When you’ve been trying for a baby, discovering that you’re pregnant is the best news in the world. For many expecting mothers, the joy of that discovery is dimmed by the anxiety around deciding when to tell everyone about it…
Whether your period is a day late or you’ve been sitting on a positive pregnancy test for a month or two, choosing when to announce your pregnancy is a huge (and exciting!) decision. Keep reading to learn the pros and cons of saying “I’m pregnant!” at each stage of your pregnancy.
Announcing Early
Letting close friends and family hear the wondrous news early on in the pregnancy often makes sense when it’s your first baby, if it’s a planned baby, or if they know you’ve been trying for a while.
The first advantage is that it’s fun! You can squeal in excitement with your nearest and dearest, share the incredible changes you feel in your body, and enjoy the pre-baby buzz for longer.
Practically, early announcements mean you don’t have to explain away morning sickness or odd pregnancy cravings.
Announcing after your first positive pregnancy test ensures you have a support structure in place to help you through the harder parts of pregnancy or comfort you if you do miscarry.
Announcing at 6 Weeks
At 6 weeks, you can get a confirmation ultrasound from your doctor. This shows the heartbeat!
You may way to keep your happy news to yourself and your partner for a little while. Whether this is to enjoy the secret, avoid personal questions, or make extra sure everything is okay before sharing the news, it’s common to wait until 12 weeks to announce the pregnancy.
Announcing at 12 Weeks
Roughly 80% of miscarriages https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/practice-bulletin/articles/2018/11/early-pregnancy-loss happen in the first trimester. Because of this, many expecting parents choose to announce their pregnancy at around 12 weeks when the risk of miscarriage decreases.
On the other hand, many women suffer in silence with early miscarriages, without support from their loved ones.
At 12 weeks, you will have your second ultrasound which confirms baby is growing healthily (and looks like a human instead of a strange bean!)
Announcing after 12 Weeks
Some pregnant mothers choose to announce their pregnancy later than 12 weeks. This could be because they have a high-risk pregnancy which comes with risks of complications.
High-risk pregnancies include:
- women with a history of miscarriage
- women carrying multiple babies
- women with health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure
- women older than 35
- women using fertility assistance such as IVF
Most expecting mothers start showing at around 20 weeks, which is a great time to share the news. If you want to keep it a secret for longer, it’s good to know how to hide pregnancy belly.
The Best Time to Say, “I’m Pregnant!”
Ultimately, the best time to tell people you are pregnant is when you and your partner feel most comfortable. Whether that’s immediately after your first positive pregnancy test or the moment after your baby is born, telling the world that you’re new parents is something you’ll never forget.
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