A Mommybites reader asked:
When and how should I tell my family I’m pregnant?
Congrats on expecting! Whether you have been trying to get pregnant for a while, or if it happened spontaneously, it’s still a bit of a shock to find out we are expecting!
After we take in that we are actually pregnant and have convinced ourselves to begin to shift our thinking to “mom-to-be”, the questions always begin to percolate – when (and how) do I tell my family that we’re expecting?
The answers are as varied and unique as there are women. Many expecting moms delay the announcement until after the first trimester – just to side on caution – as the risk of miscarriage is higher in the first trimester. Many expectant moms feel more connected and excited to share the news when their second trimester begins!
For other expectant moms, they are overjoyed to share the news straight away as soon as the pregnancy tests give us a green light! Each family unit is so unique and for some, sharing the good news with the extended family at the very next family gathering is the perfect choice!
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Expecting a baby and how to share the news is an amazing time when we can be creative, inventive and make one of our first decisions as a new mom.There are many ways mentioned to communicate our pending arrivals. Clothing has always been a popular choice – whether it’s dressing up your firstborn in an “I’m going to be a big brother!” onesie, or gifting your mom a “Grandma To Be” tee. Attire has often been a wonderful vehicle for communicating the exciting news!
Another fun idea is hosting a baby gender party! It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the good news and the creative spin on announcing boy or girl is tucked away in a tiered cake. Upon slicing for dessert, all the guests (and sometimes even the expectant parents!) find out for the first time if the pending arrival is a boy or a girl by the color of the fruit filling – blue for a boy, and pink for a girl.
What a great way to have your cake and eat it too!
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Renee Sullivan, parent coach and Founder of Babybites Moms Groups, works with moms each week to create their own personal parenting plan that is right for them, while making sure that each mom gets the support, resources, and community they need for their parenting journey. Drawing from her experience as a birth coach and educator, she guides moms – new, seasoned and expectant through the never – ending array of decisions that come with having a child. Weekly sessions that are “nurturing, informative, and fun” and her “calm-laid back personality” has made her a “dynamic resource” to the parenting community since 2006. Renee’s positive, warm and enthusiastic personality relaxes and guides new and expectant moms to enjoy the journey and her personal attention to detail allows all parents that work with her to quickly get the resources they need to feel at ease to make informed and educated decisions. Before starting the groups, she narrowly escaped the trenches of Corporate America where she was a Senior Project Manager for The New York Times, Morgan Stanley and Pfizer.
