Good news cannot be kept secret. The pending birth of a child is such a momentous event that parents are often prone to telling even strangers, "A child is on the way!" Men and women begin calling themselves aunt or uncle or mother or father. Personal identities shift and change as the realization dawns: a baby is coming. If you have experienced this joy as a parent or relative, you also know the disruptions created by the presence of a new personality.

The forthcoming event is announced in many ways. Blankets and clothing of certain colors, blue or pink, are purchased. A special room is set aside in the house for the baby. Genealogical charts are often consulted, names are carefully mulled over and selections made. Before the birth itself a variety of signals tell the world - this child …