Congratulations, you’re expecting a baby! So you’ve just found out, and you’re wondering how to break the exciting news to the soon-to-be-new-dad. You could burst out with your announcement the next moment you talk to him; or, if you can contain yourself, you could put forth a bit more effort and prepare his favorite meal and set the table with the good dishes, fresh flowers, and romantic candles. Similarly, you could go to a nice restaurant and reveal the big news over a slice of cheesecake. These are not bad ideas, but they’ve been done before, haven’t they? Either by you (if this isn’t your first baby) or by countless others.

This happy moment of news-telling doesn’t come along often, so why not anticipate and savor it to the fullest? If you’re looking for a creative new way to beat the simple “I’m pregnant!” announcement, and feel that this occasion calls for something extra-special and carefully planned, read on and choose from the following seven creative suggestions, or use them as a spring-board for forming your own unique ideas.

1. Take him out

Tell him you want to take him out somewhere special, but since it’s a surprise, he has to be blindfolded. As you drive, keep him guessing (unless you think he will guess correctly!) Then park in the parking lot of a baby store or a playground. Remove the blindfold and enjoy the befuddled look on his face. If he doesn’t figure it out on his own, say something like, “I thought we should take a look in the store and see what we like, because we’re going to need to register soon for our new baby!” Or, at the park, “We’re going to be coming here quite a bit in about two years–because we’re going to have a baby!” Then celebrate at a nice restaurant.

2. Give him a gift

Give him a gift, “Because I love you and I just love the gift you gave me.”

In all likelihood, he hasn’t given you a gift recently 🙂 , so he’ll be

confused as he tears into the paper. Once he unwraps an adorable baby

item, such as a toy, outfit, or booties, truth may dawn. If not, it’s time

to fill him in!

3. Send him a card

This idea requires excruciating patience, so you may just want to hand him

the card, although that takes away some of the mysteriousness. The return

address could be something witty like “Special Delivery Street, Storkland,

AM”. The card can be a cute baby or kid card in which you’ve written, “To

my new daddy. I can’t wait to meet you!” or something enlightening like

that.

4. Bake a treat

If you do want to share the news over a meal, get creative and decorate a

baby-themed cake. You could write a message on the top such as, “A New

Little One is on the way!” Or, bake a batch of cupcakes. Instead of

decorating them obviously, tell him there is a surprise inside the cupcake,

“So eat it carefully.” What he doesn’t know is you’ve hidden a plastic

baby favor (such as a small baby rattle) in it. (Poke it into the cupcake

AFTER you’ve baked and cooled the cakes and before you frost them. Keep

track of which cupcake holds the surprise.) Also, make sure the item is

large enough so he’ll find it without choking! If you’re feeling really

creative, bade a batch of homemade fortune cookies, inserting applicable

messages such as “Soon to be a family of 3,” “A special delivery on the

way,” etc.

5. Play a game

If your husband likes to play games, you could use this to your advantage,

making up a riddle, crossword, or a puzzle in which the “solution” reveals

the baby news. A great game to use for this is “Hang-Man.” Agree that you

will each write a message instead of the typical one word. You will need

to use an equal number of letters (which you will need to determine). Your

message could be “We are expecting.”

6. Honey-do list

Are you a wife who often hands your husband a to-do list? If so, surprise

him with one that reads, “Bring up boxes of baby clothes from basement” (if

you already have a child or two and have the clothes), “Celebrate,” “Buy a

crib,” etc. You get the idea.

7. Good night

This final suggestion is simple but effective and memorable. As you are

about to go to sleep, tell your husband good night (hopefully this is

normal procedure anyway, and won’t raise suspicion). When he responds in

kind, tell him, “There’s someone else you need to say good night to, as

well.” He’ll be confused and say something like, “What are you talking

about?” There’s your opening. With the excitement of the news, don’t

expect to fall asleep anytime soon!

There you have it–seven creative ways to tell your husband you’re pregnant. Whether you use one of these ideas, or make up your own, keep in mind that privacy is still best when sharing such special, intimate news, so no matter how you tell your husband, don’t include a third party unless you’re absolutely positive you and he won’t mind!

Finally, if you come up with some awesome creative ideas of your own, please share them here. Others will appreciate it!

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T-Shirt Fun:

Okay, here’s a great one, particularly if you already have kids (and it’s a fun way to include them in the excitement):

Use a child-sized plain t-shirt and fabric paint marker to write:

“I’m A Brother-To-Be!”

or

“I’m A Sister-To-Be!”

or

“I’m An Older-Brother-To-Be!”

Etc . . . , depending on your current kid situation 🙂

Once the shirt (or shirts) dries, it’s ready to be worn at the perfect moment.  If  your husband doesn’t notice the new shirt– as husbands may tend not to :)– have your child, if he or she is old enough, say “Look at my new shirt!”  Or you can simply tell your husband to look at the new shirt.  Once he reads it, the secret’s out!