you may well already run around after fur-babies at home. Get them involved but put them in a “big brother/sister” outfit, or a bandanna/t-shirt that says something like “My parents are getting me a tiny human!” and have them pose for your announcement post.
Written messages with paw-print signatures are a cute way to include the whole family as well.
Est. Dates
Your little family is growing! This means new dates and anniversaries to add to your calendar, so consider incorporating dates you find important into your announcement. You might write out a sign that says something like…
“Smith Family Est. (date of wedding/meeting/first date), Baby Smith Due (due date)”. If one of you is in business, you could keep running with the play-on-words.
Announcing Baby #2 (or 3, or 4…)
Maybe this isn’t your first rodeo, in which case – make good use of the opportunity!
Sibling Announcements
Have your little one(s) in cute outfits, posing with a sign or with something written on their tops announcing the new addition to your family! If you have a few children already, you could have them line up in birth order with numbers on them, next to you with the next number on your bump.
If you’d like your announcement to have a video, you could record your child(ren) reciting a cute poem or message about becoming a big sibling, or record their reaction to the news and post that (cute or funny!).
Little Clothes in Different Sizes
You may have seen parents announcing their first babies with a little pair of booties, or a custom onesie with the due date printed on it – you can make this even cuter by laying out matching outfits in the sizes of your kids, and in newborn!
First shoes and booties next to each other, an old onesie with a ‘hand-me-down’ tag on it, or really tiny item on a washing line full of family clothes are all great subjects for announcement photos.
Baby Photos
If your other kids are a bit older, it could be fun to pick out some baby photos of each of them and arrange them in a row with your scan pics! You could even include a blank piece of card with a ‘?’ on it, inviting your friends and family to imagine what this new baby will be like.
Sneaky Surprise Announcements!
Whether the baby was a surprise for you or not, there’s no denying the glee to be found in a surprise announcement – keep reading to see our ideas for sneaky baby surprises.
House Tour
Maybe you’ve just moved in, recently been re-modeling, or have just got started on the nursery nice and early. Maybe you’ve waited to tell people and you’ve already got the crib set up – maybe it’s an empty room still.
Whatever the case, bringing friends and family over and showing them around to see a ‘baby’s room’ sign, or fully decked-out nursery is certain to elicit squeals of shocked excitement!
Bun in the Oven
This one’s lots of fun, especially if your friends and family are pretty quick with riddles and rhymes. Invite your loved ones over in small groups, and casually ask one of them to check on what you’ve got in the oven… only for them to find a single bun (or multiple, if you’re having multiples)!
You could leave the oven off and accompany the bun with a sign if you’d like the surprise to be clearer.
Scratch Cards
Get a sneaky fake scratch card, where instead of a money prize hiding beneath the foil, there’s a message revealing your pregnancy!
This would be especially surprising for parents, friends, or another family who regularly buy scratch cards – but it would work for anyone.
Surprise Box!
This is like number 1, the surprise gift, except it makes sure the reveal goes off with a bang!
There are several gift boxes available online that, once opened, pop to reveal a picture/message of your choosing – now’s the time to whip out that ultrasound and tell your favorite people your big news.
Cute Pregnancy Announcements
If you want your announcement to look perfect on your feed and give everyone who hears about it the warm-and-fuzzies, this is the part of the list for you. Here are our cutest ideas for an adorable announcement.
Booties, Bonnets, and Boutique Baby Gear
This is the perfect excuse to go baby shopping you’ve been looking for. Pick out your absolute favorite cutesy baby items and arrange them with your ultrasound or a stylish sign of your choosing – take a snap and use this to spread your good news!
You can adapt this for any aesthetic or theme, and it looks great online, and it’s especially cute with stuffed animals or comfort blankets.
Belly & Ultrasound Photoshoot
How you do this one might depend on your editing skills, but it’s perfectly doable without any at all. Pose in your nicest neutral undies, or in some tight-fitting loungewear, holding your most recent scan photo up to where baby really is inside!
If you’re a whiz with photoshop (or another editing software), pose without the pic and edit it in later so that it looks as if you’re peeking inside.
Goldilocks Photoshoot
Whether you just can’t get enough Starbucks, or you’re a family of foodies – consider lining up your family’s favorite orders next to a baby bottle to tell the world that you’re expecting.
If Starbucks was your chosen theme, you’d put down Daddy’s order with his name on the cup, then Mommy’s cup with her name, and then a baby bottle… to show your whole family’s favorite drinks!
This can be done with bowls for a purer reference to the children’s classic tale Goldilocks, or with anything else that your little family has in common.
Expected to Pop!
Keep it simple with a selfie of you and your partner blowing up balloons (or posing to look like you are) displaying an adorable message.
On one it says, “Expected to pop…”, and on the other, it shows your due date, for example, “1/29/2022”, so that together you reveal your news to your loved ones in an adorable and insta-worthy pic.
Funny Announcements
If you’re a known jokester, or you simply want to give your friends and family something to giggle about, you might want your announcement to have a punchline. Have a look at our recommendations, pregnancy puns galore.
Eating for Two, and Drinking for Two
An ‘eating for two’ themed announcement is sure to get a giggle, but consider doubling down by including a joke about your partner making up for your reduced alcohol consumption with a ‘drinking for two’ line.
This could look great as a photo, with the pregnant partner’s hand reaching towards their partner’s plate, and the other partner’s hand reaching for the pregnant partner’s glass of wine, beer, or cocktail.
Pandemic Jokes
If you’re looking to announce very soon, chances are the baby was conceived during one lockdown or another. There’s a wealth of easy jokes to be found here, “Mummy and Daddy weren’t very good at social distancing…”, and “Well played, quarantine, well played.”, are both great examples.
Oops…
If your baby was a surprise, sometimes it’s good to get real – laughing about things makes them easier to swallow for any more traditional or conservative members of your family.
Consider an “Always read the fine print.”-style gag, or, if you already have kids, an “Oops… we did it again.” joke. Maybe a “Best oops ever!” A T-shirt would look good in a photoshoot.
Pop-Culture Announcements
With the rise of Netflix and instant access to TV and film, we all have a favorite show or franchise. If you’re a bit of a nerd, or if you’re just big fans – you might like to incorporate your favorite thing into your pregnancy announcement.
Friends
Friends fans know that “the one where” jokes are endlessly useful for situations such as these. Consider a onesie printed with “the one where we become parents”, or a t-shirt that says “the one where everyone finds out we’re pregnant”, featuring the iconic font and colored dots.
If you wanted to take it a step further, a pregnant Phoebe or Rachel cosplay could be really cute!
Star Wars
Jam-packed with classic phrases and iconic props and outfits, Star Wars is brimming with baby-news potential. Consider a sign reading “The force is strong in this one, future Jedi arriving [month due/year due]”, accompanied by a soft-toy baby Yoda and other props.
A pair of lightsabres representing you and your partner could be a super adorable touch. Once again, full costumes for the whole family could be a lot of fun.
(“Baby Wars: Revenge of the Fifth” is a fabulous slogan for the announcement of your fifth baby. Of course, it’s a little specific.)
Doctor Who
Cosplay could be especially fun for this one, pose dressed as your favorite Doctor-Companion duo and posed with your sonogram photo – the caption could read “awaiting our next companion…”, or, if you’re a River Song fan, “Hello sweetie.”. Perfect for announcing a new little Whovian.
Pokémon
A card game, a Nintendo best-seller, a collection of shows, some films, an app that got us off the sofa… and one of the most popular franchises to touch our hearts – Pokémon has a lot of potential for a great pregnancy announcement.
Edit your sonogram onto a trading card, paint a poke-ball on your belly, or snap a line-up of the iconic three-starter Pokémon with a caption reading “what will baby choose? New trainer arriving [due date].”
There’s endless fun to be had here, so have a think and choose the reveal you like best.
Seasonal Announcement Ideas
Our calendar is peppered with events that call for themed announcements – the following are appropriate for announcements made during the relevant season, or for babies due during that season (just remember to include your due date if the latter is true for you).
Easter
There are plenty of fabulous puns to go for here for online announcements, like, “We’re eggspecting somebunny new this Easter! Baby [last name], due [date].”. And, if you’d like to do a surprise announcement in-person, consider hiding the scan picture in an egg as part of an egg hunt!
Halloween
The pumpkins are sure to come in handy this year! Write your announcement on an arrangement of pumpkins, or even hollow out a window in one and put a smaller pumpkin inside to represent you and baby.
If you’re looking for something a little more spooky, buy a t-shirt with a baby skeleton on the tummy, or dress as a witch and use a caption like, “Mommy’s brewing something amazing!”.
Fall
Warm colors, cozy booties, crunchy twigs, and fallen leaves – now’s the time for a gorgeous arrangement to photograph for your announcement. You could include a onesie or a sign that reads “Fall in love with baby [last name], [month due/year due].”, or something similar.
Christmas
The real headline for Christmas announcements is the puns and play-on-words jokes you can pop into your adorable digital announcements. “One more reason to be merry.”, “Best Christmas gift ever!”, “Santa’s little helper…”, and, “No more Silent Nights”, are all great caption ideas. As for the photo, posing in front of the tree, nestling the sonogram among the presents, and custom baubles with the due date on them are all lovely touches.
Winter
If you live somewhere snowy, where the seasons really turn and the countryside goes crisp white, make the most of it! Make snowmen representing each member of the family… then add another, much littler one, and a caption with your announcement. For a first baby, posing snuggled around a fire with “Mom” and “Dad” (or any nicknames you prefer) mugs is a lovely way to break the news.
