Parenting & New Baby Advice Blog

Archive for the ‘Birth Announcements’ Category

There are few things in life as exciting as the birth of a child, and few things that can change a couple’s life as surely and swiftly as that child.  A new bouncing baby boy brings great joy, and great sleep deprivation, to his parents, and they understandably want to share that with friends and family.  Birth announcements are the perfect way to introduce your little man to your loved ones.  Chances are that you have your hands full with your new baby, but taking a little time in between feeding and diapering your bundle of joy will result in beautiful birth announcements.  Here are some tips and wording ideas to make your announcements even more special.

Birth announcements are designed to help you spread the good news.  Actually, in today’s fast-paced world, spreading the news is usually taken care of instantaneously with delivery room pictures snapped with cell phones and shared via email or Facebook.  Proud parents post pictures from the hospital, giving their loved ones a look of the new baby more quickly than has ever been possible. The role of the birth announcement, then, is a little more formal and traditional.  For those without cell phones and Facebook accounts, it provides the anticipated information about the baby.  For others, it provides a real photo that can be hung up, taped to the refrigerator, shared at work, or put into an album.

The announcements are typically sent between two and six weeks after the birth of the baby.  If they contain a photo, they are typically sent sometime within the first two months after the birth.  Sending them out as close to the birth as possible is always a great idea, but it is certainly understandable if you lag behind. You have a good excuse!

It can be helpful to have some elements of your announcements chosen before the baby is born.  You obviously can’t have them printed because you’re missing the most vital information and, of course, the baby.  But you can decide on your wording and templates.  Do you want to go with the traditional postcard style, or will you opt for a modern option like tea birth announcements or birth announcement honey? After your son is born, you can simply insert the photo, then add the relevant information, and print.

Babies tend to bring out the sentimental side of people, particularly the proud new parents.  Wording can range from very simple and concise to poetic or religious to sweet and sappy.  The key is to choose or create wording with which you are comfortable.  If you are very sentimental and verbose, “We announce the birth of our son,” that may be too curt.  If you are more reserved, rhyming couplets may not be ideal.

Here are some samples for all styles:

• It’s a boy!
• After nine months, we are happy to say, It’s a boy, and he’s ready to play!
• Our family rejoices as a new life’s begun, We are richer with the birth of our son.
• Baseball, football, soccer anyone? Look out, Little League, here comes our son!
• Our little boy is as cute as a bug. We can never resist giving just one more hug.
• We joyfully announce the birth of our son.
• We are proud to introduce our son…
• Double the trouble, double the fun,
• We’re proud to welcome our second son!
• Our home has grown by two feet!
• We made a wish and he came true.

No matter what your wording, make sure to include the vital information that your friends and family want.  The wording will only add to the charm of your announcements.

Related Content:

1. Congratulations Card Message Ideas
2. Birth Announcement Wording Ideas for Girls
3. Tips for What to Write in Thank You Notes
4. Preparing For A Second Baby

Girls are sugar, spice, and everything nice.  If you’re the proud parent of a brand new baby girl, you can’t wait to share the joy with your friends and family.  Sending birth announcements is a great way to introduce your baby to everyone when you don’t have the time to call or write lengthy letters or emails.  You do have a new baby, after all!  Your birth announcement is also usually the first real photo that many of your loved ones will have of the new addition. You can be sure it will grace photo albums, refrigerators, and desks.  Here are some ideas for wording that will make your announcement that much more charming.

Depending on your personal style, you can make your announcements as sweet and sentimental as you like, or as short and sweet as you like.  If you are a very straightforward, decidedly non-cutesy person, try the following:

• It’s a girl!
• We are proud to announce the birth of our daughter.
• Announcing the arrival of our beloved new daughter.
• We have been blessed with a baby girl.
• We are tickled pink over the arrival of our daughter.

If your baby girl is joining siblings, rework your wording as follows:

• Sarah and Sam are proud to welcome their new sister.
• Sarah and Sam have a new sister.

These are all very direct and concise.  They convey your message clearly, and when joined by your baby’s birth information, including name, weight, height, birth date and time, it will create a beautiful announcement.  If you can’t resist sharing a little more of your sentimental side, try the following (courtesy of www.classyannouncements.com, www.mycreations2.com, and www.mykindacard.com):

• She’s a sweet treasure sent from above,

wrapped in pink and covered in love.

• Tiny hands, adorable feet,

our new daughter is incredibly sweet.

• She’s pretty in pink and oh so sweet,

from her soft little cheeks to her tiny little feet.

• So sweet, such tiny feet!

our precious baby makes our lives complete.

• Sarah doesn’t mind that she’ll have to share her throne…

She’s very excited to have a sister of her own!

Introducing our own little princess…

• Sweet as candy, good as gold, our precious baby girl, a miracle to hold.
• We made a wish and she came true.
• Our home has expanded by two feet!

There are also wording choices that may honor your family’s religious heritage.  If your child is a blessing from above, try one of the following:

• Truly a miracle, a gift from above.  We have been blessed with a child to love.
• Our hearts whispered your name and God answered.
• A star fell from heaven and landed in our arms

with all of mommy’s sweetness and daddy’s charm.

We are star struck by the arrival of…

• Behold, children are a gift of the Lord. – Psalm 127:3
• From God’s hands to ours…
• In patience and faith we waited for our miracle. And now, with love we joyfully announce the arrival of our angel.
• The heavens rejoiced, the angels sighed,

when this beautiful baby girl arrived.

• God’s most beautiful thoughts bloom into children.

There are so many wonderful possibilities, especially when you look at your new daughter.  She is sure to inspire you.  Even short and simple announcements have an eloquence to them that is unmatched when they are made personally by the proud new parents.

More on Birth Announcements:

• How to Make Cute Baby Announcements
• Homemade Baby Birth Announcement Ideas
• Five Unique Baby Birth Announcement Ideas
• How to Make a Photo Birth Announcement
• Custom Birth Announcements

The birth of your baby is one of the most momentous occasions in your life, and it is understandable that you want to celebrate it with your friends and family.  Today, parents can snap a photo of their baby seconds after it is born, and it can be on its way to friends and family all over the world in a matter of minutes.  A birth announcement is not usually the first glimpse people get of the baby, but it is the most special.  It is, for many of your loved ones, the first “real” photo they have, and it includes the precious birth information, which can be saved in scrapbooks and albums or given a place of honor on the fridge.  Custom birth announcements allow you to send the very best, something your baby would be proud of!

You can get premade birth announcements at virtually any box, discount, or dollar store in the country, and while they can be very cute, they lack the personal touch that means so much.  Why settle for less when it is just as easy to have custom cards made?  You can either have them made and printed for you or you can create your own custom announcements with the help of an online service or simple computer program.  Either choice will result in gorgeous announcements.

There is no shortage of services that can help you create custom birth announcements.

Some options include:

• Tinyprints.com.  They have an excellent array of templates for boys, girls, twins, and multiple births.  The designs are fresh, fun, and sophisticated.  Prices start as low as 99 cents per card.
• Walmart.com. You upload your images through Walmart’s website, and they will make 5.5” x 4.25” cards with a printed message.  A set of 24 cards with envelopes is about $25.
• Smallfri.com. This site has a great variety of announcements, and they pride themselves on being “hip and modern.”  The color choices and templates are fresh and chic, perfect for the hipster baby.  Prices typically start at about $1.50 per card.
• Shutterfly.com.  Shutterfly has a mix of modern and traditional designs that are fully customizable.  Prices typically start at about 90 cents per card.
• Hallmark Card Studio Deluxe (the 2009 edition is the most popular, and less expensive than the 2010 and 2011 versions).  With this software, you can create beautiful announcements at home.  The program costs about $20, and you will obviously have to supply your own paper, ink, and envelopes.  The advantage is that you can use this program to make everything from greeting cards and announcements to banners and calendars.

The most important aspect of a custom birth announcement is undoubtedly the picture.  Many announcements now incorporate several photos of the new baby and his parents or siblings as well.  The design is up to you.  Many people prefer how black and white photos look; they tend to give the announcements an elegant, traditional look, but again, it is up to your preferences.

Also make sure to include the following information in your announcements:

• Your baby’s full name.
• The time and date of his birth.
• The location of his birth.
• Birth weight and height.
• The parents’ names.
• Siblings’ names, if any.
• A personal message.  This can be a simple, “We are proud to welcome…” or it can be a cute poem or verse.  There are many options available, and you can browse online to find the right wording or create your own.

Your custom birth announcements will be appreciated by friends and family, and they will make a great addition to your baby’s scrapbook.

Birth announcements are eagerly awaited by friends and relatives, all of whom are hoping for a healthy, happy, new baby and mother.  They are also often the first photo that people have to show off, so a great photo birth announcement is a considerate idea.  Today, it is very common that mom or dad will take a picture with a cell phone and text it to loved ones.  This is an excellent idea and gives everyone a “sneak peak” of the new baby.  Sending an announcement in the mail, though, adds a touch of class and allows you to list birth statistics such as date, time, place of birth, weight, length, and, most importantly, name.

The first step is to take a good digital photo of the new baby.  You can either make him/her the star of the show with a solo picture or you can take a photo with the parents.  If the baby is joining a sibling or siblings, it is a cute idea to include them in the photo with a caption like, “John and Sara are happy to welcome their new brother, Josh!” or “Sara and John have a new baby brother!”  This keeps them involved with the baby and helps them feel more a part of the events that are taking place.

Next, decide what type of birth announcements you would like to send.  You can find pre-made announcements that allow you to fill in the blanks with your baby’s information and insert a picture.  This is a perfectly fine way to announce your child’s birth, and your family and friends will appreciate it.  However, it does add a touch of class if you print, make, or have printed your own personal announcements.  This is easy to do if you have a printer and a program like Microsoft Word or, if you are a little more tech savvy, Adobe Photoshop.  There are also card making programs that will work beautifully.

If you opt to use a card making program, there are great ones, including:

• Hallmark Card Studio Deluxe 2010 ($20-$40) - Note: the 2009 version is about half the price.
• PrintMaster Greeting Cards Deluxe Version 2 ($20)
• Art Explosion Greeting Card Factory Deluxe 5.0 ($16)

The benefits of using such a program are that you will be able to easily use your photos to create a personalized announcement, and you will be able to use that same software to make cards, banners, stationary, certificates, calendars, and much more for virtually any occasion.  After you’ve designed your card, simply print them on card stock for a polished, professional look.

If you don’t have a printer, you can create birth announcements on a site such as Shutterfly.  All you need to do is decide which template you’d like.  You personalize it with your baby’s birth statistics, name, and your name or siblings’ names and add a photo. Shutterfly or the photo printing service will print the announcements on professional quality paper, and the cost is typically very affordable.

If you love to do crafts, and have some time after the baby is born, you can make your own birth announcements.  Get cardstock in the color of your choice and print or handwrite the baby’s birth information on the bottom.  Punch two holes on the top.  Print your favorite photo either at home or at a drug store (photo paper looks best) and punch two holes on the top to correspond with those on the cardstock.  Cut a piece of overlay material, like vellum, and punch the corresponding holes.  Line everything up and tie with pink or blue ribbon.  This is a very thoughtful, beautiful announcement that will be treasured by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other close friends and family.  It’s not a terribly practical idea if you need to send dozens of announcements, but it does add a special touch to a chosen few.

When you have a baby, you want to shout the news from the rooftops.  You can do that, too, but make sure to send beautiful birth announcements first!

Whether you have wanted a baby for years or your pregnancy was unexpected, the birth of your baby is one of the most memorable and cherished moments of your life.  As a proud new parent, you want to show off your gorgeous bundle of joy, and baby announcements are the perfect way to send a little baby gift to your family and friends.

While you can order pre-made announcements or have a printer make them for you, it is also a great activity to do yourself or to share with some close friends.  Here are some ideas for announcements that are almost as cute as your baby.

• One of the easiest ways to make cute baby announcements is to find free templates online.  You can choose the template you like, import your picture, add your child’s name, date and time of birth, height, and weight. From there, you simply review and print.  You can use photo paper for a more polished look.  These are technically pre-made, but they will save you time and money, and you can add a personalized comment in the text box.  If you are sending out 100 announcements, this is the way to go.
• If you’re not especially crafty, you can still make great homemade announcements.  One idea is to purchase some baby scrapbooking paper.  Cutting this in half will yield two good sized cards.  The patterns are cute and certainly appropriate for the occasion.  On the outside, glue a favorite baby photo. Inside, simply write (or print from your computer) your baby’s information and a nice message.  That’s it.  It’s personal, unique, and easy to do for a moderate number of recipients.
• Purchase a stack of blank greeting cards and a box of “Hello, I Am…” stickers.  Simply affix the sticker to the front of the card and write your child’s name.  Inside are his birth stats and a photo of the beautiful baby.  It is a good time to note that everyone wants a photo with their announcement!
• If your baby is willing, and sleeping, you can buy an ink pad and stamp his footprint on blank cards, with photo and birth information inside or below.  These make excellent baby keepsakes and are great to cherish later on when they have grown. If it is unlikely that your kicking baby will lie still for this, you can just get a rubber baby foot stamp.  No one needs to know!
• Vellum offers a very easy way to make elegant announcements.  Purchase fun scrapbooking paper, vellum (a filmy paper often used in wedding invitations), and double-sided tape.  Use double-sided tape to affix a large photo of your baby to the paper (if the page is 5x7, for instance, you can use a 4x6 or even 5x7 photo).  Step one is done. Next, print your baby’s name and stats on the vellum.  Check to make sure the paper is compatible with your printer and select “transparency” for the paper type.  Step two is done.  All you need to do is put two small strips of double-sided tape on the top of the photo page and affix the vellum over it.  Attach the top only so the recipients can lift the vellum and see the picture more clearly.  In place of double-sided tape, or in addition to it, you can use a blue or pink ribbon.
• You can always announce your child’s birth online.  Many parents are doing this through a website devoted to their baby or sending emails.  This is perfectly acceptable today, especially if you have a large amount of people with whom to share the news.

You could send out a photocopied picture of your baby with hastily scrawled birth information, and people would be happy.  You are playing to a friendly crowd, so don’t be afraid to experiment. You can really do no wrong. In the end, they will care about your baby’s photo, his name, and whether he is healthy and happy.