Announcing the birth of your child is a tradition that dates back to seventeenth Century Europe. Before post offices and telephones, those with the means to do so would often announce social and family occasions to friends and relatives through hand-delivered notes. Today, birth announcements are a simple way to involve your friends and relatives in celebrating an addition to your family.

When to Send Them. Usually you should send a birth announcement within the first month or two after the baby is born. Sending just the announcement itself is fine--there's no need to write everyone a unique message or thought on the card. This will certainly not be expected as the lives of new parents are hectic enough, and receiving an announcement is considered a gracious gesture. Use some of the waiting time during pregnancy to go ahead and prepare your announcement list, including addressing envelopes.

Should you send birth announcements for a second or third child? Of course--they are no less a joyful addition to your family than the first. You may also want to include the names of their sibling(s) on the announcement in the case of more than one child.

What to Include. A birth announcement must include the name and birthdate of the child and the parents' names. Beyond that, other details are really up to the parents. Other items you might want to consider including are the place of birth, birth weight and length, and the names of siblings or grandparents. If your child has an unusual birth weight, or the grandparents are divorced or separated, you can just leave that off the announcement--it's your choice. Remember the focus of the card is to celebrate the baby.

Photo Cards. A photo card with a picture of the baby is a very popular option today--it lets every friend and relative share in the joy of seeing your child even if they couldn't make it to the hospital, and gives them a keepsake of the occasion. Photo cards require a little more effort on the part of the parents in terms of selecting a photo and placing an order. If you should happen to miss the opportunity, consider sending a family photo card instead of a birth announcement at the next major season (spring/Easter, summer, fall or Christmas).

Gifts Expected? Parents may believe that sending a birth announcement is, in effect, asking for baby gifts. This is not the case--an announcement is just that and etiquette does not require anyone to send a gift when receiving your announcement. However, you can always include "No gifts, please" on the announcement if this is a concern.