When I was ready to tell the world I was pregnant, it was well into spring, and quarantine made it clear I needed to go digital. I knew I wanted a more traditional birth announcement, similar to what I’d have mailed out.
But looking for free templates for pregnancy announcements either turned out to be a bait-and-switch sales tool or totally unusable.
Plus, Photoshop or Word formats just weren’t cutting it for me. Photoshop takes too long if you’re not a pro at it and Word just wasn’t giving me customization.
That’s where PicMonkey comes in. I’d used it for graphics for my business and it couldn’t be any easier to ‘design’ with. I like it more than (gasp!) Canva. Templates, stock photos, basic graphics — you name it, they have it!
Plans start at only $7.99 a month and I have a 17% discount code here! Yes, I benefit from the referral code, but the part that has me excited is that you’re going to have one less thing to stress about!
Throughout my pregnancy, for any announcement, I’ve used PicMonkey (and some cool graphics and other art from them AND other affordable resources I’ll share). Now it’s time to share them! (My favorite part).
Birth Announcement / Gender Reveal Announcement Como
Right at week 13, after it was clear the baby was healthy and this time looked to be it, I was ecstatic and ready to tell the world (well, friends and family that is)! I’d taken the NIPT test and eagerly awaited the test results, including the gender.
In the meantime, I made TWO versions of our announcement. Using only graphics, textures, and fonts in PicMonkey (plus a blurry iPhone image I edited the heck out of in PicMonkey), we sent the announcement via text and it went over very well!
Plus, Finnley is a baby boy and we’ve known it for six months now, so looking at the girl announcement gives me a special kind of nostalgia for this time.
A quick tip about using a cutout of a picture: simply search ‘background eraser tool online free’ or something similar to that and there are so many great options for cutting out the background that work without costing a cent! No professional photographer needed!
Pregnancy Announcement for Social Media (Instagram-Focused)
Around week 32, we wanted to tell the whole world (wide web) and I was so far along, I had a nice bump going.
Plus, we had decided on our little boy’s name. (No small task when this mama has been known to flipflop on ice cream flavors, so it was a proud moment!)
Again, these were quick iPhone pictures taken right before the work day started that I edited and decorated with elements used entirely from PicMonkey.
I created two versions because of the aforementioned bouts of indecision (know thyself, lol), plus, who doesn’t like to have options? My husband and I ultimately decided on the left!
Ready-to-Go Birth Announcement
As I write this, I’m just shy of 36 weeks. I know, not my baby, lol. Having a placeholder baby wasn’t my original plan, but I needed to see how it looked. Plus, my husband is going to be replacing the details and photo and sending it out.
PicMonkey really is so simple that you can easily tackle projects with another “non-graphic design artist” and become convinced you both are!
For this announcement, I used several sources of inspiration and recommend the following photo stock memberships, which I found to be a combined best in both selection and value (I’m not even affiliated with half of these. I will always provide you the best/most helpful info because you deserve it!):
Envato Elements: So easily searchable and with more photos, graphics, and even videos than you’ll ever use, at only $33 a month, this is such a MUST, especially if you are also an entrepreneur. The picture of the baby, the feet, and the stork are all from here. I highly recommend it!
IvoryMix.com: While I didn’t specifically use any images here, there were so many pregnancy-related and baby related photos that got me inspired and were in the running. Run by a fellow mamapreneur, I’ve used so many of Kayla’s photos for this blog! While I’m in her VIP Membership, I started with the FREE photos she gives out every month just for signing up for her email. Check out these Free Colorful and Creative Stock Photos.
StyledStock Society: Another incredible resource for both business and personal use, I’ve also used many of these photos for my site! With an easy to search database and an affordable monthly fee that varies based on how long you sign up for a membership, this is another great resource! Keep in mind that while there are some pregnancy photos, Envato (especially!) or Ivory Mix will have more for you in the mama/baby department.
If you’re looking for specific graphics or pictures, Creative Market features so many options that you can buy without a membership.
Get Started on Your Own Big, Beautiful Baby Announcements
Now that you have all of the resources, you’re ready to go! I know you can make an announcement better than any of the templates out there, and for a fraction of the cost and time!
You’re really only limited by your creativity! Remember to have fun with it and not worry too much about the initial learning curve (it doesn’t last long, I promise, and you’ve got this!) Because you are perfection, mama! As-is.