Lifestyle

These are the most remarkable pregnancy announcements

By Sophie Rietmulder | #!30Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:00:41 +0200+02:004130#30Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:00:41 +0200+02:00-2Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam202330 16pm30pm-30Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:00:41 +0200+02:002Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam2023302023Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:00:41 +0200002006pmFriday=9#!30Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:00:41 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam6#06-16-2023#!30Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:00:41 +0200+02:004130#/30Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:00:41 +0200+02:00-2Europe/Amsterdam3030Europe/Amsterdam202330#!30Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:00:41 +0200+02:00Europe/Amsterdam6#

It took a while, but now it's really happening: babies are raining around me and pregnancy announcements are pouring in from all directions. Now, it might not be entirely my place to have an opinion on this since I don't have a pregnancy planned for a long time, but I still have some thoughts on it. Don't get me wrong: there is no right or wrong when it comes to announcing your mini, but some announcements are just a bit more remarkable than others. Let's be honest: you have an opinion about this too, right?

1. ‘Daddy scored’
Or: ‘we haven't been sitting still’, ‘daddy and mommy were bored’ or something else that hints at the circus in the bedroom that led to this pregnancy. We all know how it works, but we don't need any extra imagery.

2. ‘We were done with full nights of sleep’
Funny, but also a bit mean. As if your little one comes out kicking and screaming from the moment he or she is born. Moreover, according to moms in my circle, you have no idea what those sleepless nights entail until you actually experience them, so maybe it's wise to wait a bit before making such statements.

3. ‘We are pregnant’
Let's put this statement to rest once and for all. Sure, you are having a baby together, but you are not pregnant together. It's an age-old phenomenon that men like to take credit for the hard work of women, but this is a job that we rightfully get to claim entirely.

4. Wrapping pregnancy tests
Maybe I'll think differently about this if I ever get to be a mom and there's nothing more beautiful than those two thick lines on the pregnancy test that I hold with trembling hands, but I always cringe a bit when people announce their pregnancy by wrapping their test and then shoving it into the hands of every family member. Especially when you hide it on plates or in glasses. You. Literally. Pee. On. It. Keep it to yourself, please.

Okay, it's clear that I don't have a maternal bone in my body yet, and I will probably contradict myself in a few years when I find myself guilty of all of the above. Let me start by saying that even I often shed a tear of joy rather than cringe in vicarious embarrassment when watching a pregnancy announcement from a complete stranger, so don't let the opinion of this childless woman get to you. No matter how you approach it, the happiness radiates from it, and that's ultimately the most important thing.