Birth announcement wording: what to write, with examples
At its simplest, a birth announcement card needs two things: your baby's name and the day they were born. Everything else is your choice. Common extras are the weight and length, your own names and a few lines from you. Below are opening lines and short messages you can copy or adapt.
What goes on a birth announcement card?
The name and the birth date are the core. French Wikipedia's article on the faire-part calls them the two invariable elements of a birth announcement, and says the weight and length at birth and a short note from the parents are often added, depending on what the parents want.
The American Emily Post Institute's guide to announcing a new baby lists what an announcement traditionally contains: a baby photo, the baby's name, height and weight, the parents' names and the names of any siblings. In the Netherlands, Dutch Wikipedia's entry on the geboortekaartje adds a local habit. The card often gives the address and times for the maternity visit, and sometimes a short poem that welcomes the baby or puts the joy of the parents and any brothers or sisters into words.
So a card has two layers:
- The facts - the name, the date, and if you like the time of birth, weight and length.
- The words - a line or a short paragraph from you, signed with your names.
The facts are quick to fill in. The words are where parents get stuck, so the rest of this guide is about them.
How do you word the opening line?
Start with the news itself, in one sentence, and keep it short enough that the name still does the work. A few that read well on a card:
- Welcome to the world, little one.
- She's here, and she's perfect to us.
- Please welcome the newest member of our family.
- Hello world, meet our son.
- With love and a little disbelief, we introduce our daughter.
- Tiny, and already in charge.
Pick the tone first and the words follow. A formal family will want "We are delighted to announce the birth of our daughter", while friends who send you memes will enjoy "Hello world".
Birth announcement message examples
The message is the longer text: a few sentences from you to the people reading the card. Each of these examples stays under 60 words and 400 characters, the message limits of our folded card. Swap in your own names.
Simple and warm
Our son arrived and turned our world upside down in the best possible way. We are tired and completely in love. Thank you for all your messages over the past months. We can't wait for you to meet him. Love, Sam and Noor
With a big brother or sister
Big sister Lotte is very proud (and a little unsure about the crying). Her baby brother Finn has arrived, and our family of three is now a family of four. Come and say hello when you can. Love, Anna, Tom and Lotte
A thank-you as well
Thank you to everyone who sent food and kind words while we waited. She is finally here and worth every sleepless night so far. Slowly, we are learning how to be a family. With love, Jess and Mark
Short and light
Ten fingers, ten toes and a very strong opinion about bedtime. Welcome, little one.
With an invitation to visit
Our daughter has arrived. We are enjoying the first quiet weeks at home, and we would love to introduce her to you. Send us a message to find a good moment to drop by.
A message that reads well out loud reads well on a card.
Read yours to your partner before you commit it to paper. Where you stumble, a reader will too.
What should you leave off the card?
Leave gifts out of it. The Emily Post Institute's advice is to avoid asking for, or mentioning, gifts in a birth announcement, since that is what a baby shower is for. A wish list or a gift registry link reads as a request, however lightly you phrase it.
Two more cuts are a matter of taste. A long birth story is better told in person than on a card your colleagues and great-aunts will read as well. And if you would rather not have visitors yet, simply leave the visiting line out.
When should the cards go out?
Send them when you are ready. The Emily Post Institute says to send announcements as soon as possible, and that etiquette gives you six months to get them out. It also suggests one announcement per household.
French Wikipedia's article gives a similar window: a faire-part's recipients, generally the parents' family and friends, receive it in the weeks, or even months, after the birth. The two sources differ on online announcements. Emily Post says that if you already sent electronic ones, you would not repeat the announcement with a mailed card. French Wikipedia describes online announcements in the first hours after the birth that are often followed, in the months after, by a paper card considered the "real" faire-part.
Writing the message for our folded card
On our folded A5 card, which comes with envelopes, the inside right prints the announcement for you: your baby's name and the details you entered, in the style you picked. The time of birth, weight and length are optional, and the card prints only the ones you fill in. The inside left takes your message. It is optional too, and holds up to 60 words and 400 characters.
Three things about how the message prints, so it looks the way you imagine:
- It is one paragraph. Line breaks are joined into spaces, so write flowing text that starts with your opening line, the way the examples above are set out.
- Sign it inside the message. There is no separate field for the parents' names, so end the text with "Love, Sam and Noor" or similar.
- Only the folded card has a message. The flat A6 postcard has a front and a back and no message panel.
Curious what the moon looked like that day? Our guide to looking up a birth moon phase shows how. Otherwise, pick one of the openers above, add your message and try it on the folded card in the card editor, which shows a preview of the card as you fill it in.