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The Results of Your Pregnancy Test are Positive
When the results of your pregnancy test are positive, you may feel a wide range of emotions. Women who have just learned they are pregnant may feel joy, excitement and anxiety over the prospect of bringing a baby into the world. While most mothers-to-be will announce the new arrival to their partner and their parents immediately, they may feel uncertain over the best time to tell extended family members. Some mothers-in-the making will be wondering how to announce their pregnancy. Choosing to tell extended family of your bundle of joy is a very personal decision, and what may be right for one couple will not be right for others.
Telling Family Early
Announcing the pregnancy early on can help relive you from having to keep a secret and will allow family members to share your joy. With the joy will undoubtedly come plenty of questions and advice from members of your family, which may include suggestions on what you should and should not be doing. Telling early will allow you to ask for advice about early decisions in the pregnancy and for recommendations of physicians or midwives in your area. If something goes wrong during the pregnancy, you will have a large network of people who will be there to support you.
Waiting To Tell
Waiting to tell extended family does have advantages, as it gives you time to digest the news and will prevent you from having to revoke the announcement if a miscarriage does occur. Unfortunately, miscarriages do occur in approximately 10 to 20 percent of all pregnancies. Couples who have struggled with infertility may be eager to share the news, however, some may choose to wait until later in the pregnancy, such as the second trimester when the risk of pregnancy loss reduces to one to five percent. Some mothers-to-be may wait until their growing abdomen announces to the world that a baby is on the way. The disadvantages of waiting to tell are that no one will know why you are upset or sad if a miscarriage does occur and you will not have as many people there for support or help early in the pregnancy.