The pregnancy
Pregnancy is an exciting time for many moms- and dads-to-be. And it’s natural to want to share that excitement with the world, starting with your family. But announcing your pregnancy to your parents can be nerve-wracking. You may find yourself anxious over how you’ll tell your family and how they’ll react.
There are many fun ways you can announce your pregnancy to your parents that will elicit a positive reaction. There’s the classic bun-in-the-oven reveal, where you give your parents a homemade bun marked with a “B.” You can also put together a comedy sketch that you record and upload to YouTube. And speaking of sketches, why not give a couple of clues during a fun game of Pictionary?
Or, if you want to keep it special, you can arrange a special brunch at your favorite café and have the staff write your pregnancy announcement on their sidewalk chalkboard.
From t-shirts to photo mugs and everything in between, we’ve put together a short list of fun and creative ways to announce to your parents that your family is getting a little bit bigger.
To have a baby
Having a baby is one of the most exciting things that can happen to you. But you might be feeling nervous as well. If it’s your first baby, it’s hard to know what to expect. Your mum, colleagues, friends and relations might all be giving you advice. And then there is all the information on the internet as well as in magazines and books. At times it can feel overwhelming and it’s hard to know who is right when people say different things.
Finding out that you are pregnant
When you find out that you are pregnant, you may feel happy and excited or even shocked, confused and upset. Everybody is different and you should not worry if you are not feeling as happy as you might have expected. Even if you have been trying to get pregnant, your feelings may take you by surprise.
Talk to your midwife, GP or family planning clinic, who will try to help you to adjust or will give you advice if you don’t want to continue with your pregnancy. Men may also have mixed feelings when they find out that their partner is pregnant. They may find it hard to talk about these feelings because they don’t want to upset their partner. Both partners should encourage each other to talk about their feelings and any worries or concerns that they have at this stage..
Telling people
You may want to tell your family and friends immediately or wait a while until you have sorted out how you feel. Many women wait until they have had their first scan before they tell people that they are pregnant. Members of your family/extended family may have mixed feelings or react in unexpected ways to your news. You may wish to discuss this with your midwife.
Some funny ways how you can tell your parents about your pregnancy are
1. Promoted to grandma/grandpa mugs
Parents like to drink coffee in mugs so we recommend you to create a logo of baby images or content. These will be perfect for them! This is how I announced my first pregnancy to my parents and they have used the mugs for years!
Congratulations—you’re pregnant! We’re sure you cannot wait to share your happy news, especially with your mom and dad, who will be future grandparents. Why not take this opportunity to REALLY surprise your parents with this life-changing event? Below are 25 creative ways to tell parents you’re pregnant!
2. A binky + a note
Tie a note to a binky that says:
“Dear Grandma and Grandpa,
Please hold this for me in case I need it when I come to visit. Knowing my mom, she’ll probably forget it.
See you in (DUE DATE MONTH)!”
Love,
Baby (INSERT LAST NAME)
3. Make a craft
If you’re the crafty type, paint a sign for your parents that says: “The best parents get promoted to grandparents.” This is something they can display around the house as a constant reminder of the joy that is to come very soon!
4. Frame your ultrasound picture
Once you have your first ultrasound picture, frame it and give it to your parents with a note that says, “The only thing better than having you as parents, is our baby having you as grandparents!” They will love this sentiment and will be able to display this picture to share with their friends and family.
5. Wine bottle labels
If you have drinkers in your family, showing up to a family dinner or party with this wine bottle will surely get you some applause.
6. Funny items
Some cute onsite that have a little humor attached to them are sure to bring a smile to their faces!
7. Give a sweet poem
If you’re in a hurry, or can’t wait to do something extra fancy, simply write a letter to your parents that says,
“Roses are red, violets are blue, and on (INSERT DUE DATE) your grandbaby is due!”
8. For a grandma, again!
If your parents are already grandparents, simply use the phrase “again” to any of the above announcements. For example, add “again” to the phrase “You’re going to be a grandma!” on their coffee mugs. They will be just as excited if it is their first or fifth grandchild.
9. Be funny
If your parents are always up for a laugh, this is an ideal way to share your news. Simply wrap up an onsite that has one of the following phrases written on it:
“If you think I nap a lot, you should see my grandpa!”
“My dad knows a lot, but my grandpa knows everything!”
These are likely to make your dad laugh, and then he’ll realize that he is going to be a grandparent! Yay!
10. Give a coupon
No, not that kind of coupon, a personalized coupon! On the coupon write:
“Coupon good for one grandchild. Redeem (INSERT DUE DATE).”
11. Personalized card
Make a card with a fold. On the front write “What is a grandparent?” When they open the fold have it read “You. You is a grandparent.” So funny and so easy to make.
12. Wrap up your pregnancy test
Announce pregnancy with the test that delivered you the news in the first place! Pregnancy test results can fade over time, so you’ll have to use this one if you live near your parents and can see them soon after taking a test. Wrap your pregnancy test in a box and have your parents unwrap it and be delighted!
13. Dress up older siblings
If you have older kids, dress them up in shirts that say “I’m going to be a big sister!” or “I’m going to be a big brother!” Have your kids wear the shirts over to their grandparents’ house or video chat with them and wait until they notice what the shirt says.
14. Let them eat cake
There’s nothing like a celebratory cake to break the news. Have a bakery frost a cake to say “We’re pregnant!” and bring it to a family dinner. You’ll never have a more memorable dessert!
15. Make the announcement at a sporting event
People love to use the jumbotron for wedding proposals, so why not use it to announce a pregnancy? Just make sure your parents come to the game and are looking at the screen when it flashes up above.
16. Buy some diapers
Gift your parents a box of diapers and tell them they’ll need them around their house for when they babysit. They’ll be confused at first, but once they connect the dots, the reaction will be priceless.
17. Put a bun in the oven
There’s nothing like a good pun to break the news! Have your parents over and ask one of them to open the oven. Put a hamburger bun (or better yet, some freshly-baked buns for eating afterward!) and ask them to tell you what’s inside. Once they say, “Why is there a bun in your oven?” they’ll have that magical light bulb moment.
18. Leave a memorable message
If you live away from your parents, this is a fun one to make them feel like they’re right beside you. Make an audio recording of your first ultrasound when you hear the baby’s heartbeat, and then play it over a voicemail recording for your parents.
19. Today’s special
If you have a favorite local cafe, plan to go there with your parents and set up a surprise with the owners in advance. Ask them to list “You’re Going to Be a Grandparent” as one of the specials of the day on a chalkboard or sandwich board outside. Then enjoy the exciting conversation to follow over a delicious meal!
20. Game night
Get your entire family together for a fun game night and ask to play Pictionary or Charades at some point in the evening. Act out “we’re having a baby” and wait for someone to guess the wonderful news!
21. Mark the calendar
Few ideas of clever ways to announce pregnancy to your parents
- Heartbeat: Record the heartbeat of the first ultrasound and tell them you have new music for them to hear as you turn it on.
- Game night: Get your family together for a fun game night and ask to play Pictionary or Charades. Act out “we’re having a baby” and wait for someone to guess the wonderful news! Or if you’re a Scrabble family, spell out “I’m expecting” either in one turn or over the course of the game.
- Wrap up your pregnancy test: Simply place your positive pregnancy test in a gift bag or box for them to open. This works best if you used a digital test that says that you’re pregnant instead of making them try to decipher what the lines mean.
Further reading
- The Safety Place: safetyplacela.org
- Louisiana State Police Troop A: www.lsp.org
- Louisiana Highway Safety Commission: www.lahighwaysafety.org/Pages/OurPrograms/ChildPassengerSafety.aspx
- American Academy of Pediatrics: www.aap.org
- Safe Kids Worldwide: www.safekids.org
- National Highway Traffic Safety
