New Mom News: How to Tell Your Family

My parents have been around the block when it comes to grandchildren. I’m the youngest of three, which meant they already had two grandchildren by the time my husband Jim and I decided to start trying. They were pros!

Of course, that doesn’t mean they weren’t waiting expectantly for Jim and I to make a very special pregnancy announcement. They adored both of their grandchildren and were looking forward to adding our children to the growing family. I knew even before we got pregnant that I would want to tell my parents in a creative way -- one that neither of my siblings had tried already.

Around the same time I found out I was going to be a new mom, my own mother had some minor outpatient surgery. I decided to give her a “Congratulations on Becoming a Grandparent!” card disguised as a “Get Well” note. We were gathered together at a family dinner, all my siblings and their families running around. I walked up to my mom and apologized that I was a few days late in giving her a “Get Well” card, then handed it over.

As soon as she saw the pregnancy announcement, she excitedly threw her arms around me and squealed with delight -- which ruined the surprise for my dad, who was across the room. He came running over right away and was thrilled, but I felt bad that he was the second family member to hear the news.

So I decided to make it up to him. When we got pregnant with our second child, I knew that this time, my father would be the first to hear the news. By this point, my parents had five grandchildren. Dad deserved a surprise of his own!

At another family event, I was chatting with my dad, and I mentioned that I wasn’t feeling so well. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Well, I went to the doctor,” I told him. “She said it’s not going to clear up for another nine months.”

A pause, a smile, and he was ecstatic! My mom was disappointed to be the second to find out this time, but she knew it was only fair -- and being the first to know about Grandchild Number Six made the pregnancy announcement even more special for my dad!

Photo by Daria Pimkina on Unsplash