When did you tell your DC that you were pregnant?

[threeleftfeet]

Just got BFP, really want to tell DS (3.7) but I understand it's early days yet and probably not wise.

When did you tell your DC?

Last time we told DS(8) at 10 weeks but unfortunately suffered a MMC. Telling him was the hardest thing I've ever done, and he sobbed for hours. This time I'm not telling him until I've seen the baby waving at me on a scan. So another 3/4 weeks. I really REALLY want to tell him as I'm feeling really rough and he thinks I'm ill

We waited until after the NHS scan, which we had at 11 weeks. Our DD are 7 & 4 and are so excited. I was also quite sick and I hated them thinking I was ill. Goodluck

told my DCs (then 4 and 6) about DC3 at about 14 weeks (after scan) then DS told the entire school at assembly when he won a teddy in a fundraising raffle. "Did you knooowwww, my new baby in mummy's tummy can have this..." (ahhh!)

IMO the people you tell prior to 12 weeks are your support system, you child should NOT be part of your support system

mine is the same age and have not told him yet (nearly half way though) as he only really understands yesterday, today and tomorrow and IMO it'ld be like telling him what santa is going to bring him.. in summer.. then expecting him to understand the wait!

I wouldnt tell a 3yr old until you were happy for everyone else to know.

We told mine after the 12wk scan and within a week everyone at nursery and just about everyone else knew about, before we really wanted to formally tell everyone!

It was fine but we knew she wouldnt be able to keep it to herself hence waiting... She loves telling everyone there is a baby inside me ! :)

20 weeks for me. I didn't want her to have to share any heartbreak so I left it as long as possible. If there had been any significant health problems I would have hated her to have known for 8 weeks that she was having a sibling and then have it taken away. I am more sensitive than most to things going wrong I guess so I may have a warped perspective. I think at that age you can leave it quite long. I was busting to tell her but my desire to protect her was stronger.

My DS is one later this month and I'm due with twins on 5th September so e haven't really told him, it's all he know's as I fell pg when he was about 13 weeks old

Thanks everyone, useful advice.

I'm happy for everyone else to know :) I'm to excited to keep it a secret. only got a BFP today and already told my sister and two friends! (Seeing my parents tonight anyway so will tell them then.)
I know this isn't what a lot of people do, but I'm very open with my friends so if we do suffer any heartache it won't be something I need to hide from them.

DS definitely understands about babies and where they come from, especially as a friend lived with us till she was 8 months pregnant, last year. He sometimes asks women if they have babies in their tummies . We talk about when he was in my tummy from time to time.

Also lots of his friends have brothers and sisters, and he announced not so long ago - out of the blue - that he wanted a baby sister!

I don't want to get his hopes up too early though. Think I'll try to wait till the first scan.

ahhh timetosmile, that's lovely :)

Last time, I didn't want DCs to know until after the 12 week scan. Unfortunately, they found out at 7 weeks due to an over-enthusiastic dentist congratulating me in front of them, after I'd tried to discreetly explain to her why I couldn't have any x-rays. Unfortunately, the pregnancy ended in MMC, and having to break the news to DCs (9, 8 and 4) was heartbreaking. Happily, I'm pregnant again (almost 33 weeks), and we ensured that they didn't know until after the 12 week scan this time. I was a bit tricky covering up pregnancy sickness, but was so much better being able to show them the scan picture. Ideally, I'd have waited until after the 20 week scan, but being my 4th baby, I was showing early on, and now 10 year old kept asking why I was getting so fat. She's been anxious about the outcome of this pregnancy, they watched a childbirth video at school, and she told me that she told her friends about what happened to us. She's obviously been deeply affected by the miscarriage. Although your DS is a lot younger, and possibly wouldn't be so affected by something going wrong, I would advise that you wait, at least until after your scan. 9 months is a very long time to a small child!

Just wait til they get older enough to ask the difficult questions.....DD asked me, as an aside, yesterday,
"Where was I made? Not where was I born, I mean in you and Daddy's bed or somewhere else, like in a tent?"

I told dds ( 10/9) last time after 12 weeks scan.Same planned this time.

I told DS (7) after the 12 week scan. He cried and cried and said he was moving to Hong Kong. He even packed his bag!

He's over it now and is very excited - he reads stories and talks to his little brother and is fascinated to feel him kick (32 weeks)

hee hee timetosmile

How did you answer?!

Badgerina goodness, not the response you'd hope for! But a good story to tell them later :)

Glad he's come round now!

aufaniae Tell me about it! We've started laughing about it with him already. He refers to it as "my big reaction". Understatement

aufaniae I told her in bed, like her brothers