This is one of THE most exciting yet nerve-wracking things to do in your pregnancy – you feel on top of the world, but nervous at the exact same time. There are all sorts of different opinions on when the perfect time to announce is, who to tell, how to tell them, the order in which you tell people … it can be overwhelming. I just went through this, and to top it all off, it was during a pandemic, so I will provide you with some ideas I considered and what my ultimate decision was … hope this helps!
If you asked me before I was pregnant, this was probably one of the biggest milestones I was excited for. I thought I would want to shout it from the roof tops and tell everything that wanted to listen – but then I got pregnant and I instantly felt like I wanted to keep it to myself until she had to physically come out. I found some sort of peace in keeping it between myself and my husband, but obviously it was inevitable that people would find out. After many many discussions we decided to tell our immediate families right away (you can hear more about this in my blog “How to Tell Your Family You’re Pregnant!). We did hold off on telling our friends until the end of the first trimester and didn’t post on social media until about week 16. In hindsight, I am soooooo thrilled I shared the news, especially being in a pandemic on lockdown for most of it, it was nice to finally be able to chat to other moms and pregnant ladies on experiences/symptoms etc.
I will take a moment to acknowledge that there is no “ideal time” to announce – many people will tell you to wait until you are out of the first trimester due to the decrease risk of miscarriage at that point but you need to do what you feel is right. If you feel people should know earlier, than power to ya! If you want to keep it to yourself until the end, you go girl! One thing I will note, if you are going to announce, is that you might want to consider who should know before you put it on social media (i.e. I think Grandma Jane would appreciate to find out from you vs your little cousin she is babysitting who pulls it up on Instagram).
A little background: before I officially found out we were pregnant (I knew it was possible because we had been trying) I scoured the internet and social media for the cutest/unique announcements. One thing I found: there are a lot of “typical” “run-of-the-mill” ideas floating around – the “photo of you with the pregnancy test looking surprised”, the “you looking at the baby shoes with your significant other touches your stomach” … I just felt I had seen it all. And then it hit me, what if I create photo scenes that can be personalized to include peoples ultrasound, due dates and family names?! Naturally I ran down the stairs to pitch the idea to my husband (very unenthused but didn’t stop me) and off I went. I went to every craft store, home store, baby store – you name it, it got all the items I needed. I will admit, the first few pictures were questionable but I had the motivation to learn and grow and I got the hang of it (and even got my husbands buy in – SCORE). Ever since that day in early October 2020 I have been working towards building up my portfolio and now look?! I am able to help other fellow pregnant parents out there tell the world their news – which is so rewarding.
So yes, my first suggestion would be using my digital and editable downloads. You check out my shop, pick the photo scene you like and et voila, you edit it yourself to look say and look exactly how you want, and it looks like you could’ve put it together yourself! I have had so much feedback from parents thanking me for creating these scenes and taking all of the creative stress out of it – I was called a lifesaver once and I won’t forget it.
Through all of my hours of research I have narrowed it down to my top 5 announcement ideas that you don’t see every day (not to announcement to friends and family, but the world, so to speak), here they are:
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MilestonePost Digital & Editable Pregnancy Announcements
Visit the shop, select the scene that you like, purchase and edit right on the spot to include your ultrasound, due date and family name (and change any of the sayings used you like). You download your photo and its ready to go! You can post it on social media OR have it printed and mail it out to people! -
The Subtle Photo
I am a sucker for a subtle, need to look twice photo. For example, a photo of you standing near a speed bump sign with a clever caption, a photo of you and your partner with a pregnancy test/book in the background. -
One Minute Video
A little on the pricer side, but have you seen these new minute videos people are creating? I am IN LOVE. Videographers create such fun scenes of you and your partner and at the end will show something related to expecting i.e. shoes, ultrasound etc. I feel like I am watching a movie I want to see more of! Such a great memory and you can share it with your child when they grow up and they will probably think you were revolutionary. -
The Witty Photo
If we are going to go with a picture of yourself/partner I say go with something witty – what about wearing a shirt that says “don’t eat watermelon seeds?” We all know we were told to “not eat the seeds” when we were little because we would grow a watermelon in our tummy’s (how did we believe this?) but how cute?! All of your friends/family would get a good kick out of it. -
Siblings Help!
If you have other children or animals please get them involved – there is nothing I enjoy more than seeing a little kid with a shirt on that says “promoted to big sister/brother” “only child expiring August 2021” or your dog wearing a bandana that says “big brother”.
There you have it, my 5 top pregnancy announcement ideas. I personally ended up using one of the photos I sell on my MilestonePost Etsy page to announce on social media and let me tell ya, it was a HIT. Everyone loved all of the items used, textures, the saying – it was really awesome.
I hope one of these ideas help you – remember, we are all in this together and I hope I was able to assist! You can check out my other blog posts about telling your family you’re pregnant and gender reveal … the announcements just don’t stop!
