Announce Your Pregnancy

When you find out you’re pregnant, sharing your news with others is a big part of building excitement about what’s to come. Whether you choose to announce your news to the world with a bold, creative gesture, or reveal it gradually to loved ones through special conversations, you’ll remember these moments as a meaningful time in your pregnancy. Here are several different approaches you could take to share the joy with your family and friends.

Steps

Telling Your Partner

  1. Have an intimate conversation. Maybe you and your partner have been trying to get pregnant for a long time, and you know your news will bring tears of joy. Or perhaps your pregnancy is totally unplanned, and it will be as much of a shock to your partner as was to you when that test read “positive.” Either way, you might find that the best way to tell your partner is with an honest, intimate conversation.
    • In most circumstances, your partner should be the first person you tell. You may be tempted to immediately call your mom or best friend, but if you’re in a relationship with someone else who will also be a parent to your baby, that person deserves to know right away.
    • That said however, if you're no longer in a relationship with the father (or are unsure who the father even is) then it would be best to tell a close friend or family member.
    • Try to be honest about your true feelings with your partner. If you have anxiety about what’s to come, share that feeling as well as your joy. You’ll need emotional support while you’re pregnant, and hopefully your partner will be able to provide that for you, even in those moments when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
  2. Reveal the news with a sweet or funny surprise. Maybe you’d like to break the news a bit more creatively, so you can relish the look on your partner’s face. Here are a few fun gestures to consider if you want to make your partner laugh:
    • Make a romantic dinner for the two of you. Serve baby-themed food like baby-back ribs, baby carrots, and apple juice served in little Sippy cups. It won’t take long for your partner to figure out the message you’re trying to send.
    • Have a movie night and rent baby-related movies: Nine Months, Look Who’s Talking, Babe, etc. Write your news on a piece of paper and place it inside a DVD or VHS case. Hand the case to your partner and watch the news light up his or her face.
    • Give your a partner a gift. Buy a t-shirt or coffee mug that says “World’s Greatest Daddy” or “I Love My Mommy.” Wait with a smile as he or she absorbs the great news.
    • Order a cake from a bakery. Request that Congratulations on Your Pregnancy to be written on it. Then ask your partner to pick the cake up for you and bring it home. When he or she asks who it's for, say, "Us! We're going to be parents!"
  3. Be prepared for a range of reactions. If this is an unexpected—and possibly undesired—pregnancy, be as calm as possible and allow the other person time to digest the news. If the person starts becoming violent and is at risk of hurting someone or something, step away and out of the room until they calm down, it is an extreme reaction but can happen.
    • If they make threats towards the baby's or your safety, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. Report them to the authorities as its always better to be safe than sorry)
    • The first reaction a person has is not always indicative of his or her true feelings, keep this in mind when telling.

Telling Loved Ones

  1. Tell when you’re ready. Traditionally, women waited until the end of the first trimester to tell others about their pregnancies. Miscarriages are most common in the first trimester, after which the risk drops significantly. These days, however, many women don’t want to wait three months to receive congratulations and support from friends and family. Choose the timing that makes the most sense for you and your partner.
  2. Tell close loved ones before going public. It’s thoughtful to tell your family, your partner’s family, and close friends that you’re pregnant before you post the information on Facebook, Twitter, or a public blog.
    • Consider telling your loved ones in person, or calling them individually. If you tell them through email or some other means, you won’t get to hear their exclamations of surprise and joy!
    • Alternatively, you may want to formalize the moment by sending a card. It has become increasingly trendy to share the news through pregnancy announcement cards, available at most stores that sell stationary.
    • If you want to record people’s reactions, wait until you’re at a family get-together and have everyone pose for a picture. Instead of telling everyone to say cheese, tell them to say, “(Your Name's) pregnant!” right before snapping a few photos.

Telling the Rest of the World

  1. Make your announcement using social media. If you have a Facebook or Twitter account, you might share the news by posting a pregnancy announcement or a photo of yourself that shows the progress of your pregnancy. Some couples choose to share a picture of the first sonogram. There are many creative ways to reveal your news - just be yourself!
    • Keep in mind that once you post the information publicly, there’s no controlling who finds out. Don’t post your news until you’re definitely ready for everyone to know.
  2. Consider your workplace. Your friends at work will be excited to hear that you’re pregnant, but there are a few extra things to think about when it comes to making the announcement to bosses and coworkers.
    • Tell your boss before you tell the rest of your coworkers. It’s common to wait until after the first trimester, or even until the pregnancy starts to show, before telling your boss that you’re pregnant. If you have friends at work that you want to tell before then, arrange a meeting with your boss on the early side.
    • Research your company’s maternity leave policies so you can have an informed conversation with your boss. Be prepared to answer questions about how your pregnancy will affect your work performance and how much maternity leave you plan to take.
  3. Hold a gender reveal party. Gender reveal parties are now the "in" thing. There are so many amazing ways to reveal the gender of your baby and the fact that you're having a baby at the same time. For example:
    • Buy a few albums (for each family member) and on the first page add the ultrasound photo, along with the announcement "Baby Salazar arriving October 2014". Print the ultrasound photo and the announcement (double-sided) and roll it up into a scroll and stuff it into a balloon or a box with tissue for family members to pop it and see the surprise inside. Lastly, record everyone's reaction and make a compilation video to share with friends and family on Facebook. It is a lot of work, but so worth it.
    • Have your husband paint his hands in either blue or pink. Wear a white t-shirt or top that you don't mind getting printed with the paint. Have a photographer take a photo of your husband cuddling you from behind with his hands around your stomach. Then take another photo as he takes his hands away and reveals either pink or blue! There, the baby's gender is known.
    • Check "gender reveals" on Pinterest; you'll find lots of amazing ways to reveal both the fact that you're pregnant and the baby's gender that allow you to show many loved ones and friends at the same time.



Tips

  • Be prepared for some people to have negative or obnoxious reactions. Pregnancy announcements spark a lot of different feelings in people. Try not to take it personally if someone makes a rude comment.
  • Get creative and brainstorm some ideas of your own. Personalize the announcement in any way you choose. This is your child and you can have as much fun as you want!
  • The sooner you share your news, the sooner you can begin planning the baby shower, choosing names, and buying essential baby furniture and clothes. There is a lot to do in the nine months before your child is born.

Warnings

  • Know your partner. Some people would enjoy one of the fun methods described above, and some would prefer a more serious approach. Make sure that you make a night to remember for a good reason, and not a bad one.
  • Be aware of your timing. Your good news may rub salt in someone else's wound. Did your sister-in-law miscarry last week? Be sensitive to her feelings as well. Imagine how you would feel.
  • If you want to wait to share your news, keep in mind that vomiting, a growing belly, and multiple visits to a doctor may inadvertently spill the beans for you. If the pregnancy becomes too difficult to hide, you may want to announce your pregnancy now, when you can still surprise people. Otherwise you may lose that exciting element.
  • In second pregnancies and beyond, it's harder to surprise family and friends because a woman tends to show much more quickly. For this reason, it may be necessary to reveal the news sooner.

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