Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Who did you tell when labour started?

43 replies

Em1503 · 27/07/2014 07:22

Just wondering really. Did you let any close friends/family know that you had gone into labour or wait until little one had arrived to announce it?

I suppose I am asking because people keep asking me to let them know as soon as something starts happening. I'm not sure if I want to (other than my DSis) so just wondering what others have done. I will have DH with me so obv he will know too!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

VSeth · 28/07/2014 13:24

I didn't tell anyone, first time baby so no childcare needed etc. Also first time can take hours, days sometimes so I decided to spare people the worry and called after baby was born. I also got requests for people to be told when we were going into hospital but never intended on doing so and no one complained after babies arrival was announced!

Second time around will need childcare so someone will need to know. No idea who though, hopefully I can deliver during nursery hours?!

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 28/07/2014 13:26

Rang my parents for a lift to the hospital. Rang dhs family once we knew we would be staying at the hospital. Told everyone to keep it off fb. Rang again when dd was born.

RuckAndRoll · 28/07/2014 13:38

Only DH and my antenatal thread on MN!

Next time your Mum asks for any news just respond 'oh yes I had baby on Friday, did I forget to tell you' or something equally sarcastic. Tends to shut them up.

OldBeanbagz · 28/07/2014 13:43

First time round we told no one until DD had arrived.

Second time - told the in-laws as they had to babysit DD while we went to hospital. Thankfully i had a same day discharge.

Personally i wouldn't have told my own mother when i went into labour as 1) we're not that close and 2) it was the middle of the night both times.

woodlandwanderwoman · 28/07/2014 13:50

We were induced but it took 3 days until baby came, I didn't update anyone. Next time I will probably do the same, it was partly because I didn't want people hassling me for updates but mostly because I didnt want anyone interrupting our private family time when ds was born.

We left it until the next morning to tell people and no one complained at all. In fact my parents had already been sitting happily drinking champagne all night celebrating the imminence of grand parenthood and clearly assuming it would all just be fine (it was)!

BobPatandIgglePiggle · 28/07/2014 13:57

I didn't go into labour, straight to emcs from a scan room at 34 wewks. My mum was with me.

I rang dp and he managed to get there in time. I text a couple of close friends to say what was happening thenmy boss about 2 minutes before walking to the theatre so she could get someone to cover my afternoon classes!

Poor mum sat in the waiting room for forever but they wouldn't let her in to see me in recovery and ds went straight to nicu so she couldn't see him either!

I'd love to have been able to just ring round after he'd been born to say 'he's here...'

ksrwr · 28/07/2014 14:06

i didn't tell anyone, didn't even cross my mind!

i would suggest waiting, because last thing you need is people bugging you asking if the baby's arrived

DramaAlpaca · 28/07/2014 14:59

With DC1 I rang my mum because I wasn't sure if I was really in labour or not. It just meant poor mum fretted all day & kept calling me to see how I was, so I didn't tell her in advance with the next two DC.

With DC2 I just called SIL as she was coming to take care of DC1.

With DC3 I was having a home birth, so I waited until labour was well under way before calling my friend, who came to collect DC1 & DC2 and whisk them away for a few hours.

Apart from that, no-one knew except for me & DH. I'm so glad Facebook wasn't invented at the time, and nobody had mobile phones either, so it was much easier to keep it quiet as long as we wanted to.

UmBongo · 28/07/2014 15:16

1st time, only told dh, 2nd time a friend knew as she collected ds from school, and MIL knew so she could collect ds from friend. Except talking to MIL later, she didn't realise I actually was in labour, just thought I wanted her to have ds so I could have a rest!

I didn't tell my mum as she would have spent the following hours worrying and fretting!

Pointlessfan · 28/07/2014 19:18

Told parents and also my friend who was going to feed the cat when I went in to be induced. That was it, as it was DH was driven mad by constant texts and phone calls for 3 days. He felt obliged to keep phoning them to update and it made him even more tired and stressed than he was already!

upupupandaway · 28/07/2014 20:42

My mom, I had prepped a spectacular Sunday lunch, I told her I was worried abut the trifle and was concerned that it might go off and would she mind having a look at it and ensure it was eaten. I also asked if she could purchase some " green pop" . All very bizzare I know.

TremoloGreen · 28/07/2014 22:17

We told our parents and thankfully they all had the sense to wait for the next call saying DD had arrived rather than bug us in any way (phones were turned off, just to be sure!) Afterwards, my dad said he had been very anxious and was annoyed that DH didn't provide more updates... I asked him what sort of updates he wanted?! Maybe "Trem's just peed on the floor/thrown up in the bath/started mooing like a cow"?

Dpdotcom49 · 28/07/2014 23:37

I told DH with our 1st when my contractions were about 10mins apart cause I didn't want him to fuss, then MIL (who drove us to hosp). 2hrs later our DS was born. With our DD I woke in middle of night with contractions - had a bath, cup of tea and then woke DH, MIL (driving) and DSis to watch our DS while we were at hospital. 9hrs later DD was born. Nowadays everyone on your friends list seems to get to know as soon as twinges start and every step by step that follows-it's lovely though because can support friends and family from near and far . Tell who you want to

halestone · 29/07/2014 10:53

I had invited my mum round to tea when the contractions started. I lived with my dad so he knew and i rang DP to come home from work only when i went to the hospital. Wish my mum hadn't been there at the start as she pressured me to go to hospital before i was ready. I turned my mobile off as apparently i'm one of those women who needs complete peace whilst in labour. But my mum had other ideas and rang my nan who came round to the house whilst i was in the bath

Next time i would use my dad for child care and just tell him and DP.

middlings · 29/07/2014 11:10

The first time my mum knew as I'd been for a scan at 41 weeks owing to reduced movements and then given a sweep (meconium in the waters so they were going to try and induce me that evening). The sweep found that I was 2cm and I went into labour later that day. I was talking to Mum on the phone and she said "Middlings, you've had to stop talking to me three times in the last ten minutes. I think you need to go to the hospital." Poor woman then didn't get a wink of sleep that night as I didn't deliver DD1 until 1am and then decided not to contact anyone until a more reasonable hour which was 6.30am!

With DD2, we had told DMIL as she was coming to look after DD1 and she'd had to tell DSIL and DBIL as coming to me meant she couldn't babysit for our DNs. DSIL still says I owe her £25 as she had to pay a sitter instead .

With DD1 I had loads of friends and relations wanting to be told and I made lots of promises with my fingers crossed behind my back. I just wanted to get on with it. Although now that I think about it, all my NCT group found out as one of the others gave birth 15 hours before I did and introduced me to her DD as I was leaning over a fire hydrant having a contraction. She was in a more civilised state and texted the rest of 'em saying I was in! That was quite funny :).

As PP have said, do what YOU want. If anyone else gets the hump with you, that's their issue, not yours.

MummytoMog · 29/07/2014 12:05

Only ever let birth partner/childcare know and then only when we were sure we would need them. First choice childcare was unavailable last time, so we had to call the MiL. Thankfully this time our nanny is well up for it so no MiL in the house when I get home from hospital :)

I am vaguely tempted to livetweet this one. Just for funs.

GreenPetal94 · 29/07/2014 17:07

best to not tell anyone in case it is a false alarm or people start announcing a birth and there is a complication

Funghoul · 29/07/2014 19:01

Dp obviously knew. I was supposed to be going in to be induced but started with contractions the night before. Going against the grain on here, but mum was the other birth partner. Didn't let her know until waters had broken and dd arrived about 10 hours after. Mil was informed, and she and and my dad both came up to the hospital hoping I'd had the baby and could see her. I hadn't but thankfully there was no storming of the delivery suite. If dd had arrived by then I would have let them in, mil had to wait until next day and dad 2 days later. I'm sure they told others but we only told family.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread