When you learn you're going to become mum

For some people, it's a decision they made a long time ago and for others, it's a surprise but either way, finding out you're going to become a mum is a really special time.

Whether you've been trying for ages or succeeded on your first attempt (ahem), when the blue line appears on your pregnancy test, you're heart skips a beat and you realise that this is it. This. Is. It.

You're going to have a baby. You've going to grow a bump. Someone will, someday, call you Mummy.

Wow.

It's a moment I know I will never forget. It was something we had very much wanted and very much planned (I don't do that well with surprises and like to have a good idea about what's going to happen and when, as much as I can) and Ethan seemed to be very happy to go along with this. After three months, the line went blue and my journey to become mum began.

Is it weird that I still have the test, kept safe in a box, after all this time?

Finding out you're expecting is one of the strangest things - all of a sudden, this thin blue line changes everything and you realise you are no longer alone.

Although you physically don't change - at least, not for a while - mentally, things just feel different. We found out just after the August Bank Holiday and it was hard for us to keep the smiles off our faces. Hubs and I were so pleased and we really didn't know how we would keep it quiet for a few weeks.

Our big announcement
The best thing since finding out we were expecting was telling other people we were expecting.


We wanted to wait until we had the first scan before telling anyone, so it was our little secret for six weeks. It was nice living in our little bubble but it got harder and harder to keep the news to ourselves.

It was tricky to work out who to tell when - some friends we wouldn't see for a while so we told them early on and we wanted to wait for the first scan before telling our families, I needed to tell work as I couldn't hide it much longer but we still had wider family to tell. It's a lot trickier than you think, trying to spread the word!

There's a real trend for people telling their friends and families in really fun ways - remember Tom McFly's baby announcement? - but we were really just nervous. It's such a big thing to say out loud and I was a bit of a wreck before telling my parents in particular. I knew they would be really happy, but it was still quite a scary thing to say!

We told as many people as we could face-to-face - our parents one-to-one and Ste's brother and sister too, then Ste's wider family and our friends at get-togethers. And then, of course, we took to Facebook...

What was truly amazing about no longer keeping mum about becoming a mum was the comments we received from people, including close family and people we hadn't seen for years.

By 15 weeks, all of our family and friends knew the news and it was the best feeling, particularly as all the initial tests had gone well by that point. I was particularly excited that I didn't have to hide my bump any more!

Tips for spilling the beans

If you're hiding a bundle of joy, my best advice for sharing your news is to take your time. Don't feel pressured to let the cat out the bag straight away - if you want to wait until your 12 week scan to be sure everything is safe and sound before speaking a word, that's completely fine. There will be plenty of time to tell everyone soon - it's nice to enjoy your baby bubble, just you two, for a little while.

When you do make your announcements, make sure you consider who needs, would like or would appreciate to know first. Your parents, siblings and best friends are bound to be at the top of the list and it's nice to take the time to share in the moment - because it's not just about the two of you; your bump is going to be part of a wider family and your parents are going to become grandparents, so it's big news for everyone close to you.

Getting ready for baby

It's a cliché, but nothing can really prepare you for a baby but I was and still am a big believer in being as prepared as possible. Whether I was reading magazines, books or blogs, going to The Baby Show or collecting product catalogues left, right and centre, I wanted to get as much ready as I could before bump became Ethan.

We bought bits for his nursery early on because there were offers on and I gradually gathered and organised Ethan's wardrobe (take a look at his nursery here) - I had everything he could need for the first few months!

Finding somewhere to get all your bits and pieces under one roof can be a real lifesaver, believe me, to save time and to help you feel organised, whether you have a bump or a newborn, which is why I've been excited to find out that M&S has launched an all-new on-stop baby shop.

Available online and in six stores, M&S Baby offers products for seven key stages - Welcome (newborns), Clothe, Bathe, Sleep, Feed, Play and, not forgetting mums, Maternity - and including products from eight well-known baby brands. 

I love M&S for their food and Ethan has had some really lovely clothes from there too (usually saved for 'best') so of course I'm loving the look of this new range. 

Perhaps for baby number two... a little while in the future yet!

Definitely one to check out if you're expecting. Or if you have a friend who is. Or if you just like looking at cute things.

I've heard that M&S will be running a Twitter competition for parents to have the chance to win £1,000 towards their nursery - now, that would be lovely, wouldn't it?!

How did you spill the beans about your bump? And what did you do to prepare for their arrival?

* Thank you to M&S for telling me all about the new M&S Baby collection!