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Pregnancy

23rd Apr 2019

Three options: WHEN to tell your family and friends that you’re pregnant

Gillian Fitzpatrick

pregnant

It’s an amazingly exciting time (not to mention a bit scary!).

But once you and your partner have gotten to grips with your pregnancy – then you have to decide WHEN to tell your family and friend the good news.

Tradition was to wait until the 12-week mark – but these days loads of women are scrapping that concept and playing by their own rules.

Here, HerFamily weighs up the pros and cons of  making the announcement early, mid, or late in your pregnancy…

Early [before 12 weeks]

Good: Everyone will know why you’re tired, nauseous, and staying away from blue cheese, booze, and sashimi – so you won’t have to make up excuses, or pretend you’re “on antibiotics,” during a hen weekend away. Your friends and family can support you from the earliest weeks too, and get in on the excitement of it all.

Bad: Stating that you’re pregnant so early on will potentially make those nine months looonnng, especially if it’s a first child. After the 12-week mark, the risk of miscarriage also drops significantly – which is why traditionally mums waited until then.

Mid [12-16 weeks]

Good: You’ll be over the worst of the morning sickness and exhaustion, and the glorious second trimester – aka the glowing stage – is about to kick in. And when friends and family coo over you and your little bump, it helps if you feel rather fabulous rather than brutally nauseous.

Bad: You’ve had to do that rougher first trimester on your own – probably telling a few white lies along the way. And you STILL have another 28 weeks to go. You’ll be on ‘bump-watch’ too as people comment unashamedly on your body’s shape and size.

Late [after 17 weeks]

Good: Announcing later into your pregnancy makes the whole thing go by MUCH faster. Not every expectant mama wants to be fussed over for 40 weeks either – waiting until after the 17-week mark allows you to simply get on with things. You’ll also be on the cusp on your anomaly scan, which is a big milestone and comfort for a lot of woman.

Bad: Some friends and family might feel hurt that you kept things under wraps for so long – and you won’t have had their support during that time either.