Mailing Pregnancy Announcement

ajacot924

Hey everyone,
So I know this has been discussed on other pages, but I wanted to get your feedback. I'm thinking of sending a pregnancy announcement in the mail (I've seen some cute ones on Tiny Prints and Etsy). I don't have Facebook and most of our friends and family lives out of town. I'm well known for being the card mailer, so I don't think anyone who knows me would think it was weird. Of course all close people will be told in person or over the phone first. I think they seem cute, but I've read they are considered tacky. I would appreciate your feedback.
Thanks!

FrecklesInside

Yea, no. AWish and weird. Baby announcement= good idea, pregnancy announcement = not a good idea.

mangomimosa

.......soooo..... this is awkward......

We totally did this. We wanted to do something fun since it's our first baby & we couldn't tell our parents in person (they live 8+ hrs away). On Etsy, we bought quail eggs with notes inside ("there's a grand baby on the way! Due 3/22/15, love D&L") & sent one to his parents & one to each of mine. We put a note with it that said to call before opening. We FaceTimed each call so we could watch their face when they cracked the egg & it was really, really sweet to see the surprise and tears. It was the next best thing to being there in person. They all really seemed to like it, too! We got to chat for a bit on FaceTime & showed the u/s pic and everything.

But would I send announcements to anyone but the grandparents? Absolutely not. Everyone else will find out on Facebook, eventually.

melleasndrs

I don't see a problem with it besides what @mandjs had said. If you're comfortable mailing and making phone calls then go for it. I know a bunch of people who don't have Facebook and are hard to get ahold of on the phone and I think a card would work for them. I say go for it.... it's no different than making it "Facebook official" in my eyes and maybe even a little more private.

chaysefaith

Idk about pregnancy announcements but I will say I think announcements in general are nice. They used to be a thing. You got engaged? Announcement. You had a baby? Announcement. No one does them anymore and I think social media is to blame.

I thought pregnancy announcements used to be a thing too but I could be wrong. I've never sent or received an announcement of any kind.

preggersbeauty

Facebook status or picture of some sort would work just as fine! I don't think it's fair to tell someone they shouldn't plan their pregnancy out their own way; pregnancy announcement, gender reveal or announcements, baby shower, etc… but you DID ask for opinions so opinions is what you will get.

 If you REALLY want to do it, your family and friends will appreciate it I guess but they'll be just as much excitement over a Facebook announcement or picture … or hey A PHONE CALL / FT to those who're important would be pretty awesome because at least you can hear or see their initial reaction. 

Strawberry9

I never ever have heard of this and I've never received one. It's ultimately your decision, if you think your friends/family does this, but I would never.

melleasndrs

SNLT1012 said:

Idk about pregnancy announcements but I will say I think announcements in general are nice. They used to be a thing. You got engaged? Announcement. You had a baby? Announcement. No one does them anymore and I think social media is to blame.

I thought pregnancy announcements used to be a thing too but I could be wrong. I've never sent or received an announcement of any kind.

^This. It's nice to see someone taking the time to mail out an announcement of their personal life to friends and family. No one does this anymore and I think it would be really special to get a card.

chaysefaith

Was it a thing at some point in time? Or am I just delusional? I could swear people used to do this regularly.

broads

I don't really find them weird although have only recieved them as a Christmas card. I am kinda of excited to make a Christmas postcard this year. I plan to have my husband and I and our two dogs but also mention expecting baby. I love getting Christmas cards with family pictures I have been waiting to be able to send them! I always thought it would be weird to send a picture of just my husband and I although I do receive quite a few of those.

graciest719

I've gotten pregnancy announcements, and they all came from my friends in the south. My Ohio friends? Nope. Maybe it's a geography thing.

melleasndrs

MandJS said:

melleasndrs said:

SNLT1012 said:

Idk about pregnancy announcements but I will say I think announcements in general are nice. They used to be a thing. You got engaged? Announcement. You had a baby? Announcement. No one does them anymore and I think social media is to blame.

I thought pregnancy announcements used to be a thing too but I could be wrong. I've never sent or received an announcement of any kind.

^This. It's nice to see someone taking the time to mail out an announcement of their personal life to friends and family. No one does this anymore and I think it would be really special to get a card.

Again. For the birth, sure. But for a pregnancy? Really? I need to share with the world that my husband and I successfully had sex and got ourselves knocked up? Shrug. Again. Just seems very narcissistic to me. I get celebrating big events and have no problem with that. But the fact that you got pregnant isn't the big event - it's the birth of the baby, in my opinion, that should be announced and celebrated. 

ETA: And no. I don't do Facebook announcements for my pregnancies. 

_________
ETA stupid quite box fail
I understand where you are coming from.

mangomimosa

broads said:

I don't really find them weird although have only recieved them as a Christmas card. I am kinda of excited to make a Christmas postcard this year. I plan to have my husband and I and our two dogs but also mention expecting baby. I love getting Christmas cards with family pictures I have been waiting to be able to send them! I always thought it would be weird to send a picture of just my husband and I although I do receive quite a few of those.

I got a pregnancy-announcing holiday card a few years ago of mom's baby bump under the Xmas tree, with a big ribbon & bow tied around it. It sounds weird typed out, but it was set up so cute. I was so excited to see it & learn of her pregnancy that way. As part if a holiday card it doesn't seem too AWish to me--in fact at 6-7 mo pregnant it would be weird not to include at least a mention of baby on the way. (Though this particular one would be more AW than just you, H, & pets with a bump possibly showing... I still thought it was cute!)

AlinnJo

If you don't have Facebook and you are just mailing it to close family and friends, I say go for it. Especially if you are known in the family for doing a lot of mailings. I have a cousin that sends lots of cards and such in the mail and I would totally expect this from her. I wouldn't think it's weird.

Now if I received one from someone I only exchange Christmas cards with and I never really see or talk to them, I'd think it's weird and AWish.

northerngirl11

I think it's appropriate depending on the recipient. Random family you only talk to at family events no but older generation aunts and uncles may think it's very nice and a good way of including them in your pregnancy.

Stephy129

My sister sent out pregnancy announcements. They were cute. The thing that bothered me was this is how we all found out. No one, not even my parents, got a personal phone call. We all found out through the mail.

chajak

I will be sending something to my grandfather once we are ready to share the news. It's not something I feel comfortable saying over the phone since we live so far away. I was much closer to my grandmother and could tell her anything (she passed away last year) but with my grandpa it's like telling him I'm not a virgin anymore lol. It's just weird so I will probably send a great grandpa card or something.

cesquer

I think that they are cute, if done tastefully and if you are sending them to close friends who love you and will be happy for you. Not to everyone, though. I agree that pairing them with a holiday is better.

KT416

I've only received birth announcements recently but many years ago, my family would receive pregnancy announcements (pre-social media).

I think if you don't have FB and mailing things is your style then go for it. As mentioned above, I wouldn't send them to your whole Christmas card list and I would pick and choose your people you send them too. I think this is great for aunts and uncles, etc.

I think the best announcements are announcements that represent you and your family and if mailings are your thing, then I say go for it.

Rachbobach

My SIL sent out holiday cards last year that indicated her and my brother were expecting a baby.  I thought it was really cute but I'm also biased since it was my first niece. I think it would be weird to receive a pregnancy announcement from a random friend though.

I'm not a holiday card person so I won't be doing the same. The thought of digging up everyone's addresses seems like way too much work and makes my head hurt thinking about it!

anickless

We did it. My husband and I have waited... We've struggled. After 7 years we are finally pregnant. We told the parents in a special way but mailed these cards out and the response was overwhelming. No one was expecting it, but many said it's the best mail they've received. To each their own our big thing is we did not want family and close friends finding out on social media.

anickless

Ours

chaysefaith

anickless said:

Ours

I can see everything on your fb.  Everything.

BStrob

My husband and I got to tell immediate family in person, but we're sending announcements to extended family. We thought it would be a cute, fun way to tell them, and more personal than Facebook. We wanted the whole family to know before our news went public online.

Your family and friends won't think it's creepy or weird because they know you better than these people online. Go for it if it's what you want to do!

knjay

I think randomly sending out pregnancy announcements is odd. I've never heard of that really. Birth announcements on the other hand are totally acceptable and definitely something I would send to my family who lives out of town. We always send out those photo Chrismas cards every year, and this year I'm just going to send a picture of the two of us with a big red bow tied around my belly just because it would be a cute picture. Our families already know we are expecting and since we always receive and personally send family photo Christmas cards, I'll be sending the one that I described above, but not using it as an announcement.

amberb612

No, just no. I've read every comment and still no. Call, FaceTime, Skype your family! I'm 4,500+ miles away from my family and friends and I still wouldn't consider this. I figure extended family and friends will find out word of mouth or at Christmas. Birth announcements yes! Trust me the excitement you feel now will is nothing like the excitement of holding your child. You should share that previous gift with the world!

caliente17

That's not how ALL babies are conceived... Think about couples that conceived through fertility treatments...