How soon to tell people once the baby is born?

[DoYouWannaBuildaSnowman]

This is pfb so no idea how I'll feel once baby arrives!

How quickly did you start telling people? Did you have some people that you told earlier and left the rest til later? Or did you want space with the baby before announcing it to anyone?

I know I'll have to wait and see what happens and how we're doing, but I'm trying to manage my family's expectations a bit - my sister is desperate to know everything baby-related straight away, and my mum really struggled when I didn't let her tell all her friends/family I was pregnant until after the scan. So if I'm going to tell them that they might have to wait before finding out that baby has arrived, and then wait until I say it's ok to tell more people, I want to do that sooner rather than later.

And that's before I even get into the "who do I tell I'm in labour" debate!

Any advice? What worked for you?

If you're worried about visitors make it clear from the outset when you will be happy to have them. We said immediate family only in the hospital & for the first two weeks while dp was on paternity leave & after that it was a free for all while he was at work & then limited in the evenings / weekends to close friends.

In terms of telling people you're in labour we definitely weren't going to but then I ended up being overdue & induced so family & close friends knew when I was going in. We kept my mum & DPs sister updated during the induction & they communicated to the rest of the family so we didn't get hassled. DP rang my parents & his once we were settled after an emcs and between us we told close friends in the following couple of hours & then posted on Facebook once we knew all the key people knew.

You just need to do what is best for you & DP/DH but I wouldn't worry about it until nearer the time and circumstances may dictate for you as in our case.

My girls are10 and 12. In those days, mobiles weren't allowed on the wards and I wasn't on facebook, so I left the job of telling people to DH. My parents visited the first day, and a couple of people from work called in (I work in a different part of the hospital). I'd had some sleep by then, so was happy to see them. I let my parents pass on the news to the rest of the family, and sent out an email to my friends when I got home from hospital. I was induced with DD1 and my parents knew I was going in for this.

When DD was born I was straight on the Lush forum!

I was so excited I wanted everyone to know as soon as possible. Why wouldn't you? All your family and friends are excited and waiting and worried about you- tell them!

I didn't tell anyone I was in labour - tootled off to the dentist and went out for lunch in fact!- and only told DH when I was well into it. Had DS in the early hours and then DH phoned our parents. Texted everyone else in one go. Then had no visitors for a strict two weeks while DH was on paternity leave although did Skype parents.

Unusual perhaps but had no negative comments.

People have told me since that they would have loved to have done the same but that 'everyone expects a visit' straight away.

Honestly I would do the same next time: I was able to concentrate on establishing bfing etc and on the three of us being a family without any distractions. Would def do the same next time.

I'd been taken into hospital due to heavy bleeding at the end of my pregnancy ( I was almost two weeks overdue ) and had to stay overnight so I'd rung my mum on the evening as I was bored shitless, she had tried ringing the next morning and when I didn't answer she figured I must be in labour, so dh rang her once we were all cleaned up and snuggly, my parents didn't get almond, dh parents didn't get along so the very last thing I wanted was to part of a competition between them all as to who is first there and the following guilt trips I'd get from them all so dh and i went to their houses on leaving the hospital, starting with the house closest to the hospital and ending with the one closets to home. Looking back now I'm pissed off I had to do that but that was much better than having them all turn up at the hospital or home and being anxious about the snippy comments that I know would have been thrown around. I could have asked them all to stay away but I know that everyone of them would individually said why they were more important, and I didn't have the confidence back then to argue.

Just play it by ear and do what you feel comfortable with, enjoy your baby and sod everyone else. Good luck OP and hope everything goes well.

I phoned my parents at 7am after she'd arrived at 2am. I was on the ward by that point. Phoned my brother after that. Boyfriend phoned his parents and accouple of mates when he woke up after going home at 5am to sleep.

This set the jungle telegraph in action, and people I didn't kmow very eell like my cousin's wife started congratulating us on facebook before I'd told my close friends, so I had to send some text messages before I was ready to. Then my phone battery was dead, so didn't do anything until home the next day where i put it on facebook. Easiest way to do it.

Only on Mumsnet have I heard of this "no visitors" rule. Unless you have ghastly family and friends, I think it's really cruel!

DH and DM were with me when I had DS and I left them to it! I think they both texted one side of the family each to let them know I'd gone into labour and the same again after DS was born.

DH had a list of friends to text as well and he did this in the afternoon (DS was born at 11:00am).

We didn't put anything on Facebook until 2 days later - just didn't get round to it!

Will probably be the same again this time although DM will be at home looking after DS when I have baby no.2.