You just saw that second line on your at-home pregnancy test, thus you are indeed pregnant!
You have a lot of control about when and how to announce your pregnancy. You might not want some individuals to know, for instance, at least not now. You might be feeling emotional because of a prior miscarriage, or you might want to get an ultrasound done first to be sure the pregnancy is viable. To prevent discrimination in the job as well, it can be wise to keep things quiet for a while. Some mothers prefer to just go with the flow rather than feel pressured to make a big gesture within a set time frame. Really, there is no ideal moment to reveal your pregnancy.
The choice of when to announce pregnancy varies from mother to mother, says Khristee Rich, a childbirth educator.
A labor and delivery nurse from North Carolina, Liesel Teen, RN, concurs. There is just what feels right for you; she informs Motherly that there is no right or wrong timing. The proverbial advice to hold off until the first trimester is through is not a set rule.
The majority decide to delay until the first trimester’s end, when the risk of miscarriage drastically decreases. Teen notes that this gives ladies more comfort because they won’t have to mention a loss when they share their news.
Women are increasingly sharing their news as soon as they learn it, according to Teen, so that they won’t have to go through a miscarriage alone. Some people could disclose early to close family and friendsThis could be especially true if you are older and at a higher risk for complications.
“Some mothers have said to me they were glad that they told family and friends as soon as they knew, even if they miscarried, so that they were supported through the whole process,” Rich notes.
“So many mothers are told not to announce pregnancy until after the first trimester and if they miscarry, they bear this grief and trauma alone. But it can also be hard for some women to know that everyone knows if they lost a baby,” she says. “Alternatively, for some, an unplanned pregnancy can be a trauma, too.”
Not everyone struggles with the timing of a birth announcement. It may be hard to wait, especially if you’ve yearned to be pregnant for quite some time. Or if it’s not your first kid. If you are using a surrogate, you may have more options in terms of timing.
