When Did You Tell?

Updated on February 18, 2012
A.P. asks from Janesville, WI
20 answers

Ok, I'm dying here, Ladies :). Last week, we found out that we are pregnant! Ahhh, it feels so good to write that! We are so excited and a little stunned! Our first time we had a long infertility journey complete with meds, injections, miscarriage, surgery, etc. We now have a wonderful 17-month old, and recently decided we would try "on our own" for a few months before going back to the fertility clinic. Well, month #1, and we are pregnant! Unbelievable.

Anyway, my husband is being very reserved about the whole thing and wants to wait to tell ANYBODY for at least a few more weeks (until our 8 week ultrasound). I totally get where he is coming from, especially with all we've been through, but this is such good news and I am just dying to share it-specifically with my parents and my best friend. Obviously I won't do that until my husband and I agree on it, but my question is, when did you tell your loved ones that you were pregnant?

One other question while I'm on here-with our last pg we were with a fertility clinic and so we went in immediately and had blood tests, early ultrasounds, etc. I think we had "seen" our baby 5 times by week 12. This time since we're just going to be working with our regular OBGYN, everything is different. I was shocked to hear that they don't even want to see us until 8 weeks. Is that normal? How in the world will we ever wait two more weeks??? :)

Thanks in advance for your answers and support!

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So What Happened?

Thanks for all of the well wishes! And, congratulations Dana!! So exciting!

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A.L.

answers from Chicago on

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Totally normal, most won't see you before that. I only told those that we would tell if we lost the baby anyway. My sister and his sister were the only 2 until we hit 12 weeks. We had a scare in the 5th week and almost lost her, but she hung on for us.

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P.M.

answers from Denver on

I told my family right away, like 4 weeks afterward when the test was positive. Even though I knew way sooner :) I told my work at 9 weeks, couldn't wait, and I was really sick and felt I needed to explain some things so they didn't think I was being a poor employee, showing up late every morning and going to the bathroom all the time - it was affecting my performance and once I told my boss she was SO understanding! I remember waiting until 12 weeks to announce it on Facebook, seemed like it took FOREVER!

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More Answers

M.L.

answers from Houston on

I told my husband immediately. We didn't tell ANYONE, including our families and best friends until I was about 3 months pregnant. I didn't officially 'announce it' or post it on facebook or anything until I was almost 5 months pregnant.

A friend told me a few weeks ago she was expecting. Sadly, it ended in miscarriage. I never told anyone, and she hadn't told many people aside from close friends/family, but she was still sad and embarrassed to tell me the news.

As for the ob, 8 weeks is normal, my ob doesn't usually see you until 11 weeks.

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D.T.

answers from Muncie on

I'm with you! I had the blood work done yesterday and am waiting for the call to tell me if I really am or not and if I am, how far along I am. Aaaaaaah! The wait! My doctor suggested we wait until week 12 to tell anyone!! I'm jsut so excited to know so early!! My first was a total surprise...I was 5 months in before I knew I was pregnant!!

Call OB!! Darn you, call!!

UPDATE: I called them....We have baby!!!

3 moms found this helpful

N.P.

answers from San Francisco on

I told my husband right away and waited until my first trimester was over to call my parents. Once they knew the whole family found out. Then I told my boss at work. My reasoning was first-trimester miscarriage (before 12 weeks) is the most common type of pregnancy loss; about 80% of miscarriages happen before the end of the first trimester. I really didn't want to have to call everyone back up and tell them all I lost the baby should that have been the outcome.

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C.O.

answers from Minneapolis on

I waited until after my first Dr's appointment and I had heard or seen the heartbeat. I think I was about 12 weeks along the first time and 10 weeks the second time. I wanted to make sure everything was okay and have a due date to give people. I think they had told me about 10 weeks is when they wanted to see me so perfectly normal.

Congratulations! I hope all goes well.

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K.P.

answers from Seattle on

We told our families right away when we found out because my husband was to deploy overseas in 3 days and we wanted to tell everyone together. I was about a month into the pregnancy then.

It's normal not to see your OBGYN until week 8 because if I remember correctly that is when the baby is big enough to actually hear the heartbeat and see them so they dont like to do it before then.

Congrats! Tell your best friend and just tell her to keep quiet for awhile :) I am sure your hubby would understand if he were to find out you told her. It's a girl thing and it's hard to keep such exciting news from your bestie!

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H.M.

answers from Dallas on

With my first I told my boss who was one of my good friends and my mom. It took a while before I told my dad as I was afraid he would not speak to me. I was not married. I told him on fathers day when I took him out for lunch. I think everyone knew before him. With my youngest we call my parents as soon as we saw the line. It is normal not to see the dr till 8 weeks. Sometime then they will do I think it's called a transvaginal ultrasound. After that you wont do another one for several weeks. Part will depend on your dr and part on your ins. This is very exciting!!! Congrats!!!

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R.D.

answers from Richmond on

With my 1st and 2nd, I waited until 12 weeks and had ultrasound pics.

With my 3rd, my husband told the entire world the second he saw the test... I was like 4 weeks along. Longest. pregnancy. EVER.

CONGRATS!!!! Do whatever you're most comfortable with, there's no right or wrong time!

2 moms found this helpful

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Congrats!
We always waited until 12 weeks, it just felt "safer" somehow, getting through the first trimester. But it WAS hard, oh but I DID tell my best friend. She's right up there with my husband in the "need to know" department :)

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J.M.

answers from Philadelphia on

Congrats!
I waited til 12 weeks because I miscarried and knew if I did again I wouldn't want everyone asking if I was ok. If you're the kind of person who would want their support and for them to know if it did happen I'd say whenever you feel like it and your husband agrees.
Is it the same ob? I think thats standard for normal pregnancies and if your ob is aware of yor past, I'd say woohoo to you. You get to relax this time., i had the zillion done with my daughter since i miscarried and was high risk

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B..

answers from Dallas on

I didn't tell anyone until 13 weeks, when the first trimester ended. My sister had 5 miscarriages, and I had friends who have also had them. I was so scared of telling people and losing the baby.

I saw my OB the week after we got a positive. I was right at 5 weeks pregnant. The office I go to, doesn't have an 8 week policy. As I understand it, most do. I had a higher risk pregnancy, so I was getting high level ultrasounds every few weeks. At the end of my pregnancy, I was in my regular OB office every week getting an ultrasound. From my OB said, most people have 3-5 ultrasounds during their pregnancy.

ETA: I actually told my work right away, because I was SO sick from day 1. I actually lost my job 2 days after I told them. (TOTALLY unrelated reasons. Many of us were laid off.)

2 moms found this helpful

A.R.

answers from Houston on

We waited until almost 14 weeks and after three doctor's appointments before telling anyone. I didn't want to miscarry and then have everyone in our business so to speak. I was itching to tell people after a bit but it was also nice to have it private between my husband and myself. Then again we are private people.

8 weeks as your first appointment is very normal by the way.

Congratulations and many well wishes.

2 moms found this helpful

B.S.

answers from Lansing on

Well I was under different circumstances as I did not have any trouble conceiving either time so we told close family and friends right away. But, I also want to add that I always felt that those that I told initially were the ones I would talk to about having a miscarriage so I always felt ok telling them right away. After week 12 I told the rest of the people...work and so on.

Yes, 8 weeks is the norm to be seen for the first time.

Congratulations!!!

1 mom found this helpful

Y.C.

answers from Orlando on

Congratulations to you and to Dana!
We also had many problems getting our second child, there here many false alarms and some misscariages(sp) so we didn't told anybody, including our older daughter until I was after the 3rd month.
It was hard to wait, specially after the first moth it just got harder and I hoped people would notice so I could say it, but no body notice or perhaps they thought I was just getting fat, lol.

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H.M.

answers from Omaha on

I've had 5 miscarriages and 3 live children. So most people would think that I would say not till the first trimester is done. I mean there is NOTHING worse than having to explain to people that you miscarried and them either giving you that look or avoiding you... or half the other insane things people do when you have a miscarriage. For some reason people just don't know how to handle that situation.

But actually I say when you see the heart beat on an ultrasound go for it. Stats actually show it's 5% chance is all once the heartbeat is visible for a miscarriage. Heartbeat is visible sometime from the 6th week on. 5% is the same odds actually they give you once you hit the 2nd trimester anyways so as soon as I see a strong heartbeat I tell.

Congrats! :)

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S.K.

answers from Chicago on

It varied with all 6 pregnancies. With our first we didn't tell ANYONE until 12 weeks. We live out of state from our families and always preferred to tell them in person, so if we were going to see them between 8-14 weeks-ish we would wait and tell them in person. One time as early as 7 weeks because we were there for Christmas and wouldn't be back for awhile afterwards. The pregnancies after our miscarriages we waited longer, 14-16 weeks (because our first miscarriage was at 14 weeks). It is not that I wouldn't want to tell anyone about a miscarriage, I just wanted to keep things quiet and calm while I tried not to get my hopes up.
It is very normal to not be seen until 8-10 weeks. With a few of my pregnancies I did not go in until 12 weeks. There is just not much to be done before that. It is unlikely to hear the heart tones with the hand-held doppler until 10 weeks anyway. If, God forbid, something is not going right there is generally nothing that can be done except putting yourself through multiple tests/US/visits, etc to "watch" something that is completely out of your control and often remains unpredictable despite all the testing.
You can have an early US with no heart tones and get a "wait and see" because it might be too early -- so stressful. You can get bloodwork that does not double, and get a "wait and see" because it isn't an exact science, just a generalization -- so stressful. Since you can't control the outcome just sit back and enjoy what you have right now.

1 mom found this helpful

C.S.

answers from Kansas City on

Congratulations! :) The waiting until 8 weeks is normal. With our 1st baby, we told everyone the day we found out. With our 2nd, we were on bad terms with some of the family so we just let most people figure it out. With the 3rd pregnancy it was a mostly a secret until I was almost 4 months along. :o)

1 mom found this helpful
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M.G.

answers from Chicago on

We told people the first time when I was six weeks (I know, I know...). But, I am sooooo thankful because we found out two weeks later it was twins. That made the phone calls much, much easier!

With my daughter, I was clearly showing at six weeks, and people began asking coworkers if anyone knew if I was pregnant. So, we shared the good news at eight weeks.

I totally get the ultrasound disappointment!!! With our twins, I had an ultrasound done EVERY single time I went! Love it. With my daughter, I had the standard ultrasounds. I really missed seeing my baby each time.

1 mom found this helpful

K.L.

answers from Sacramento on

Congratulations!!! I am six weeks along with our third!

We tell our parents and very close friends from the beginning. I feel like you can tell the ones you would tell God forbid you have a miscarriage. We will be waiting until after our 8 week ultrasound to tell the world :)

Our ob/Gyn doesn't usually see new pregnancies until 8 weeks. I think that's pretty standard...

1 mom found this helpful
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