When a woman can announce a pregnancy is a personal choice. There may be reasons why some women prefer not to announce their pregnancy early. The one thing that most if not all women think about once they find out that they are pregnant is a miscarriage, which the reality brings that as many as one and four women have miscarried; the question becomes; when is it safe to announce that you’re pregnant?

When it comes to announcing your pregnancy, you can tell anyone at any time, tell people that can be there for you whether it’s good news or bad news, you will have to be comfortable sharing the good news or the bad news with everybody that you keep in that circle. 

Is 8 Weeks too Early to Announce Pregnancy?

The number one reason why women don’t rush to announce a pregnancy is the fear of a miscarriage. Miscarriage is a tough subject but it’s so common and most women would be shocked to know that many others in their circles have gone through it.

 Finding out that you are pregnant is very exciting and it is normal to want to share that excitement with others, however, a lot can happen in the first trimester and this is why it may not be a good idea to be telling everyone that you know, even if you are excited that you were expecting. A lot can happen to the pregnancy, not knowing whether it is going to stay or not. According to Winnie Palmer Hospital, miscarriage occurs in one in four pregnancies, which means that one-third of all pregnancies end in miscarriage.

What an Early Miscarriage Looks like

 It is important to know miscarriage warning signs, especially for newly pregnant women who might not realize when to talk to their doctor.

Some of the warning signs include;

• Cramps or pain in the lower stomach

• Vaginal bleeding that starts out light and then gets heavy

• The disappearance of pregnancy symptoms you might have been feeling

• or any concern you might have that the pregnancy is not going well

When to tell people that you are Pregnant

As you plan to tell people about your pregnancy, it is important to think about who you can trust and who you should tell. You might want to tell people that you can trust.

One of the most important people that you need to tell is your partner, your dentist also an allergist. If you go to see other doctor’s they need to know as well, that way they can take you off certain medicines, like those for blood pressure, blood pressure medicines are not OK to take when pregnant so that’s why it’s important that you contact your doctor and whoever prescribes medication for you as soon as you find out that you are pregnant. 

When to Tell your Boss that you are Pregnant

You may also need to tell your boss, especially if you feel sick or need to sit down to rest from time to time. Also, if you work with toxic substances or if your job requires a lot of lifting, it might be a good idea to let your boss know about your pregnancy. There are many women who wait to inform their bosses of their pregnancy because they don’t want them to learn about their personal lives. Also, in terms of being able to perform at work, it could have an impact on how their boss sees them. 

Can Your Doctor Put You on Light Duty when Pregnant?

You may need to alter your responsibilities at work if the work is too strenuous and involves a lot of lifting. While pregnant, it is advised not to lift heavy objects, especially if you have had a history of miscarriage or bleeding in the past. Miscarriage is most commonly indicated by vaginal bleeding during pregnancy.

If your responsibilities at work need to change, consult your physician first; in most cases, they can provide you with a letter stating that you should limit your activities because your doctor wants you to have the most stress-free pregnancy.

The Most Common Week to Miscarry

Most miscarriages occur before 12 weeks. Often people do not realize how frequent miscarriages are, and even if you only have one miscarriage it can be devastating.

People need to be aware of how often it happens and what are the risk factors so that they aren’t completely surprised if it happens. Once an ultrasound confirms that a woman is pregnant, 8 to 20% of those women will miscarry. And of those 8 to 20%, 80% will happen in the first trimester.

Why you Should not Announce Pregnancy Early

The desire to announce a pregnancy is understandable, especially among infertile couples. It might be tempting to share your pregnancy news with family and friends, but you may also want to be cautiously optimistic because there is a risk of miscarriage, and if you are infertile or if you’ve been struggling to conceive, you may have an even greater risk of miscarriage and as a result, it’s best to keep it to yourself.

RELATED: 8 Pregnancy Fears: How to Overcome Them

How does Maternal Age Affect Miscarriage?

Women of advancing maternal age are more likely to experience a miscarriage. For women in their 20s and 30s, this likelihood is 9 to 17%, which is on the lower end. When you are 35, it changes to 20%.

It increases to 40% by the time you’re 40. As you grow older, you also age in fertility because the quality of one’s eggs deteriorates, making it harder to become pregnant. As a woman ages, it becomes harder for her to get pregnant and have an optimally healthy pregnancy chromosomally.

Do you Legally have to Tell your Employer you’re Pregnant?

In general, it is not legally required that you inform your employer of your pregnancy. However, you might consider doing so if your job is stressful or you work in an environment that is not conducive to pregnancy.

When you’re working with heavy lifting or toxic substances, or if you are aware of the potential risk that your work environment poses to your pregnancy, it is important to talk to human resources as they have a responsibility to support you. Also keep in mind that your employer has no right to advertise your pregnancy to anyone if you don’t want them to.

Final Thought

It’s not appropriate to ask someone if they’re pregnant before they have announced it themselves. You never know what experiences a woman has with infertility and miscarriage.

It is important for women to understand that everyone is different and that even if you want to share your news right away and talk about how easy it was for you to get pregnant, keep in mind that others may have had a different experience.

Try to imagine what it would be like if someone talked about how easy it is to get pregnant while you have had difficulty conceiving or have even miscarried.

We need to learn as women to support one another better and if someone else has a pregnancy that they’re not announcing, try to put yourself in their shoes, rather than trying to talk about it to other people. It is important to understand the situation of the other individual and to try and provide support.