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Sharing the Big News

Fun Ways to Announce
Your Pregnancy

By Alexandria Powell

Undoubtedly, one of the best parts of early pregnancy is sharing the happy news. And no matter how you tell your family and friends, they'll always remember the special moment. But why not have some fun with it?

Jenny Wilson of San Diego, Calif., hasn't been pregnant yet, but she's already got the perfect plan for telling her husband. "I often think that I would simply park in one of the pink zone spots – the ones that say 'reserved for expectant mothers,'" says Wilson. "My husband would say, 'What are you doing? You can't park here!' and I would just look at him and smile until he realizes why I can!"

He's probably the first person you'll tell, and there are plenty of ways to make the telling extra special, says Heidi Gonzales, a labor and postpartum doula in Marrero, La., and co-author of 150 Ways to Creatively Announce Your Pregnancy (Booklocker, 2005). She suggests writing a letter to your partner from the baby, or even mailing your partner a pregnancy package that includes books for expectant fathers and your pregnancy test. You can also aim for an element of surprise – perhaps by wearing a maternity shirt (the kind with cute sayings on it) to bed.

"I announced my pregnancy to my partner by using a pacifier with a tag," says Gonzales. She hung the pacifier from his rearview mirror and wrote a note on the tag that read, "This will be handy in about nine months."

"I watched him go out to the car that morning, and then he immediately ran back in with a huge smile on his face," she says.

Denise Lang of Wausau, Wis., didn't tell her husband about her pregnancy. Instead, she let the soon-to-be big sis, their 2-1/2-year-old daughter, give him the news. "I had Ariana take the home pregnancy test to her daddy for him to see," says Lang. "And that's how Jason found out we were expecting."

"The 'I'm going to be a big brother or big sister' T-shirts are always classic," says Julia Beck, founder of Forty Weeks, LLC. While these shirts are available almost everywhere, you can also make your own version at home using fabric paint or markers and letting your little one help. And don't forget four-legged siblings – "big brother/sister" T-shirts are adorable on Fido, too.

Want to see more?

• Guess What? Telling Work You're Expecting
• Share the Joy: Unique Ways to Announce Your Pregnancy
• Am I Expecting Multiples? Early Signs That Two or More Are on the Way
• Talk about it!

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