The decision to announce your pregnancy is a personal one with many factors to weigh. There seems to be an unwritten guideline of waiting until the second trimester to make sure the pregnancy is more stable, but many couples feel the urge to let family members know immediately about the latest addition.

Early Announcements

While most people feel they should wait to announce a pregnancy, sharing the news early has advantages. Keeping the news to yourself is often challenging, especially if you are excited about the pregnancy. By letting your relatives know early in the pregnancy, you share the joy and get support from your family. If you do have a miscarriage, you might appreciate the support from relatives.

Delayed Announcements

Making it past the 12-week mark means a reduced chance of miscarriage. Many couples choose to wait until reaching the second trimester in case an early miscarriage occurs. The idea is you won’t have to deal with the pain of telling people about the miscarriage after you have already announced the pregnancy.

Risk Factors

Some women face a higher risk for miscarriage or problems in the pregnancy. If you are at a higher risk, this can affect when you decide to tell your relatives about the pregnancy. Your personal approach to handling the pregnancy risks influences the decision of when to tell. If you are close to your relatives and want the support through the difficulties, telling them right away might be a better option for you. If you feel it would cause more pain to discuss and deal with the risks with family members, consider holding off.

Relationship

The relationship you have with your relatives plays a role in the announcement. If you have a close relationship with all or some of your relatives, you’re more likely to tell them earlier. If your family is more private and doesn’t share a lot of personal details, you might be more likely to wait until further in the pregnancy to share the news. For example, you might tell your parents and siblings right away while waiting to tell aunts, uncles, cousins or other distant relatives.

Considerations

The timing of your pregnancy announcement comes down to the personal preferences of you and your partner. Talk with your partner about the right time to share your pregnancy news with relatives. You also don’t have to tell all of your relatives at the same time, but remember that they might not all keep the news to themselves. Your mom might be so excited to become a grandmother that she leaks the news to your aunt, who tells all of your cousins and half of the town. Make sure you are ready to share the news before you tell any of your relatives.