"expecting a baby"

Question

Can I say "we are expecting a baby" when my wife is pregnant or does that sound funny to native English speakers, saying it as a man? (In German, the phrase has become somewhat common, but it stills sound a bit funny to some. Some use it, some don't.)

I don't like the sound of "my wife is expecting a baby" - it sounds too distant, like I don't care, but that's an intuition of a non-native speaker.

What other (not overly formal) ways are there to express that one is becoming a family?

Well, it certainly sounds a lot better to say that you are both expecting than that you are both impregnated. :) — tchrist, Mar 13 '13 at 13:33
@tchrist: have you not encountered proud fathers-to-be who say "We're pregnant"? Being polite, I try not to laugh out loud. — Tim Lymington, Mar 13 '13 at 14:01
@TimLymington: But you agree with Dan that "we are expecting a baby" is not considered funny to say for a man, or have accepted prematurely? — DCS, Mar 13 '13 at 14:04
As GEdgar said, anybody can expect a baby, just as anybody can expect a rainshower. Parents, unsurprisingly, use the phrase most often. Dan was correct, but could have explained better. — Tim Lymington, Mar 13 '13 at 14:11
I love that phrase, it makes it sound like it might not be a baby
"Were expecting a baby, but it might be a velociraptor" — , Mar 13 '13 at 16:56
@RhysW: Which phrase would you suggest (that does not involve velociraptors)? — DCS, Mar 13 '13 at 17:01
My wife is pregnant and we are going to be parents. Our baby is due soon. A man is not pregnant.Why do we need to have a mna at the top of everything that is designed for the woman? Everything is not about the man/husbands. Please allow the woman to get her autonomy, foe once. He drives the car when their families go somewhere, and we always people always speak of the man as the provider. Now for once, let the woman have a piece fo the pie!!!!! — , May 10 '13 at 19:01

score 11 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 13 '13 at 13:34

11

Yes, in English the idiom is for both parents to say "we are expecting [our first/a baby...]".

answered Mar 13 '13 at 13:34

rosends

2,475

1

Indeed, if there are (old enough) children in the family, they too may say "we are expecting a baby". If Grandma is living in the house with this family, even she may say it. – GEdgar Mar 13 '13 at 14:04
4

It's fine. Just don't say "We are pregnant". – Mar 13 '13 at 16:51
I've heard couples say "we are pregnant". – DJClayworth Dec 27 '19 at 14:52

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 05 '14 at 16:01

1

A native English speaker will know what you mean when you say "we are expecting". The baby part is a little redundant.

answered Nov 05 '14 at 16:01

Jason Hutchinson

622

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited Nov 05 '14 at 15:22

0

We can even use it to ask our friends who are having a baby. It's an amusing way of asking; for example my male best friend's wife is pregnant, and I ask him "When are we having the baby?"

edited Nov 05 '14 at 15:22

tunny

4,808

answered Nov 05 '14 at 14:01

Jon

1

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Dec 27 '19 at 05:26

0

'We are expecting'. That is enough as I see in the UK. (I am not native or I don't have good English, just heard this phrase a lot. )

answered Dec 27 '19 at 05:26

Tuğrul Karakaya

1

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Dec 27 '19 at 12:13

0

You could also say 'My wife's due [for whatever month]. You could also use the words 'gravid,' or 'conceived,' if you choose to be succinct.

answered Dec 27 '19 at 12:13

Noaman Ali

360

"expecting a baby"

5 Answers5

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