10 Grandparents Hearing the Pregnancy News, From a Birthday Cake to a Game Night

Family & kids
10/30/2026
10 Grandparents Hearing the Pregnancy News, From a Birthday Cake to a Game Night

In eight years as a wedding photographer’s second shooter, I was pointing my camera the right way exactly twice when a couple told their parents they were expecting. Both photos are blurry, and both are the families’ favorites. These 10 first-time grandparents had just heard about a pregnancy, and their kids wrote down or recorded exactly how they found out.

The Moment a Dad Found Out He Was Going to Be a Grandpa

Jessica Vigansky recorded the moment she told her dad that he was going to be a grandpa.

“When my dad found out he was going to be a grandpa.”

A Dad Who Can’t Keep a Secret, and the One He Decided to Keep

“Told my parents — they both really surprised me!”

So my husband and I told my parents last week. I love my parents dearly but I was worried about telling them so early because my dad CAN NOT keep a secret to save his life. It’s well known in my family that if you want something to stay quiet, don’t tell dad.

We told them by surprising them with a onesie. They were STUNNED! My mom cried tears of joy and my dad was speechless. Once they regained composure, my DAD turned to my mom and said, “We gotta keep our mouths shut. This is their news to share.”

My mom sent me one text that said, “Can I please just offer one small bit of advice?” I rolled my eyes and thought, “Here we go.” I replied, “Haha sure.”

And she said, “Do not tell ANYONE what you plan on naming the baby. You will get nothing but opinions and suggestions on what a better name would be. Once the baby is born, you could name him/her Venus With Neptune Rising and all anybody will say is — Oh how precious.”

Her only advice so far was about ignoring people’s advice.

A Baby Announcement Hidden in a Family Game Night

Alexa Goolsby told her parents during a family game night, with a game idea she credits to Jimmy Fallon.

“Baby announcement to my parents during family game night! Shout out to Jimmy Fallon for the game idea!”

From the author:

My old boss had a rule: the real photo comes about 30 seconds after the posed one. People hold still for the camera, then hear something and forget it’s there. A pregnancy announcement is the purest version of that. Nobody poses for the second after “You’re going to be a grandma.”

A Future Grandma Who Asked for the Due Date to Draft Her Retirement Notice

“Excited future grandma being extra — what I think is a funny story”

We recently told my parents we are expecting and they are just over the moon with excitement. After the squeals and tears and hugs, my mother states, “I’m going to retire early just to help you as much as I can”.. sure, okay. I wrote it off as her just being extra due to her excitement.

Before I could even ask her about her level of seriousness about retiring.. she sent me a text message asking me if I could let her know what my for sure due date was, so she could make a rough draft of her retirement notice. Sigh.

I just level with her and say, “Mom.. what if Nan or your MIL said that to you while you were pregnant with me?” She starts to laugh and says, “I think I’d probably lose my mind! Maybe a partial retirement would be best.” We hugged and she is more excited than ever.

A Dad Who Had Waited a Long Time to Become a Grandfather

Veronica Calderon’s dad had been waiting a long time to become a grandfather, and she told him that he finally would be.

“Words can’t describe the love I have for my father and knowing how long he’s been waiting to be a grandfather this is a moment I will have forever love you pop...”

“You Mean You’re Getting Another Cat?”

Ours was kind of a fail with my mom. I said, “We’re having a baby,” which to me is straightforward. She responded, “You mean you’re getting another cat?” a) that makes no sense b) way to imply I’m a crazy cat lady, Mom! I had 2 at the time, the same 2 I’d had for over 15 years. I have no idea.

A Birthday Cake That Said “Happy Birthday Grandma”

Katy Mize told her mom on her birthday: the cake said “Happy Birthday Grandma.” It was her mom’s first grandchild.

“Let’s just say my mom was excited because this is her first grand baby! It was her birthday, and we put ‘Happy Birthday Grandma’ on the bday cake to tell her!”

From the author:
When my husband, Sam, and I told his parents our news, his mom didn’t say a word. She went to the hall closet and came back with a baby blanket she had bought five years earlier, “just in case.” It still had the price tag on. Sam says it’s the longest she has ever kept a secret.

Little Crocheted Booties for Both Sets of Grandparents

“I crocheted little booties to give to my parents and in-laws to announce our pregnancy :)”

A Party Game That Spelled Out “Going to Be Grandparents”

Sam Kluth’s parents thought they were simply playing a party game called Hearing Things. The phrase they had to guess was “Going to be Grandparents.”

“New Grandma and Grandpa are tricked into playing ‘Hearing Things’ game to reveal they are ‘Going to be Grandparents!’”

Grammy Was Taken, So the New Grandma Became Omi

“Told my in-laws last night, or ‘How reading BabyBumps before pregnancy paid off’”

Last night, my husband and I went down to his hometown and announced our pregnancy over dinner to his mother and sister. This will be the first, and probably only for awhile, grandbaby in the family. Our announcement went over great!

* Me: “You’ll get to pick a grandma name! My mom—”

MIL (cutting me off): “Well, Grammy of course!”

Me out loud: “Well, my mom is actually going to be Grammy because that’s what I called my grandmother...”

MIL: “Ok! I’ll be Omi then!”

Me: “Perfect! I love that! Hey Baby, that’s your Omi!!!”

Cue MIL getting teary. More laughter.

The news takes a second to say, and the last grandma on this list had her name picked before the baby had one. Grandparents, it turns out, have been getting ready for that second for years. Sam’s mom had been ready for five, price tag and all.

How did you tell your parents the big news, or how did your kids tell you? Tell us in the comments.

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