'Piece of cake!', you may think. 'I just blurt it out, right?' This is such a special piece of news, however, that you may want to give some careful consideration as to when and how you tell your parents.

Usually it's advised that you wait until your three month scan before you announce your pregnancy, but if you're very close to your parents, you may choose to confide in them at an earlier stage. Make sure that they know to keep it a secret, however, until you're ready to tell the rest of the world.

When deciding how to share your special news with your parents, you might choose a similar method to the one you used when you told your partner you were pregnant. For instance, you could:

* Make them a 'Grandparents' card

*Buy a plain white t-shirt and write 'Number 1 Granny/Grandpa' on it in fabric pen

*Invite them round for dinner and leave the positive pregnancy test somewhere obvious (preferably not near any food, for hygiene reasons!)

*Call your parents up and greet them with 'Hello Grandma/Grandpa!' - see how long it takes them to realise.

*Give them a book filled with grandparenting tips

Alternatively, you could gain inspiration from one of the following stories:

Nifa McLaughlin, Editor of gurgle: When I called my mum to tell her that I was pregnant she had a group of friends round. I told her to go upstairs as I wasn't ready for the whole world to know. I then said 'Mum, I'm pregnant!' She screamed so loudly it gave me quite a shock - she then had to make up some ridiculous excuse to her friends as they were concerned after hearing her shrieking. My father-in-law wasn't quite as surprised when I told him, as apparently I'd drunkenly announced to him the year before that he would be a grandpa in the near future!

Sasha Lyne, Editorial assistant at gurgle (me!): I had quite a novel way of telling my parents I was pregnant. Since I was only 21 years old, I wasn't sure how they would react, so I bought them a beautiful wooden box and put a picture of my first ultrasound scan in there. When my mum opened the box I said 'This is a picture of your grandchild.' There wasn't a dry eye in the house!

Lucy, 28, mum-to-be: As we wanted to keep my parents guessing for a while, we invited them round for a meal and then dropped (not-so-subtle) hints throughout dinner. I kept patting my tummy suggestively and when my dad poured me a glass of wine I put my hand over the top and said 'Ooh, I better not.' They were a bit slow on the uptake but when it sank in they were ecstatic!

Tara, 34, mum to Jack, one: We were going round to my parents as we do every Sunday and I told them we'd bring dessert. 'Dessert' was a chocolate cake with 'Number 1 Granny and Grandpa' spelt out in Smarties. They were over the moon, so much so that they couldn't bear to eat the cake!

Suzie, 22, mum to Millie, 3 months: My mum loves flowers so I arranged for a dozen red roses to be sent to her house. The card attached read 'Congratulations Granny.' It went down a treat!

If you aren't close to your parents:

If you have a difficult relationship with your parents, or you think that they might disapprove of your pregnancy, you might want to choose a more gentle approach. Here are a few tips:

*Give them pre-warning; tell them you have something important to discuss and then invite them round for a cup of tea or suggest a walk in the park.

*Support from your partner is very important at this time. Make sure he's with you when you tell your parents, so that he's there for you if you are upset by their reaction to your news. If you are a single mum-to-be, see if your best friend can be with you for a bit of moral support.

*Stand your ground - remember that this is your baby and your decision. Be confident and proud; you've created a life! You shouldn't feel pressured by your parents or made to feel guilty. You don't want the conversation to escalate into an argument, as this will be counterproductive, so try to remain as calm as possible.

*Be patient; although of course you want them to be happy for you, this is a lot for your parents to take in - give them a bit of time to let it sink in. The idea that their little girl is going to be a mummy can come as quite a shock and certain circumstances might make it harder for them to accept immediately, for instance if you're quite a young mum or aren't in a relationship.

*Focus on the positive aspects of your pregnancy when you tell your parents the news; they're going to be grandparents! Why not ask them to read our feature on Grandparents and new babies to learn more about this special relationship? 

The information on this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

Last Modified: 11/02/2009