As I discussed in Part I, I knew I had to think of some special way to tell Mr. Blue when I got pregnant to “pay him back” for proposing in such a great way.  Announcing a baby is one of the few opportunities women have to surprise their significant other with life-changing news.

I’ve spent some solid time googling ways to break the baby news, so I’ll be prepared when the time comes.  Here are some of the many ideas I’ve come across or come up with:

1. Wrapping the pregnancy test as a gift.  Giving Mr. Blue anything that I’ve peed on, even if it is the bearer of good news, just isn’t in the cards for us.  Blech.

2.  Expectant Mother Parking.  This is such a cute idea if you have a place you frequent with parking spaces reserved for “New or Expectant Mothers.”  I think it would be fun to pull into the parking space and make some comment about getting such a good reserved space to make sure DH notices the sign.  Then, if he says you can’t park there, say, “Oh, yes, I can,” and give him a sweet present (or the pee stick if you absolutely can’t resist).

3.  The Bun in the Oven and the Frame Variation.  Everyone has probably heard of some form of the bun in the oven announcement.  You place a bread bun in the oven and then asked DH to put dinner in the oven or wait for him to discover it.  My personal favorite variation is taking a photo of a bread roll and a photo of the oven.  Pick out a cute photo of the two of you.  Frame each photo and hang them on the wall where DH is likely to see it quickly.  Put: bun photo + oven photo = your photo with a caption that says “Mommy & Daddy.”  Adorable!

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4.  Goodnight Routine.  This would be great if you get a BFP at night and can’t wait long to break the news.  As you get ready for bed, tell DH goodnight.  Hopefully, he’s used to this and will respond in kind.  Then say, “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”  When he looks questioningly at you say, “Don’t you want to tell the baby goodnight?”

5.  Onesie Routine.  This is another uber popular idea.  If DH is really into something, like a sports team, wrapping a onesie of that team, etc. is likely to get a good response.

6.  “Find the Baby” Dog Trick.  If you have a dog that learns tricks easily, teach them to “Find the Baby” (going and gently putting their paws on or sniffing your stomach).  I always tell Blue Dog “Go Find Daddy!” when Mr. Blue comes home, so I thought this would be so cute, but when I tried to teach her, she gave me her “Eff you, Mommmy!” look and just tried to sniff my crotch, which really doesn’t have the same effect.  Someone please use this and tell me all about it.

7.  Dog shirt.  While we’re on the subject of dogs, another cute thing to do if you & DH are super dog people is to make a dog shirt that says “Big Sister/Brother.”  Put it on and wait until DH notices.

8.  Recreate Your Proposal.  Go to the same places, do the same things that DH did for you. Plan what you want to say to “propose fatherhood.”  Choose a gift to “propose” with.  This could be a baby-related item or it could be something nice that he’ll always have, like a great watch so he’ll be able to time those contractions and remember LO’s bedtime.  I absolutely love this idea . . . except that it would involve me having to try to write a song on par with Mr. Blue’s.  Eek.  Not sure I’m up for the task.

9.  Drinking for Two.  Go to dinner and encourage DH to order a drink.  Order the same thing.  When you get your drinks and dinner, push your drink over to him and pull his plate over to you. Say something like, “I’m eating for two now, so you’re drinking for two.”

10.  Balloon Room.  Fill DH’s vehicle, office, closet, etc., completely full of blue and pink balloons.  Get one “Congratulations on your baby” Mylar balloon to put right in front.

11.  Anything playing off DH’s interests.  Mr. Blue loves baseball, so if I gave him a little t-ball set, a Rangers onesie, etc., he would love it.  Whether its sports, music, travel, a style of dress (a la mini cowboy boots, converse, etc.), there is almost always some mini-version that you could get and give DH, slip in his closet, etc.  I will definitely incorporate some of this into whatever I do.

12.  Photo Op.  Go somewhere fun and tell DH you want to take a photo.  Set up your “self timer” but really put your camera on video.  Then you just need to break the news, and you’ll have his reaction on video.

13.  The card idea from Pregnant Chicken:  Buy a blank card and write on the outside: Blank Card $2, Fine point marker: $12, Home pregnancy test: $12  Then on the inside write, “The look on your face when you realize you’re going to be a dad…priceless”

There are endless creative ideas out there for telling your DH about your pregnancy, but I don’t think I’ve come up with the right inspiration yet.  I know I want to make a day/evening out of telling him, and I’m sure I’ll incorporate several of the things above, but I haven’t come up with a perfect plan yet.

How did you tell your significant other?  What are the best ideas you’ve heard for announcing it to your husband?