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Original poster

Telling the family on xmas day.... how are you doing it??

141 replies

dontsqueezetheteabag · 13/12/2013 10:17

PG with baby #1 - will be 8 weeks on xmas day and DH and I are going away with friends over new year. I will not be able to hide the fact that I am PG from our friends while we are away so I need to tell our family on xmas day.

I have made up picture frames with a picture of a stock and a line underneath saying "Baby ..., due August 2014". I am going to wrap them and give on to each family couple after they have opened their other pressies on xmas day.

If you are planning on telling your family on xmas day how are you doing it??

I need hand holding until then so I keep my mouth shut!!!!

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Original poster
dontsqueezetheteabag · 13/12/2013 18:23

Thanks everyone. I do appreciate you honesty, honestly!!!

I certainly wouldn't be doing it if I tonight anyone would be hurt or offended. Also if Christmas was at someone else's house this year I probably wouldn't do it then either.... Not sure why I feel like that.

I guess in an effort to be as fair as possible I want all out immediate relatives to know all at the same time. I guess it's convenient that Christmas is where we will all be together in one room doing the family thing.

I can see why people would be cautious though.

It's a £2.50 white gran from asda and a print out from my computer. Not had to put much effort into it TBH. I don't mind what they do with them afterwards or if something goes wrong. Smile

OP posts:
somersethouse · 13/12/2013 18:35

Agree with Leo, it is cheesy in the extreme.

Just say tell people you are pregnant. There is no need to make Christmas Day all about you.

Sorry if I sound rude, I just think you are going WAY over the top.

Original poster
dontsqueezetheteabag · 13/12/2013 18:50

Yeah, some of you are really rude. Hey ho, that's life! I know for a fact it's not cheesy and that my family will love it

OP posts:
jaykay987 · 13/12/2013 18:53

I sometimes wish this site had a like button Grin

somersethouse · 13/12/2013 18:55

Well if you know your family will love it, go with what you know!

IslaValargeone · 13/12/2013 18:56

:o at 'you know for a fact it's not cheesy'
Do what works for you.

Barbsta · 13/12/2013 19:33

I'm telling everyone on Christmas too :) I have got my family all cups with gran/auntie on etc I'm also sneaking scan pics into the crackers

Barbsta · 13/12/2013 19:52

I don't see it as cheesy either it's an easy way to tell everyone at once which is handy because I know my family wouldn't keep it quiet long enough for me to tell everyone. I don't see it as making it about me either because they are getting a new baby in the family which I know they will be happy about

Plateofcrumbs · 13/12/2013 19:55

We are (subject to a successful early scan a couple of days earlier) telling family when we visit for Xmas. Will be at in-laws, who will undoubtedly thrust a drink in my hand to m

VJONES1985 · 13/12/2013 20:00

Hi jaykay and don't squeeze!

RedCountryRoads · 13/12/2013 20:02

Teabag I think it's a fantastic idea. I hope they love it. I'm about 11 weeks on xmas day. I wanted to give Parents, PIL, brother and sister x2 a xmas card with grandparents / Uncle / Auntie on it.

My hubby proposed to me on a Valentine's day card so i wanted to continue that but I couldn't keep it in that long. So just told them in the normal way!

I would have been expected to drink at some family parties before xmas so I couldn't have got away with it.

I've had a mc before however I would rather tell all my family and close friends because I'm a very open person and I couldn't and wouldn't want to hide my pain.

Please let us know how it goes. I'm very excited for you and a little bit jealous Wink that you are going to do it in such a fun way

Chardonnay73 · 13/12/2013 20:14

I think OP is getting a hard time here - her excitement is palpable, and FWIW, its not my choice of how to do it, but hey, it's Christmas!

I announced my 1st pg at my joint 30th & my Dad's 60th Party - I did a little toast to him and said something like 'Happy Birthday Dad - you've been a fantastic Father and know you'll be an even better Grandpa'

The place went up - it was a magical moment - for our family - others may find it OTT etc

Do what you think is right for your family dynamic - don't let strangers on the internet change your opinion....x

MrsRV · 13/12/2013 20:53

seriously folks... I'm sure the question was "how are others announcing news on xmas day", not "do you think I should announce news on christmas day?". just saying!!!!

Writerwannabe83 · 13/12/2013 21:02

Would you still be making such an effort if it wasn't Christmas Day, buying gifts etc etc - or would you just tell people??

A lot of people knew about my pregnancy before our parents did - but they were my work colleagues who had to know for safety reasons (due to pregnancy exacerbating health conditions I had). I told people at work when I was 6 weeks but didn't tell my parents or my DHs parents (or any other relatives) until I was almost 13 weeks. It felt strange that people knew before they did but we really didn't want anyone to know before we got the 'all clear' unless they had to. I'm glad I made that decision too as I started bleeding at 8 weeks and again at 10 weeks with threatened miscarriages. Thankfully the baby was fine but if the worst had happened I couldn't bear the thought of having to tell everyone after getting everyone's hopes up that there was going to be a new baby in the family.

But everyone is different and if you want people to know early on then that is completely your choice. I'm sure however you do it, it will be lovely and many congratulations Smile

Plateofcrumbs · 13/12/2013 22:21

Everyone knows their own family and what will work best with them. I love the idea of the 'big reveal' but it just doesn't really suit our family and the way we'll be gathering over Christmas.

Not wanting to be a downer, but one thing I would be a bit anxious about if i were revealing at an early stage and/or if I'd not had a scan would be elevating people's hopes. Even if I wanted people to know in the event the worst happened, I think if I was expecting everyone to be over the moon I'd want to warn them that it was still early days. Maybe I'm just overly anxious!

Blondebrunette1 · 14/12/2013 02:02

I am shocked by the rudeness towards the OP. i appreciate that things can be misinterpreted and taken more harshly when written online but there is too much negativity towards a wonderful & happy post. We are not all the same and some of you would rather not deliver your news in the same way, however I am a great believer that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. To those who are so considerate to others feelings, consider how excited the OP was in her original post and how she must have felt reading your responses. It is terrible for anyone to lose a child or struggle to conceive and I'm sure that the OP would handle revealing her news with sensitivity should that be the case but she should not be expected to play down her happiness for fear others will find it OTT. You should grab every happiness and celebrate it to the full in my opinion. OP its a lovely idea, my family would love it too. Your children will be lucky to have a parent so excited to be their mum, they are an amazing gift enjoy your pregnancy x

AngelsLieToKeepControl · 14/12/2013 02:40

Good God, how rude are some people.

Op just you go right ahead and make it a huge deal, hell, it is a big bloody deal, and I'm sure your family will be totally thrilled, and if I were you I would totally milk it for the day and get out of doing the cooking/dishes too Grin

Congratulations Thanks

halfwayupthehill · 14/12/2013 02:44

You may be right that your ivf friends wd not want you to hide your news. But it wd be considerate of you to tell them gently and privately. Infertility is v v hard and big announcements can be v painful even when you are happy for someone.

Peacenquiet2 · 14/12/2013 03:42

Geez, give the girl a break! I think its entirely up to her how she tells others and has already decided how and why.
She did'nt ask if what she is doing is the right or wrong thing, just how othes are planning to do it!
If other people have any fertility issues (and given the people whom she is planning to tell its unlikely) i dont see why this should impact negatively on op's happiness. Also if the worst should happen she would in all likelyhood need her nearest and dearest to support her.
I think you have some lovely ideas op, congratulations and enjoy your momemt.

MrBarnaclesHorses · 14/12/2013 04:35

Haha wow. Id be gutted opening a gift and finding out it was just a gift representing someone else's news!! You are not the first person in the world to get pregnant and Christmas should not really be about this.

MerryMarigold · 14/12/2013 04:46

Some of you are so miserable, honestly.

"Id be gutted opening a gift and finding out it was just a gift representing someone else's news!! You are not the first person in the world to get pregnant and Christmas should not really be about this."

Tbh, you sound like you want Christmas to be all about YOU! It's one present in probably many others and I don't think Christmas will be 'all about it'. Only think is OP, people may open at different speeds.

OP, I think it's a great idea. Though I really love the idea of a family picture and saying, "I'm pregnant" instead of "Say Cheeeese."

MerryMarigold · 14/12/2013 04:48

MrBarnacles, do you have a good relationship with your family? I just can't get over your post? It's actually really sad.

Peacenquiet2 · 14/12/2013 04:51

Fyi mrbarnacles, christmas is EXACTLY about babies being born, why do you think we celebrate it in the first place?

MiracleOntheM4 · 14/12/2013 07:36

Congratulations OP Thanks

Do you have the option of paying for a private early scan for reassurance? DH and I told our immediate family about my first pregnancy on a big family occasion (a special birthday) for similar reasons to you, I was around 8 weeks and sadly mc'd 48 hours later. Obviously I would have immediately have told family what was happening but with my subsequent pregnancies (happily all good so far, DC1 3 and 37 weeks) I went for a lower key approach and had early scans before telling people.

Good luck!

KrabbyPatty · 14/12/2013 07:50

Why not just mention it, casually?

Picture idea is way ott.