The art of the celebrity pregnancy announcement — well, any announcement, for the matter — became a competitive sport long before Beyoncé won the entire game with her twin reveal Instagram. The key themes are pretty basic: pregnant, baby, excitement, joy. The means of conveying said themes is (figuratively speaking) infinite. You want your news to stick. You want your news to resonate and not get lost in the deluge of daily gossip and Kardashian headlines. So, you pull out all the stops: Instagram, Twitter, hashtags, performances, talk shows, high-fashion shoots, you name it.
In the age of social media, celebrities have nailed the whole "I'm pregnant" announcement. And, lucky for you — whether you're expecting or just plain lookin' for some bang-up ( eheh) announcement inspiration — a guide exists, even if you're not famous. Congrats in advance!
Beyoncé: The Queen Method
Bey's baby announcement was simple, elegant, and meaningful — not only did she reveal she was pregnant with twins via this charming flower goddess pic, she also did so on the first day of Black History Month.
Photo: via @beyonce
Lauren Conrad: The Instagram-Meets-Sonogram Method
The former Hills star couldn't pass up the opportunity to add her "first baby photo" to her perfectly curated Insta account.
Photo: via @laurenconrad
Kevin Jonas: The Dad Method
Jonas and his wife Danielle posted this funny pic to Instagram to announce the birth of their second baby. A+ collection of junk food, Danielle.
Photo: via @kevinjonas
Gal Gadot: The Wonder Pun Method
The Justice League star took to Instagram to announce her second baby:
"So excited to share this wonder with you... #mommyforthesecondtime"
We see what you did there, Gadot.
Photo: via @gal__gadot
Stacy Keibler: The Jokester Method
There ain't nothing easier and punnier than announcing your "bun in the oven" with an actual bun in the oven. Hats off, Stacy Keibler. Hats off.
Photo: via @stacykeibler
Jessica Simpson: The Pun Method
Speaking of puns, Jessica Simpson is an O.G. celebrity jokester. She nailed it with her 2011 tweet announcing her pregnancy. "It's true," she tweeted alongside this picture. "I am going to be mummy." Bah-dum-cha!
Photo: via @JessicaSimpson
Fergie: The Photoshopped Method
Ah, the power of Photoshop. Fergie and Josh Duhamel announced they were expecting their first child by Photoshopping their baby faces onto an old picture, with the caption: "Fergie and Me and BABY makes three." Cute, poignant, and a wee-bit Etsy. Thumbs up.
Photo: via @joshduhamel.
Rachel Zoe: The Social-Media Method
The Social-Media Method is simple and to the point. No frills. Just news.
Photo: via @RachelZoe
Kelly Rowland: The Instagram Method
Instagram is easy. Making your post count is hard. Kelly Rowland nailed it by 'gramming baby Jordans with dad Jordans. She didn't even have to use the word "pregnant" in her caption. That's the power of a good 'gram.
Photo: via @kellyrowland
Gwen Stefani: The Performance Method
During a 2005 performance in Florida, Stefani asked the audience to sing "so loud that the baby hears it." It doesn't take a rocket scientist to read between the lines: Stefani was pregnant.
Photo: Stewart Cook/REX USA.
Gwen Stefani, Take 2: The Hashtag Method
These days, certain celebrity happenings require immediate attention: births, pregnancy announcements, marriages, deaths, and social-media debuts. Stefani managed to fit two of the five into her second pregnancy announcement. In early 2014, Stefani joined Instagram by announcing her second pregnancy with #itsaboy, a.k.a. the hashtag for "I'm pregnant."
Photo: via @gwenstefani
Beyoncé: The Awards-Show Method
Ah, the pregnancy announcement heard around the world. Not only did Beyoncé pull a Gwen Stefani and break the news on stage, but she continued to flaunt her bump throughout the entire MTV VMA ceremony.
Photo: Jim Smeal/BEImages.
Ciara: The Talk-Show Method
Back in January 2014, Ciara pulled a Beyoncé and rubbed her belly on a televised program. Rubbing bellies, folks, that's the key to this whole pregnancy-reveal thing.
Photo: via @JennyMcCarthy
Tina Fey: The Oprah Method
Now, Ciara's announcement on The View is one thing, but Oprah is a whole other level. You want to know what's cooler than saying "Oprah helped announce your birth?" Nothing.
Photo: George Burns/Harpo Studios.
Doutzen Kroes: The Fashion-Shoot Method
The famous pregnant nude photo is the definition of #glamour. Demi Moore's 1992 Vanity Fair cover might be the most well-known version, but the world already knew she was pregnant. (How could one not considering the size of that bump?) Kroes did the whole fashion shoot thing before her bump was even a bump. Think of it as an image of things to come.
Photo: via @doutzen
J.Lo: The Family-Affair Method
If you're expanding your family, it only makes sense to include everyone in the announcement, right? Right. And, Jennifer Lopez did just that in 2007 when she brought then-husband Marc Anthony out on stage to rub her belly and confirm the rumours that she was expecting.
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