When should you announce a pregnancy full#

Liesel Teen, RN, a labor and delivery nurse from North Carolina, agrees.

“The decision to announce pregnancy differs from mom to mom,” explains Khristee Rich, a childbirth specialist from Connecticut. There's really no best time to announce your pregnancy. Some mothers just go with the flow and don’t want to feel forced to make some grand gesture in a certain time period. Keeping things under wraps for a while may be best to avoid discrimination in the workplace, too. You may face emotions due to previous pregnancy loss, or may want to confirm the viability of the pregnancy first with an ultrasound. For instance, you may not want certain people to know-at least yet. When and how you announce your pregnancy is largely up to you. ‘Having your loved ones fuss around you and forgive you for any tiredness, grumpiness or generally not feeling yourself can be really reassuring and be a great source of physical and emotional support.That second line just materialized on your home pregnancy test and yep, you’re pregnant! The nature of this can leave you feeling pretty grotty. ‘Your body is working at its hardest as it gets to work on growing your beautiful tiny human. She believes telling close family and friends before announcing to a broader audience on social media is a happy compromise: ‘The reality is, in the sad event that your pregnancy doesn’t go to plan, the likelihood is that you will draw on the love and support of your closest friends and family to hold your hand and shower you with love as you navigate this terribly sad time in your life.Įven if things do go smoothly, the first weeks of pregnancy can be tough, Broadbridge empathises. Kid-friendly recipes: Back-to-school wafer pencils that are perfect for lunchboxes

When should you announce a pregnancy full#

‘We shouldn’t feel restricted by social norms,’ says Emma Armstrong, hypnobirthing coach and educator ( constantly tell women what they should be doing and how they should be doing it, but women have full body autonomy and need to do what’s right for them.’

Your employer should also do a risk assessment with you to see if your job poses any risks to you or your baby as it may be illegal for you to work with chemicals, lead or X-rays, or in a job with a lot of lifting.Īccording to the NHS website, if this is the case, your employer must offer you alternative work on the same terms and conditions as your original job and must give you paid leave for as long as necessary to avoid the risk if there’s no safe alternative.Įven if your job poses no direct risk to yours or your baby’s health, the fatigue and nausea that can occur in the first weeks of pregnancy can leave you feeling drained and make it harder to work.Īsk your employer about adjusting your hours slightly to avoid rush hour or times when you feel worse or ask about the possibility of working remotely on days when you feel unwell. If you’re working while you’re pregnant, you need to know your rights to antenatal care, maternity leave and benefits. If you’ve had difficulty conceiving, suffered previous pregnancy loss, or had a stillbirth, you may decide to wait longer.Įven if things do go smoothly, the first weeks of pregnancy can be tough (Credits: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Telling your employer This dating scan also allows you to more accurately date your conception and due date to determine whether or not you’ve actually reached that 12-week milestone before getting yourself, and those you tell, excited.

However, some parents-to-be like the reassurance of the first scan to hear the heartbeat, rule out infection and determine the general health of the baby. According to one study, once you reach the six or seven-week mark the risk drops to 10%. While there’s no firm research surrounding miscarriage rates week-by-week, most people know that the risk drops by the end of week 12. ‘This 12-week landmark sees the risk of miscarriage drop dramatically, hence the decision to wait,’ explains Broadbridge.

In the UK, it is estimated that one in four pregnancies end in loss. Many people choose to hold off a big announcement until after they have had their first ultrasound scan at around 12 weeks. Even if you have been trying for a baby for some time, feelings of trepidation are to be expected for some.’ Why do some people wait? What is important to remember is that whatever you are feeling is perfectly normal. ‘The emotions we feel will vary from person to person.