What is a birth announcement card?
The purpose of a birth announcement card is to formally introduce your friends and family to your new baby. It can be a really special way to celebrate the arrival of your little one and gives you the chance to share your favourite newborn photographs along with the child’s birth stats, such as weight and length.
What goes on a birth announcement?
A birth announcement card will usually feature one or multiple photographs of the baby, depending on the design of the card. These don’t have to be professional photographs (although these look beautiful if you’re lucky enough to have them), but can be simple photographs taken on your mobile phone. Just make sure your taking the photographs in an area with lots of natural light (for more newborn photography tips, read ‘5 tips for taking great newborn photographs on your mobile’).
Most birth announcement cards will then include the child’s name and their key birth stats, such as the date they were born, the time they were born, their weight and their length. You may also choose to include where your baby was born, their eye colour and their hair colour. You can also add your name(s) and the names of any siblings the baby has.
Birth Announcements from Vista Print
When do you send a birth announcement?
If you’re able to send it out within the first 4 - 6 weeks, that’s perfect, but if it’s later then that’s ok. There really is no rush to send a birth announcement card. Those first few weeks (and months!) with a newborn can be extremely tiring and there will be a lot you need to adjust to, so give yourself grace and don’t worry too much about sending it out the minute your baby is born. It doesn’t matter if most people have already met the baby or seen pictures, it’s still a lovely thing to do, to officially mark their arrival, and in my experience, people love to receive birth announcement cards and close friends and family will often keep them on display after receiving them.
Where can you buy birth announcement cards?
There are plenty of options available to you, including popular sites such as Etsy and Not on the High Street. A quick Google search will bring up plenty of options and depending where you shop, you may be able to choose between cards that are designed and printed for you or cards that you edit online and print yourself (this is quite common on Etsy).
With the first option, you find a birth announcement design that you love and place your order. You will provide the company with all of the relevant details and photographs and then the company will design the card and send you a preview. Once you are happy, they will print as many cards as you have ordered and send them to you in the post, along with blank envelopes so that you can send them on to your friends and family.
The second option, the digital purchase, is when you find a design that you love and order the digital design file (often priced at around £10). You will then use a web application to add in the details yourself, uploading photographs into the design where they’re needed and then saving it as a PDF. You can then print as many cards as you need. You will have to source your envelopes separately.
Should I save a birth announcement card?
Of course! This is such a lovely keepsake and you should definitely hold one back for yourself. Not only will you love looking back at it over the years, but your child will love to see it as they get older too. You could frame the card and put it on the nursery wall or prop it up on a shelf. If you have a keepsake box, you can pop it in there or if you have a baby record book (you can shop our luxury baby record books here), this is the perfect place to keep your birth announcement card.