How do you react when people tell you that they’re expecting a baby?
The 9 months of pregnancy are full of ups and downs, but telling people that you’re going to have a baby soon is definitely one of the best pieces of news that you can give. I’ve already blogged about how we told our parents, but telling our friends and anyone else who would listen was so much fun, yet filled with many different reactions. It’s funny how people react in different ways, isn’t it? From “OMG that’s amazeballs!” to “Oh. And are you ok with that?”, there has been a complete spectrum of responses to our news.
So if you’re wondering how to react to baby news the next time someone tells you that they’re expecting, read on for five ideas that have been kindly donated by our friends and acquaintances over the past 9 months.
1. “AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!”
This is a very versatile reaction. It can be used to show happiness at baby news, but can also be used to express fear in a life-threatening situation. But it’s definitely a good sound to make when your friends share their news. Usually used in conjunction with hugs and a barrage of one-word questions, e.g. “When? Boy? Girl? Sick? Scan?”
2. “I knew it!”
Now let’s be honest – unless you have some sort of sixth sense, you probably didn’t know. You just guessed, just like you’ve been guessing for a while now. But you didn’t tell anyone about your guesses before in case you offended your friend who had just had a few extra sausage rolls at the work buffet.
3. “Oh. And how do you feel about it?”
I like to call this one ‘The Diplomatic Reaction.’ It’s usually accompanied by a sideways tilt of the head and a lowering of the eyebrows to show a ‘concerned’ look. Once your concerned friend has established that you’re happy about it, they usually go to reaction 4.
4. “Well I hope you’re ready to never sleep again!”
This is, by far, my least favourite reaction, especially when it’s followed by a cackle. We’re excited to be starting a new chapter in our lives and we’re quite open to the idea of a newborn baby not sleeping through the night for a while. Thanks for the negativity, though. Maybe these friends should spend some time with those from reaction 5.
5. “Congratulations! You’re going to be amazing!”
Pregnancy is a strange time. For the woman that’s going through it, her body is changing at a rapid pace and she’s not always in control of what is happening. For their partners, things can be quite tough too. For some, pregnancy comes as a surprise. For others, it’s definitely planned. Yet no matter what, after nurturing their little one for 9 months, the parents will be fantastic when their baby born. They’ll do the best job they know how to do and they’ll learn lots along the way. Whether planned or unplanned, everyone needs to be reminded that they’re going to be great. It’s simple and quite understated. But this affirmation was all I needed and it was most definitely my favourite reaction.
Photos: RobinHiggins on Pixabay, licensed under Creative Commons.
