Life
I'm not one for trends, but I can really get behind cute pregnancy announcements. At the airport last week, I saw a couple holding up a sign that said "Welcome home, Grandpa," and when the woman's father saw it as he came through the gates, he burst into tears. It was such a sweet pregnancy announcement and I found myself getting all choked up. Gone are the days of simply telling your family. Now it requires a cute plan as well as a fun Facebook update. But when should you announce your pregnancy on Facebook? Is there an Emily Post etiquette rule for this?
Let's be honest, nothing's official until it's Facebook official, right? I mean, are you really even engaged if you don't update your relationship status? The world loves a cute pregnancy announcement and you can't leave your social media profile out of the fun. But when should you do it? Is there a hard and fast rule to posting your freshly peed-on pregnancy stick for your high school classmates, co-workers, ex-partners, family, and that one girl you shared a cabin with during the summer of '96?
Well, there are a few rules. First of all, nobody wants to see your pee stick. Especially when the little beads of pee are still seen on the cap. Second of all, it's your pregnancy announcement — you can announce it whenever you want. Some people are ready to shout it out the minute they discover the news, others like to wait until they're out of the first trimester, and some prefer to show a picture of their newborn and call it done.
But if you need a timeline, there's one important thing to note about the timing of your Facebook pregnancy announcement — it's best to tell your close family and friends first. Nobody wants to find out that their future grandchild is on its way via Facebook, and you can seriously hurt some loved ones' feelings if they know only because their news feed refreshed. It's your pregnancy announcement, absolutely, but wait until after you've broken the news to the important folks (and make sure they keep their Facebook statuses closed to the news, too) to hit post.
And now? Now it's time to announce! A status update with a baby emoji always works (as does a simple "I'm pregnant!", obviously), but if you want to break your Facebook feed harder than a nude of Kim K, here are five cool ways to announce your pregnancy on Facebook.
1
Share A Baby Bump Photo
Everyone loves a good baby bump photo, so post one and let it speak for itself! Or, if you don't want your friends to panic about if you're pregnant or not, add in a fun caption. Be sure to tag your partner in it, too!
2
Make A Video
A friend of mine pulled this one on Facebook, and it was so perfect. The video was of her two older children sitting on the couch as she broke the news, behind the camera, that they were going to have a new sibling. Their faces both broke into huge smiles, and she also included a text in the video in case people were watching without sound. It was absolutely adorable and the joy on their faces lit up all of Facebook. And do I even have to mention the hundreds of viral time-lapse pregnancy announcement videos? They are all so creative and are great treasures to keep for your baby as they grow.
3
Get In The Holiday Spirit
I've seen some pretty fun announcements masquerading as regular holiday photos, so it's almost like a game for your Facebook friends to realize what's happening. An extra, baby pumpkin on your porch, a Christmas present that says "Don't Open Until July 2016", and even Easter eggs with "Hatching In March" written on the outside are all great ideas.
4
Share A Meme
Memes are always fun to see on Facebook, but when you share one that reveals your news, you get even more likes. There are literally millions of pregnancy memes out there, so do some searching and find the one that fits you best.
5
Get Real Honest
Share a Facebook post from the heart about how excited you are, find a sweet poem that represents your feelings, or simply post a picture of your wine glass and write "Goodbye, see you when the baby's out." Everyone loves when people on social media are real and honest, so make it part of your pregnancy announcement.
