Pregnancy Announcements: How and When to let the cat out of the bag!

allie456

@sunshinesea22 that sounds like exactly their concerns/reactions (and for my kids, their dad never remarried so they never had to go through these sorts of family adjustments on his side, which makes it harder for them at my house).  I hope they do come around by the time the twins are born.

I'm also surprisingly struggling with telling people at work -- so far I've only told my boss and HR. I have to tell my teams so they can plan at some point -- and I'm big enough that I think even at 16 weeks it must be obvious! But I guess no one notices what I look like as much as I do 🤷

pirateduck

@allie456 I e told my boss and 2 co-workers in my department and HR.  It went well, but I cried every time.  I’m definitely not ready to talk about it with everyone.  I don’t think any of them have said anything to anyone else at work.  They, fortunately, are waiting on me.

lisush

@pirateduck yea I don't know that there's ever complete peace of mind for the rest of our lives now lol. My mom was talking to me about how nervous she was waiting for my older brother to come out as he was late and was convinced something would happen in the meantime. Then there's just being terrired for the safety of the kid forever even after it's born haha

Austenista

@lisush @pirateduck count me in. I feel like I'm only confident as my last appointment. The further I get from it the more worried I get again. I feel movement only sporadically right now which isn't comforting when it's a spell where I'm not feeling anything. I can't seem to give myself a break. Still no SM announcement from me either. 

pirateduck

@austenista you feel movement!  This is awesome.  I'm still awaiting the day.  Once in awhile I think I feel something and then I'm not sure or assume it's my unending gas/indigestion.  I read something about feeling movement and once you get to the point it's consistent it said something like you should feel it at least 10 times in a two hour period.  I see myself counting kicks as reassurance in the future, but also don't freak out if sometimes it's not much or not noticeable as baby could be resting.

Austenista

@pirateduck I think they say it's easier to feel or know what you're feeling if you've been pregnant before. With DS1 I was an obsessive kick counter. I still have the times I was counting saved in the notes of my phone. He was so chill inside and once he got out though, that he kept me nervous pretty consistently in utero. DS2 was busy busy and I rarely had to count for him because he never stopped wiggling. I can't wait for the movement to get consistent so I can relax a little more. I've been a basket-case this pregnancy! 

rox7777

@pirateduck You actually don’t even do kick counts until the third trimester! Movement in the second trimester can be fairly sporadic too. DS1 I really only ever felt hiccups because he was so low and cramped. DS2 was an Olympian and I could see him rolling over in my stomach right around 18 weeks. She’s pretty laidback. She kicks after morning coffee and usually a little after I lay down. But not everyday yet. Every few days I feel her moving around. 

soprano19

@pirateduck as a STM, it is definitely easier to identify movement earlier because I know what it's supposed to feel like. The best way I can describe it is like little gas bubbles. I remember noticing this feeling around 18 weeks or so with DD, and then a couple of weeks later it got more distinct and noticeable. What you're feeling could very well be movement!

pirateduck

It’s so sporadic, it’s hard to know.  Time will tell.  It’s still early.

soprano19

@Austenista I'm with you on only being as confident as my last appointment. Right after an appointment I feel great, and as I get farther removed from it and closer to the next one, my anxiety goes up. I guess the good news is that as this pregnancy goes on, my anxiety rises less and less between appointments as it's confirmed that things are still fine.

jrouge12

@lisush Yes! I really feel like I'll post after my appointment Monday but who knows? I'm really bad at telling people in person so SM helps. It never comes out right (and I rehearse it in my head 100 times). I had a tough time telling DH! I just get so nervous and I don't know why. Luckily my mom guessed so I didn't have to tell her. I should just get a tee shirt to announce to my students. 

chewie5990

I finally told a group of my coworkers this morning - up until this point the only person at work that knew was my principal. Everyone was so excited and couldn't believe how I went this far without spilling. I just HATE telling people I'm pregnant (with the exception of close friends/family). It seems so vain and conceded like - I'm expecting everyone to be so happy for me that I need to announce this thing about myself to world. But now that I've told - it feels like a huge weight off my shoulders and everyone's reaction was so sweet. Now I'm hoping they will spread the word and at some point everyone will just know. Still trying to figure out how/when to tell my 11th graders though! 

pirateduck

@chewie5990 I'm glad you were able to tell at work and feel relief!  I felt soooooo much better after telling my boss.  For some reason work feels different than telling your best friend.

queenklau

@chewie5990, I can relate to that. I have only told a handful of people (my bosses, and few coworkers). I work with many many teams of people. I am still hiding behind large sweaters and baggy dresses. Not sure when I will walk around flaunting it...
Never doing SM announcement, I posted a profile pic of me, DH and the doggie last time after my baby shower, 27 weeks pregnant. That was it. I figured the people that mattered were invited to the shower lol!

jhysmath

Now that we have a more positive outlook we will tell our principal and superintendent on Monday. We're hoping they won't share with anyone else until we tell family over Christmas break. I need to tell them because I need to have someone step up and take my place on a student trip to Greece over our spring break by December 20th. I'm hoping it will be the same person who went on the trip when I was pregnant with DD to Ireland with my students as I know she can keep a secret and she really deserves to go with how much she's gone through this past year. 

luvkaya

All of my close friends and family know.

I do not plan on telling anyone at work until Jan 2nd when everyone is back from holiday. I’ll be 4 months then. I only need to tell HR and my boss. The news will spread like wildfire!