For your convenience, this article has been broken down into the following parts:

• Pregnancy Announcement Etiquette: When to announce your pregnancy?
• How To Announce Pregnancy To Family And Friends?
• How To Hide Your Pregnancy (Until You’re Ready To Make The Announcement)?
• Surprise Pregnancy Announcement To Husband;
• Pregnancy Announcements: Friends and Family;
• Pregnancy Announcement With Siblings;
• Twin Pregnancy Announcement Ideas;
• Dog Pregnancy Announcement;
• Pregnancy Announcement To Parents;
• Pregnancy Announcements From Celebrities.

Pregnancy Announcement Etiquette: When To Announce Pregnancy?

CONGRATULATIONS! You’re pregnant. You’re excited! You want the whole world to know your wonderful news!

However, this is not the kind of thing you spontaneously announce on facebook or instagram. There is an etiquette that is associated with pregnancy announcements.

While “tradition” is very powerful, ‘when to announce’ your wonderful news to everyone is entirely up to you.

1. In case you didn’t find out together, tell your husband/ partner first.  You can make it special with one of the cute ideas below, or if you are just too excited to plan anything – just tell him. Either way, don’t wait too long to tell him.
2. Traditionally, pregnancy announcements are made towards the end of the first trimester, (week 10-12). The reason for the delay is that after the first trimester, the risk of miscarriage drops dramatically.
3. Alternatively, you could announce the pregnancy as soon as it is confirmed. It may be tradition to announce at the end of the first trimester, but one of the biggest advantages of announcing your pregnancy early is that you would get the support and comfort from loved ones if there are any complications in your pregnancy.
4. Tell your immediate family and closest friends after you tell your husband, but before you tell everyone else. This would be the grandparents-to-be, your siblings, and your besties. They should not be finding out you are pregnant, on Facebook.
5. Share the news with other friends, your employer, and colleagues next.
6. Caution: If you work in an environment that is unsafe for pregnancy, you will need to let employers know immediately in order to avoid hazards.

How To Announce Pregnancy To Family And Friends?

To share your wonderful news with the rest of your friends, family and acquaintances, you could stage a photo (like any of the examples below,) and create pregnancy announcement cards. You could:

• Share it via social media –  this is effective if you are active on social media and everyone else you know are too. It is also the quickest and cheapest way;
• Share it via ‘snail mail’/ post office -this is the traditional way.  You could get:
  • Cute and adorable cards, custom-made, from Etsy.com;
  • If you’re on a budget, simply print your image onto cardstock paper, place them in envelopes, and you’re set.

The wonderful thing about having a physical pregnancy announcement card is that you could save it for your pregnancy journal or the baby book.

If you have decided to wait till the end of the first trimester, you may run into a few challenges…

How To Hide Your Pregnancy (Until You’re Ready To Make The Announcement)

Each trimester is… well, 3 months. That’s a long time to keep a secret!

It can be really hard to hide your pregnancy if you are suffering from severe morning sickness and fatigue during the first trimester. People are going to wonder why you’re throwing up, why you’re not drinking (alcohol), why you’re tired all the time, and why your clothes are starting to fit so snugly.

If you are planning to announce the pregnancy after the first trimester, you may have to tell a few white lies.

Can’t attend social gatherings because of morning sickness, or you’re too tired?

• It’s okay to say no to invitations;
• Tell people you’re not feeling well, (it’s the truth, after all);
• If possible, just lay low.

Clothes getting too tight?

• Layer your clothes. If weather permits, wear an oversized jacket or sweater;
• Wear Black – it’s great at making us look leaner than we are;
• Accessorize – use big purses and oversized scarves to hide your bump;
• Wear wide dresses that do not show off your figure.

Can’t drink alcohol but you can’t say why?

• You could say you are on antibiotics;
• Say you’re trying to cut down on calories;
• Say you’re detoxing or trying to be more healthy;
• Say you are the designated driver;
• Pour your own drinks, and make them ‘virgin.’ No one needs to know there is no alcohol in it;
• If you’re going to a restaurant, excuse yourself to go to the restroom. Find the waiter, mention that you’re pregnant (but that no one knows yet,) and tell him/her to make your drinks ‘virgin,’ Your drinks will look the same as your friends, so no one will be wiser, (except you, the waiter and the barman.)
• Say you’ve got an important early meeting or you’ve got to work late;
• Accept the drink but have your partner drink it;

To the friend who suspects there is a bun in the oven: Please show restraint and respect by allowing your newly pregnant friend to tell you (and everyone else) in her own time.

There are tons of funny and creative ideas to do a pregnancy announcement. Decide on the perfect one, or two, or more. Some people choose to have one pregnancy announcement for their husband/ partner and a second for their closest friends and family. Depending on what you chose, you could use the second announcement for extended family, friends, and acquaintances as well.

Surprise Pregnancy Announcement To Husband

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Pregnancy Announcements: Friends and Family

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Pregnancy Announcement With Siblings

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Twin Pregnancy Announcement Ideas

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Dog Pregnancy Announcement

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Pregnancy Announcement To Parents/ New Grandparents

Available from Etsy.

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Pregnancy Announcements From Celebrities

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Note From The Author

Funny story…

My husband knew I was pregnant before I did… which means I never had the opportunity to create a special announcement for him!

You’re probably thinking – weird! And you’d be right. Here’s what happened…

I bought really, really cheap pregnancy tests from Amazon – the kind where you get 25 in a pack, for under $10.  They work! They’re cost-effective and I do recommend them, actually. Problem is, they’re just really slow.

My period was a little bit late, but that didn’t mean anything because I’ve never been as regular as clockwork. Still, I took the test but I didn’t have the patience to wait. I put it down on the counter (on my side of the bathroom), and went my way. Later that day, my husband says, “so I guess you’re pregnant.”

No balloons, no drama, no surprise, no nothing!

I’m sure you can imagine my surprise. I had forgotten about the pregnancy test that I left on the counter, so I had no clue what he was talking about. Also, pregnancy announcements are supposed to be big! It’s not something you just happen to mention casually during a conversation. Right? But my darling husband was never one for fanfare.

… I still smile when I think about that incident.