35 Creative Ways to Announce Your Pregnancy to Family in Person
Figuring out how to announce your pregnancy to family in person is alternately exciting and terrifying.
I’ll admit that in the past I wasn’t known for my creativity in this area. Thousands of miles separated my husband and I from our close family members. So, when it was time to inform our direct family members of our pregnancy…they got a phone call. Agh! Do I regret that!
The fact that you’re researching this right now says that an exciting memory lies ahead of you. No matter which pregnancy announcement idea you choose, it’s going to be a blast and uniquely yours.
Having said that, here’s a little help to get you started. This post is all about creative ways to announce your pregnancy to family in person (because virtual is a totally different animal!). Some of these ideas are uniquely mine. Others, I’ll admit, I found on TikTok and just had to share. In any case, I think you’re really going to love them!
These creative pregnancy announcement ideas are fun, memorable, and easy to pull off (because NOBODY wants elaborate schemes when you’re suffering from morning sickness).
Enjoy!
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How to Announce Your Pregnancy to Family In Person: 35+ Creative Ideas!
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase from one of the links I will make a small commission at no charge to you. I only recommend what I trust. Blunders in Babyland does not diagnose, treat, or advise medical conditions.
1 Surprise in a Drawer
Just imagine opening the silverware drawer and discovering that you’re going to be a daddy! I saw this pregnancy announcement idea on TikTok and I’m obsessed! Basically, all you do is find a drawer that your loved one uses frequently, replace everything in it with your cute pregnancy announcement set up.
In this video, the mommy-to-be decorates the drawer with a letterboard, booties, and three (yes, three) pregnancy tests.
This is one of my favorite ways to announce your pregnancy to family in person because it’s ridiculously easy to set up!
2 Ultrasound Movie Night
Do you like to have your family over for movie night? Many ultrasound clinics make videos of their sessions (that’s what we did during COVID lockdown!) The next time you invite family over for some popcorn and movies, pop your baby’s ultrasound video into your movie player.
When the lights dim, your family will watch a movie with a plot twist they’ll never expect.
3 Pregnancy Riddle
I love riddles! This pregnancy announcement idea allows for lots of creative freedom. Use a letterboard, leave clues in a scavenger hunt, or simply pass along a piece of paper with the riddle.
If you’re looking for pregnancy riddle ideas, check out this post by Find Your Mom Tribe.
4 Charades
If we decide to have a third baby, I’m about 90% sure this is the way we’re going to announce it to our friends. Next time you have your friends and family over for game night, create a list of actions that directly relate to having a baby.
Changing a diaper, feeding the baby, big brother, and finally, “I’m pregnant.” Eventually they’ll figure it out!
Etsy actually sells baby charades for baby showers that you can use as well!
5 Family Photoshoot
Looking for ways to announce your pregnancy to parents? Why not do it under the guise of a family photoshoot?
To accomplish this pregnancy announcement idea, just bring a letter board or a written sign. Have your photographer ask one of your parents to hold the sign (don’t let them see it yet). If you really want to torture your parents, you can let them discover the pregnancy themselves when they look over the family photos later.
OR…
You can ask them to read the sign while you’re taking the photos and capture the moment on camera!
Both options definitely have their advantages 😉
6 Message in a Mug
As I’m writing this post, it’s almost Christmas. That means lots of hot chocolate abound. If your family loves hot chocolate or other opaque drinks, this is the perfect opportunity to announce your sweet bundle of joy.
These mugs on Etsy have a pregnancy message on the bottom. When your family member drinks the last of the chocolate-y elixir, they’ll discover the surprise of their lives!
7 Dog wears a shirt
Are you a dog mom or dog dad?
It’s probably a no-brainer to have them be a part of your baby announcement!
This isn’t exactly one of the most creative ways to announce your pregnancy to family in person, but come on. It’s adorable!
I love, love, love the shirts and bandanas on Amazon.
The next time your family comes over for a visit, just dress your dog up and let them do the rest!
8 Halloween Costume
Pregnancy during halloween time is the best! There are so many fun pregnancy halloween costumes available to mom-to-bes and even dads.
To pull this off, just invite your family to your house for a Halloween party, then let the costume do the talking.
9 Pregnancy Announcement Plate
This is one of the easiest ways to announce a pregnancy to family in person. Etsy actually sells customizable dinner plates (enamel and glass). So, the next time you have your family over for dinner, just load their plate up for them and wait until they finish!
There’s a good chance they’ll be too excited for seconds though!
10 Pregnancy Candles
Sometimes, the simplest solutions are the best. There’s no shame in giving your aunt or uncle-to-be a candle. Another option is to simply light it up and place it in an area where they would be sure to notice it.
11 Write it in a Book
Do you have a bookworm in the family? Give your family member a book that you know they’ll read and slip a little note about your pregnancy inside.
Alternatively, you could underline words and let them puzzle it out themselves.
Just make sure you purchase a book that they’ll actually read or they may never find out about your pregnancy!
12 Wear a Pregnancy Shirt…with a Twist!
The next time your family comes over, answer the door in style! Amazon sells plenty of pregnancy announcement shirts that will have your loved ones screaming the minute they see you.
Alternatively, you could also write your announcement in glow-in-the-dark ink and wait until the lights go out for them to find out.
13 Explosion Cakes
Gifting your loved ones with baked goods is definitely one of the most popular ways to announce your pregnancy to family in person…
But have you heard about explosion cakes? Many bakeries are catching on to this awesome trend. If you can’t find a baker near you, you can also purchase one from Flour Shop.
Next time your family member has a birthday, offer to buy the birthday cake. Purchase a birthday cake with either a message inside (bakers are usually more than willing to participate in pregnancy announcement shenanigans or request a gender reveal cake with blue or pink sparkles in the middle).
If you’re good at baking, you can also try the explosion cake recipe above. The recipe is ridiculously easy and you can fill it with whatever you want!
14 Big Brother or Big Sister T-Shirts
Buying big brother or big sister shirts is a classic second pregnancy announcement. While Amazon does have a couple good options, I think the best place to purchase big brother or big sister pregnancy announcement shirts is etsy.
15 Pizza Delivery
Yet another Youtube pregnancy announcement idea! I love this one because it’s just SO unexpected, especially if you have a friend to play along! To pull this off, invite everyone over for pizza. You can switch out the pizza once it arrives, but I would keep an old box on standby (or you can let the pizza place know what’s going down and ask for a clean box!)
Wait until your family opens the box and then record the screams!
16 Pregnancy Lottery Tickets
Do you have a perpetual lottery player in the family (*cough* my husband*cough*). Check out these lottery tickets on Amazon. They legitimately look like lottery tickets, until your family member scratches them off to reveal your announcement!
This Christmas (or for their birthday…whichever holiday you can squeeze this into) slip a lottery ticket in their stocking. They’ll receive a million dollar prize, even if it’s not the one they were expecting!
17 Pregnancy Egg
Are you looking for ways to announce your pregnancy to family in person on Easter?
There are plenty of different ideas, hiding a pregnancy test in an easter basket, staging a cute photoshoot) but this one is my favorite! On Etsy you can purchase fake eggs that you can crack open. Inside is, you guessed, a pregnancy announcement! They’re so cute! It’s especially perfect for egg decoration sessions.
18 Pregnancy Wine
It’s a little ironic that this one includes giving away alcohol while you’re pregnant, but it’s still a perfect way to announce your pregnancy to grandparents or parents. Once again, I’m deferring to Etsy here. I love this custom pregnancy announcement sticker. It’s perfect for the wine drinkers in your family.
19 Give Christmas Ornaments
An ornament is a beautiful, traditional way to announce a pregnancy at christmas time. Simply decorate at a clear ornament or purchase one of these adorable handcrafted balls.
20 Family Photoshoot Trend
Once again, I’m stealing straight from TikTok. I like this family photoshoto pregnancy announcement idea because it’s very easy to pull off and it can be completely caught on camera.
At your next get-together, just ask your family to pose for a picture. Then, turn on your phone’s video recorder instead of timer. Ask your family members to say
“1-2-3…I’m pregnant!”
Then just wait for the confusion and tears.
22 Nursery Room Reveal
If you’re willing to wait, you can reveal your nursery and your pregnancy all at once. Once you’ve invited your family over, you can ask them for “help” in some part of the house. Lead them to the nursery and announce your pregnancy there. Just make sure to set up a camera beforehand!
24 Set Up a Surprise Party in Backyard
Running along that same thread of thought, you an also set up a backyard surprise party. The next time you invite your family over for a backyard bbq, decorate the space. Grab a “we’re pregnant” streamer and set up a cute display beforehand.
25 White Elephant Exchange
Does your family host white elephant exchanges? This is perfect way to announce your pregnancy in person at Christmas time!
Gift wrap your baby booties and pregnancy test in a box (or you can gift a bottle of wine or a mug with the pregnancy announcement).
Then, at the end of the exchange when everyone opens, your pregnancy will be revealed.
26 Hearing Things
Have you seen the youtube video of the family playing Hearing Things? If not, you need to! It’s so sweet. I love it when the grandpa-to-be says, “I’m going to be a grandfather” 2 times before he finally realizes what’s going on.
Honestly, this is probably one of my favorite ways to announce your pregnancy to family in person because it’s so hilarious and easy to set up.
Simply buy Hearing Things, play by the regular rules, but instead of reading whatever is on the card, announce your pregnancy. Remember, your family member will be repeating whatever you say, so have fun with that!
27 Fortune Cookies
If your family is anything like mine, they love asian food! The next time you have your friends and family over, surprise them and tell them a baby is on the way! You can actually make custom messages for fortune cookies on Etsy for less than $20.
28 Baking Dish Message
How about another food-related way to announce your pregnancy in person? Similar to the plate idea, you just cook your meal as usual, and let your family discover your big secret once they scrap out seconds.
26 Give Starter Boxes
Grandparent starter boxes are excellent ways to announce a pregnancy to parents and grandparents! This basically takes care of the prep work for you. All you have to do is hold the camera!
There’s a ton sold on Etsy, but basically, each starter kit comes with a cute note, booties, a grandparent onesie, and a cute accessory (usually a mug).
30 Card Surprise
Is Christmas or a birthday coming up? Etsy sells pregnancy announcement cards for these events! My favorite is the “Your Christmas Present is on Backorder” card.
31 Popping Cake Stand
Ready for another cake idea?
For this idea, you present a cake to your loved one. There’s a lever you pull on the underside of the cake. A tube filled with your pregnancy test or other pregnancy announcement pops out of the cake. This is SO fun and the last thing they’d expect.
You can either buy a completely delicious and edible cake from Surprise Cake or just the stand and fake cake (pictured above).
32 Explosion Cake Box
Not to be confused with the explosion cake! I think this is a sweet way to announce your pregnancy to family in person and virtually. Send a Cake sends exploding cake boxes filled with delicious custom made cakes. You can customize the message on the cake as well as a few items in the box (for example, you can add pictures of your ultrasound. If you know the gender, Send a Cake also offers an option for you to send multiple cakes to family members.
33 Scavenger Hunt
Whether you’re looking for ways to announce your second pregnancy to future big sis or just a unique pregnancy announcement, creating a scavenger hunt is the perfect way to do it! I love this scavenger hunt idea from Postpartum Party…complete with free printables.
I also love the idea of doing this at a different location, like the beach or the park. At a different location, your family is expecting fun, unique games so it’s more of a surprise.
34 Donut Box Surprise
We’re following the same train of thought as the pizza delivery box. Buy a box of donuts, write a special message inside, and just wait with your phone in hand!
35 Custom Message from Celebrity
I feel like I’m saving the best for last here…
Did you know that you can hire a celebrity to give your loved one a video message? Enter the world of Cameo. On the Cameo app, you can hire your favorite singers, athletes, actors, and even political figures to deliver a video message of your choosing or even a live call. All you do is book the request on cameo, give your instructions and wait for the video to hit your inbox.
Check out this adorable gender reveal video by Ice T. I love it!!
When Should You Announce Your Pregnancy
So…you’ve chosen how you’re going to announce your pregnancy to your family in person…
Now…
When should you announce your pregnancy?
Many parents will agree that after 12 weeks, when your chances of a miscarriage have dramatically reduced.
My answer? Literally whenever you want. I know some people that have announced their pregnancy right when they discovered it and, when the unthinkable happened, they were encouraged and comforted by all their friends and family. For some families, this is the best option. To celebrate life as soon as its conceived.
For other families, especially families that have suffered from multiple miscarriages, the best choice is well after the 12 week mark.
For our first pregnancy, we announced it to close family members immediately. Then, necessary work personnel at 10 weeks (after the first doctor’s appointment). And then the rest of the world after 12 weeks. Unfortunately, some of our family members spilled the beans, which stole some of the joy from the official announcement. So, if you’re planning on informing people in phases, just be careful who you tell first.
There is no wrong answer here! Do what’s best for your family!
What Are Your Favorite Pregnancy Announcement Ideas?
I hope some of these ways to announce your pregnancy to family in person inspire you! Let me know what you’re planning for your big pregnancy announcement below!
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