Announcing Your Pregnancy to Out-of-Town Family

Your positive pregnancy test may send you scrambling to the phone to tell family members, friends, acquaintances and co-workers about the good news. Though this can be an exciting time, family members who live far away may feel left out of the loop if others find out about the pregnancy first. Planning ahead for your big announcement can go a long way in keeping the news positive for everyone.

  1. Considerations

    • Announcing a pregnancy to out-of-town relatives can be a challenge. Problems can arise if those living nearby find out long before out-of-town relatives, or if out-of-town family members learn of the news by social media, according to the Emily Post website. Figuring out when and how you will announce your pregnancy before you tell anyone may avoid hurt feelings. As you announce to each person, you can also ask that she not tell anyone else until you have had a chance to tell all family members directly.

    Telling in Person

    • If out-of-town family members sometimes hit the road for special events or holidays, announcing your pregnancy in person may be an option. Setting up a lunch date, wearing a maternity shirt announcing your pregnancy during a visit or simply saying, "I'm pregnant" can make the visit meaningful, according to Baby Center. If the visit occurs over a holiday, giving gifts like children's books, pacifiers or diapers to each family member should make the announcement obvious.

    Other Ways of Announcing

    • In the digital age, there are many ways to let your out-of-town family know that your family is about to grow. Calling or video chatting with relatives online can be one way to announce. Sending poetry about motherhood, scans of your ultrasound or a pregnancy announcement by mail can also clue relatives in to your condition, according to Baby Center. Sending gifts by mail, like customized baby onesies or "Grandma" T-shirts, can also help you spread the news.

    Additional Information

    • Until you have notified everyone you want to contact directly about your pregnancy, you should avoid posting about it on social networking sites, according to the Emily Post site. You may also want to prevent others from posting on your social media profile if the news may get out that way. Announcing your pregnancy to out-of-town family around the time you announce it to others may reduce the risk that your family will learn of your pregnancy indirectly.

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