I distinctly remember the ancient Full House episode in which Aunt Becky attempts to announce her pregnancy to Uncle Jesse during a family game of Pictionary. First she drew a wheel of cheese, then I think she mocked cutting it in half, then came a bottle of ink, and of course a picture of a baby. Cheese. Half. Ink. A baby? Sheeeeshalvingababy? She’s having a baby! And the Tanner family erupted with congratulatory whelping.
There’s more than one way to break the news of your pregnancy to family, friends and significant others, so why not make it really fun – especially if this is your first, or long-awaited, pregnancy. Here is a list, in no particular order, of super-fun, creative and special ways to announce your pregnancy to friends, family, whoever!
1. If you are due close to a certain holiday, send an out-of-season holiday card. A Valentine could say “Be My Labor Support” or an early Christmas card could say something like “Here’s an early pregnant – I mean PRESENT!” It could be fun to see how quick they catch on. Someone I knew once announced she was getting her Thanksgiving butterball ready early, as she was due on turkey-day.
2. If you are announcing the pregnancy during the holiday season, you could send out your usual holiday greeting card with an extra family member at the bottom (“Love, Mom, Dad, Sister and Baby-in-the-Making!”). Every Christmas I buy the family new pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve. If you are expecting another, you could buy an extra set in baby size to surprise your family with.
3. Make a new voicemail recording. “We’re not home right now, we’re out shopping for baby clothes!” or the vaguer “The baby isn’t home right now, but we’re expecting him or her back in about nine months!” Only those people who are cool enough to call and bother to listen will get the message. Word will pass fast that there is a surprise on your answering machine message, so be prepared to have your phone ring off the hook for a day or two. But don’t answer, that would ruin the surprise!
4. Call up your hubby at work and tell him to put you on speaker phone. I’ve embarrassed mine many a time this way, but you could use it as a way to get him a bunch of hi-fives at the office. Tell him that he’ll need to stop at the store on the way home and get you a box of saltines, because the morning sickness is starting to kick in. Wait for the awkward pause to be punctuated with a squeaky “WHAT?!”
5. Write an email to all of your closest mommy friends and or family members that are parents, demanding that they send you your membership card. The subject line should be: I’ve joined the club! And in the body text, don’t forget to add the estimated due date you will be expecting the membership card to be sent by.
6. When you’re hubby gets home, you could be wearing this shirt!
Or you could surprise him with his own t-shirt to put on. If this is your second pregnancy, make your older child a big brother or sister tee-shirt and surprise them with it, or put it on under a sweater, and pull off the sweater at a family gathering.
7. Cook something special for dinner tonight. Maybe you could have a really big bun ready to be put in the oven, and insist that your hubby get it in for you. Then try to thank him for “helping you to put a bun in the oven” without laughing! Or, make a big dinner of only things that are named with “baby”, like baby-back ribs, baby corn and carrots, baby spuds and baby greens and keep hinting at them throughout dinner. Maybe you could even use baby silverware to eat with, or sippy cups filled with wine to reaaly drive the point home!
8. Make a grocery list, and somewhere in the middle of the list, throw in a request for a pregnancy test. Send your hubby to the store, and wait patiently by the phone for a questioning phone call.
9. Give your husband a gift of sugar DADDYs and POPcorn, or a mini football or baseball glove and announce the pregnancy with a card attached by signing the card with a teeny footprint.
10. How about passing around a brain teaser, pregnancy style? You could ask your partner to take a fake MENSA challenge. Print this one out: Let’s Talk About Breaking the News – the Brain Teaser and see how they do!
In what kind of fun and creative ways did you make the big announcement?
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