When Is It Safe To Announce a Pregnancy?

How to Distinguish When it is Safe to Announce a Pregnancy

Once you find out you’re pregnant, you are over the moon and want to shout out the big news from the rooftop, especially if you have been trying to get pregnant for a while or if this is your very first pregnancy. That’s how I felt with every one of my pregnancies, especially my third.

It took a while to persuade my husband to have a third child, so I was eager to get pregnant when he finally got on the same page.

After trying for many months to become pregnant with my third child, I wanted to share the news with someone other than my husband right away when I found out I was pregnant for the third time. But the question was, as excited as I am to share this wonderful news with my family and close friends, when is the right time to announce a pregnancy?

When is it Safe to Announce a Pregnancy

There is no right answer to this question. Deciding when is the right time to share your pregnancy news can be tricky because every woman’s pregnancy experience is different.

If this is your first pregnancy, it’s hard to know what to expect throughout the course of the first trimester of your pregnancy, the most sensitive trimester.

If this is the case for you and this is your very first pregnancy, you might want to wait at least until the end of the first trimester (12 weeks into pregnancy) to make your pregnancy announcement.

And here’s why…

Miscarriage is the most common way that pregnant women lose their pregnancy. Study shows that approximately 10 to 25 percent of pregnant will end in miscarriage. And the risk of a miscarriage is higher in the first trimester of your pregnancy, as most miscarriages happen during the first 13 weeks.

It is good to wait until after the first trimester to announce your pregnancy because the risk of miscarriage is significantly reduced in the second trimester of pregnancy.

On the other hand, depending on certain factors, such as your age (if you’re over 40 years of age) and history of miscarriage, it is best to wait a little longer before sharing the big news with extended family members and friends.

Factors to Consider When Making the Decision to Announce Your Pregnancy

Here are several factors to consider when deciding when to announce your pregnancy:

Previous pregnancy loss:

Unfortunately, if you have had a previous miscarriage, your chance of having another miscarriage is a bit higher. Approximately 2 percent of pregnant women undergo two consecutive pregnancy losses. And after one miscarriage, the likelihood of a second miscarriage is roughly 14 to 21 percent.

Talking about pregnancy loss can be extremely difficult. And no woman wants to announce a pregnancy loss after announcing the good news of a pregnancy.

If you were to announce your pregnancy in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy and God forbids end up miscarrying, would you feel comfortable talking to those you have made this announcement to about your loss?

If the answer is a hard no, or you feel uneasy about answering this question, it might be best to wait until the risk of miscarriage decreases. During such a devastating time, you don’t want to go through the emotional roller coaster of talking about your pregnancy loss to multiple people.

Your age:

If you are over the age of 40, you are more likely to have a miscarriage and other pregnancy complications. For this reason, you might want to consider waiting a little bit longer before announcing your pregnancy to family and close friends.

Need a support system:

No matter what’s going on in life, we all feel better knowing that we have support. Choosing a couple of close family members and friends to share your pregnancy news with can provide you with a line of support no matter what happens in your pregnancy.

I know and understand how thrilled you are to share your pregnancy news with the world! However, given what research has revealed about miscarriage in the early 13 weeks of pregnancy, it is best to wait until the risk of miscarriage lowers before making a widespread announcement about your pregnancy, especially on social media.

What to do if you absolutely can’t keep the big news to yourself

If you have a high-risk pregnancy or discover other factors that increase your risk of miscarriage, it is best to wait before announcing your pregnancy.

If you find it hard to keep your pregnancy news to yourself after your first prenatal checkup, I’d recommend choosing a couple of people you trust to share the news with, especially if you do end up needing emotional support.