30 Pregnancy Announcement Ideas to Surprise Your Husband

You just took a pregnancy test and it came out positive. Whether you’ve been trying to conceive or this was a surprise, it’s hard to keep this big news to yourself. This is a life-changing moment for you and your husband or partner. If you can resist running to him the moment you see that second pink line, we have ideas on creative ways you can let your hubby in on the secret.

The timing of letting your husband know he’s going to be a dad will depend on your situation. If you’re with your hubby when you take the test, we have fun ideas for how you can tell him the same day. 

On the other hand, a pregnancy announcement that takes more time to set up may work perfectly for telling your husband when he gets home from a weekend trip. If you’re apart for a longer time, there are still memorable ways to reveal your pregnancy to the dad-to-be. Whenever you choose to tell him, make sure he’s the first to know the sweet surprise.

A pregnancy reveal is exciting whether you’re finding out you’ll be parents for the first time, or this little one already has older siblings. Use these ideas to make the announcement personal. Some dads appreciate a good pun and some cherish a more sentimental approach.

• Follow the clues. Set up a scavenger hunt around your house that eventually leads your husband to find your positive pregnancy test or a baby outfit waiting for him. Your clues can start out generic and as he gets closer to the end hint more at your pregnancy. Something like, “Here’s your last clue. Now open the closet to see when your surprise is due.”

• Play the lottery. There are pregnancy announcement cards that look like lottery scratch-off tickets. Once your hubby has played the game, it’s revealed that he’s not winning any money, but that you’re pregnant!

• Make a timeline together. Ask your husband to help you create a timeline of all the important events in your life as a couple. Start it off with when you met, then when you started dating, moved in together, got married, bought a house, or any other big milestones in your relationship. Let him write down your most recent event and then, acting like you almost forgot, add “Became Parents” to the end of the list.

• Add to his wardrobe. Choose a new dad shirt to hang up in your hubby’s side of the closet. A t-shirt with “Dad Bod” or “I’ve Been Promoted to Daddy” printed on the front will catch his attention when he goes to get dressed the next day.

• Recruit older kids. If your husband is already seasoned in dad life, you can tell him about the new addition to the family by dressing your kids in Big Brother or Big Sister shirts.

• Let your dog deliver the new. If this pregnancy announcement is for your first baby, a fun way to tell your hubby is to let your dog deliver the message for you. Personalize a bandana or doggie t-shirt with a sweet message or baby footprints next to paw prints. When your husband goes to pet the dog he’ll realize your fur baby won’t be the only baby in the house anymore.

• Buy a baby onesie. The great thing about this little piece of clothing is that it’s easy to hide for a surprise and sends an unmistakable message—a baby is on the way! There are tons of shops on Etsy that will personalize a onesie with any variation of “Welcome to Fatherhood”. Or you could create your own with iron-on decals.

• Buy yourself a shirt. Pick out your first “Mama Bear” shirt or other maternity top and wear it around the house. If your husband goes all day without reading the words you’re wearing, you can ask him what he thinks of your new shirt.

• Hide your positive pregnancy test. Put your at-home pregnancy test in a place you know your husband will be that day. Stick it in the pocket of the jacket he’ll wear when he leaves for work or in the cup holder in his car, and see how long it takes for him to find it.

• Leave a surprise in the bathroom. The quickest way to let the new dad in on the big news is to set your positive pregnancy test on the bathroom counter or on the back of the toilet where you know he’ll see it. A small sticky note beside it that says, “Hi, Daddy” will leave no doubt in his mind about what you’re trying to tell him.

• Take a picture on his phone. If you can get a hold of your husband’s phone without him noticing, use it to take a picture of your positive pregnancy test. Then you can set the picture as the background on his phone, and wait for him to find out the next time he goes to send a text.

• Bake a cake or cupcakes. Tell your hubby the exciting news by speaking to his sweet tooth. Decorate your dessert with a baby shower cake topper that says, “Oh, Baby!” or frost your cupcakes with pink and blue icing and see if he takes the hint.

• Make your own pizza. Use your favorite pizza toppings to spell out B-A-B-Y across the cheesy pie. With sliced green peppers or onions, you may be able to form the numbers of your due date on the pizza and ask your husband if he can guess what’s going to happen on that day. Some pizza places will do this for you if you’d rather have your pizza delivered.

• Buy a new coffee cup. Pour your husband's morning coffee or tea into a mug with his new title on it—Dad. Find a set of matching coffee cups so you can sip from one that says, “Mom”. A glimpse of what you’re drinking out of might make him realize what he’s holding.

• Order Chinese takeout. Before you order the takeout, order fortune cookies with a customized paper slip inside. When it’s time to eat, swap out the cookies from the restaurant so your hubby can crack open the one containing the news of your new baby.

• Scoop his ice cream. Dish up some of your husband’s favorite flavor in a bowl with a dad-to-be statement at the bottom. He’ll slowly uncover the message with each bite and you can watch his face light up when he finally gets down to it. Another way to play this scenario would be to personalize a spoon made for yourself. Have it engraved with “My pregnancy cravings spoon” and accidentally give it to him. Once he’s had a chance to read it you can swipe it back and say, “Oops, that’s mine.”

• Schedule a photoshoot. This may take some time to plan if you’re booking a professional photographer, but it can also be done with the help of a friend or family member. Tell your husband you’re updating the family portrait or that these pictures are for upcoming holiday cards. 

• Discuss your idea with the photographer ahead of time so they can distract your hubby mid-session. Then you can pull out your chalkboard or letter board with a “You’re going to be a daddy!” message on it. The cameraman can direct you both to a new position and keep snapping pictures of your husband's reaction to the sign he now sees you holding.

• Pose with your kids. Take a picture of your kids lined up holding the number they are in birth order, with you holding the latest number near your belly. Have the print framed and present it as a gift to your husband.

• Set up a letter board with your toddler. For the pregnancy announcement of baby number two, snap a shot of your kid with a fun message on a letter board. A great way to spell it out could be, “Only Child until (Due Date)”. You could hang this picture in your child’s room and wait for Dad to see it when he tucks them into bed for the night.

• Put together a baby basket. A cute way to reveal your pregnancy is to fill a Moses basket, or another similar basket, with a baby blanket, onesie, hat, booties, and a pacifier. When your husband sees the basket of baby stuff left on the bed or in the middle of the living room, he’ll look to you for an explanation.

• Order diapers. Get online and have a box of diapers delivered to your house. Ask your husband to answer the door when the delivery comes, and try not to laugh at the look of confusion when he thinks the Amazon driver got the wrong house. 

• You could also add diapers to your next grocery pickup for him to find when he’s unloading the car at home. The best part about this reveal is you’re going to need those diapers anyway!

• Bring out old baby items. If you’ve saved special baby supplies that your firstborn used, you can send a not-so-subtle hint by getting it out of storage and setting it up for your next baby.

• Give a gift. Make the most of any holiday coming up around the time you find out you’re pregnant. If exchanging gifts for Valentine’s Day or Christmas is the norm, then your husband will be shocked when the present you wrapped for him is actually a surprise pregnancy announcement. You can put your pregnancy test in a box or frame an ultrasound picture and wrap it up with a bow.

• Make a tree ornament. Create your own ornament or order a personalized one and casually place it in line to be hung up on the Christmas tree. A family ornament with everyone’s name plus a new baby or “Baby’s First Christmas” with next year's date is sure to catch his eye.

If you find yourself in a situation that keeps you from sharing this moment with your husband face-to-face, there are other ways you can create a memorable pregnancy announcement from afar.

• Write your husband a letter. For a more tender approach, you can profess your love and excitement for this new chapter of your life together in a handwritten note to your husband. If getting pregnant has been a long road for you, a love letter can be a great way to recount the journey that brought you to where you are now.

• Send a sweet message. If your husband is away for work or other circumstances have you separated for a while, you can take a video of yourself sharing the news to send to him. Include some dad jokes for a funny pregnancy reveal or record yourself waiting for the results of the pregnancy test to show up so he can feel like he got to be in the moment with you.

• Mail him a surprise. Being far away from your partner can feel lonely for both of you. Sending a surprise package containing a baby onesie, printed ultrasound pictures, or any dad keepsakes gives him something to hold in his hands and feel more connected to this experience with you.

Don’t let the cute pregnancy announcements stop with telling your husband. Together you can decide when and how to share the news with others.

• Display a new photo. Take a picture with the focus on a pair of baby shoes while you and your hubby pose together in the background. Or snap a shot of a quick kiss between the two of you while holding up your ultrasound prints. You can hang these pictures up in your house before inviting friends and family over to see who is the first to point them out. 

• Matching social media posts. You and your husband can post the same photo and caption when you’re ready to tell the exciting news to the world. If you already have kids, this could be a family photo with hands on your belly captioned: “Here We Grow Again!”

• Gifts for grandparents. Your parents and in-laws will be thrilled to open a gift bag and find a shirt that reads, “Great Moms Get Promoted to Grandma” or a keepsake personalized with “Grandpa Est. (Year)”.

Whether you just announced your first pregnancy or your fourth, Nurture& can help you and your husband or partner prepare for the arrival of your new baby. Here we have helpful advice, premium nursery furniture, and quality baby items made for parents, by parents to support your family.