Are you expecting a baby and looking for a great way to let friends and family know? Here are some unique ways to announce to family and friends that you're a proud parent-to-be.

1. Pregnancy Announcement: Spread the news about your pregnancy the old fashion way with snail mail. Many parents-to-be, including celebrities, are announcing their good news the same way many announce the actual birth of their babies. Send family and friends photo announcement of your pregnancy and be sure to include the due date. Not only is this a great way to say hi to friends and family you may not always see, it's a great way to tell loved ones who may be too far away to watch your belly grow.

If your computer savvy, you can make them from the privacy of your own home. Just put together a layout or download one from the internet; import your picture, and get printing. If you're not a computer whiz or don't' have the time you can easily find an online greeting card retailer that specialized in announcements. Just send them the chosen picture, pay for their services, and wait for them to come in the mail.

What You Need:

* A Picture: You may want to take a picture of yourself that shows a visible tummy. Usually I would suggest waiting until the third or fourth month to announce your pregnancy. This allows for some time to form that little tell tale bump. You may also want to include the baby's father in the picture as well as any other children you may have.

* Shirts: If you are including other members of your growing family in the picture, it may be fun to have them wear shirts that say "Big Brother," "Big Sister," or "New Daddy."

* Photo Paper: If you're printing your announcements at home you will need quality photo paper.

* Envelopes: When printing your announcements at home you'll need envelopes to mail them in. If you're having your announcement made, check with the company to see if they provide the envelopes for you.

* Stamps

2. Say it with Shirts: Pregnancy looks great on you, why not make it fashionable for everyone else. Buy a few plaint white tee shirts and some fabric paint or permanent markers and get busy. Personalize each shirt for each member of your family by labeling it with their new title. Make the new grandparents shirts that say "Grandma," and "Grandpa;" for your brothers and sisters, label them with "Uncle," or "Aunt." Roll each other shirts up and tie them with ribbon.

Gather everyone together for dinner or snacks and pass out the shirts. The only thing you have left to do is watch everyone open their shirt and figure out what the secret message is! You may want to keep a camera on hand to keep a lasting memory of everyone's reactions.

What You Need:

* Plain White Tee Shirts: Figure out how many people you will need tee shirts for. The amount of tee shirts you need depends on how many family members you will be giving them to. Generally speaking you should have shirts for both sets of grandparents, any sibling that you and your partner may have, as well as any children you already have.

* Fabric Paint or Permanent Markers: While permanent markers are equally as efficient, I suggest going with fabric paint for a cleaner appearance.

* Ribbon: The color ribbon you choose should depend on how quickly you want everyone to figure out what you're trying to say. A red or black ribbon will keep things a mystery for at least a few more minutes. However, pink and blue ribbons will give away your surprise pretty quickly.

* Camera: Capture everyone's reactions with a camera. Use the picture to start a baby book for the newest member of your family.

3. Sweet Messages: Make your pregnancy announcement even sweeter with some sugar cookies or cupcakes. This works particularly well if you have a huge family or if you want to let your co-workers know about your pregnancy. Purchase or bake the confection of your choose. Decorate the cupcakes or cookies with blue and pink icing, sprinkles, and a few baby themed decorations like tiny rattles and bottles.

A New Family Tree.

A fantastic way to announce to your family that there will be a new baby in the family is to give them an updated version of your family tree. There are many great resources where you can buy or download a family tree. Just leave a blank space under yours and your husbands name and write in pencil your due date. This would make a perfect gift if you had it framed or for those who have scrap booking loved ones, a scrap book page would be perfect!

What You Need:

* Cookies or Cupcakes: If you're purchasing the cookies or cupcakes, check with your local bakery. They should be able to accommodate your needs by making cookies and cupcakes without the Icing or decorating them in blue and pink icing there. If your baking them be sure you have all the ingredients you need including the frosting.

* Baby Decorations Put a personal touch on your sweets by decorating them with tiny baby trinkets like baby bottles, rattles, and toys. You should be able to find these things in an arts and crafts store or department.

Site Update.

A great way to keep friends and relatives updated on your pregnancy is to create an online pregnancy journal, so why not use this as a way to announce your pregnancy also? Do a search for "free online pregnancy journal" and get started building your site today.