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Pregnancy

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

How to tell friend I’m pregnant?

8 replies

Flymetothemoon18 · 22/03/2018 13:12

Basically, I have 3 children and my friend has 2. Last year I had a late miscarriage with baby number 4 at 22 weeks, my best friend was an amazing support for all of us. 4 weeks later She discovered she was pregnant which unfortunately she lost at 12 weeks. She was told that tests had discovered a hormonal problem which would mean she would most likely struggle to have another successful pregnancy (both of her previous pregnancys had been treated as high risk) I was devastated for her. Obviously between us it was a very emotional time both dealing with our own grief etc and still is tbh.

My friend has been really struggling with coming to terms with what she’s been told and is very depressed, understandably. She’s been drinking a lot and has had episodes where she gets very angry and at times violent towards her partner. It’s heartbreaking to see her hurting so badly. I have dealt with my grief quite differently, I’ve thrown myself into my work, moved house and have been trying to get us as a family through it with strength. I still have a lot of days where I cry and crave to go back and everything be ok but I know that’s not going to happen. Everyone deals with things differently, and I am I suppose lucky in the sense I was never given a final result like she was. I speak to her everyday and try and help her when she needs it, sometimes she will shut off and I know to give her some space.

So last week I discovered that I’m pregnant again. My oh and I have recently been talking about wether to try again or not and we were open to trying again after our angel baby’s birthday next month, however it’s happened sooner than we had anticipated. I’m fearful of going through it again, but I’m as fearful of telling my friend. It was the second thing in my head when I saw the line on my test, how am I going to tell her? I know she’s not going to handle it very well, and she’s already in a dark place. I have no intentions on telling anybody at all for a while yet until we are reassured that everything is ok, so I’m not looking to hit her with it now. Im scared this will end our friendship when I tell her, or that she will distance herself. Either way I know it’s not going to help her emotional state right now, my oh says that we can’t dictate our lives around her and her feelings which is true but I care about her a lot and am worried for her, the thought of losing her or causing her more pain is pretty unbearable but it’s most likely going to happen. Right now I’m just fearful of pretty much everything, losing my baby again and losing my friend. As I say I’m not planning on telling her or anyone anything until we are 100% confident things are ok, or I’m at a point I physics can’t hide it anymore, but I need to settle this in my head now and have a plan on how I can handle telling my friend because I can’t keep worrying myself about everything, I need to be as calm and stress free as I can be right now. Anybody been in a similar situation and have advice? Anybody who’s been in my friends shoes know how you’d like to be told? Tia xx

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FranticallyPeaceful · 22/03/2018 13:29

I’d just be honest. You had lost a child at 22 weeks and she still told you she was pregnant, which she must have known would be difficult for you. So maybe take whatever approach she took?
Sorry not much advice, but congratulations and good luck

Flymetothemoon18 · 22/03/2018 14:06

Thank you! She rang me up frantically excited, 2 days after I’d collected my daughters ashes from the funeral home, I was laid on my bed with her talking to her at the time my friend called. It was fine though I couldn’t be angry at her for being happy, I had a good cry after and pulled myself together and went to see her so she knew I was there for her. I think I’m going to have to be a lot more sensitive about telling her though. Thanks for your reply!

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Whydomypubeslooklikeanest · 22/03/2018 14:10

I would probably tell her by text so she doesn't have to respond right away.

Flowers so sorry for what you have been through.

Oh and congratulations Flowers

BabloHoney · 22/03/2018 14:18

I would tell her, then say you love her lots and completely understand if she wants a bit of space for a while. Then maybe leave for her to get in touch when she is ready. It's such a difficult time isn't it, I couldn't be around pregnant friends after a late miscarriage... I was happy for them but so upset for myself.

Sorry for what you went through with your late miscarriage

Congratulations on your baby and lots of luck x

PartyintheKitchen · 22/03/2018 15:22

OP congrats on your happy news and Flowers for your heartbreak last year.

I think you really need to concentrate on you, you've been through the wars losing your baby at 22 weeks. I kind of can't believe she rang you up 2 days after that loss with her exciting news, wow, that must have been very hard - no matter how happy you were for her. You're obviously very strong and an amazing friend to dust yourself off and think of her when you had enough to deal with.

I think texting her as soon as you're comfortable is a good idea. Maybe leaving it to the absolute last minute isn't the best approach as you will end up tying yourself up in knots over it which will drain you. Give her plenty of space to get used to the idea. In my experience a lost baby is the parent's lost baby, not a friend's baby etc. I've had a stillbirth and a MC and I didn't look at friend's bumps and babies wishing they were mine - I simply wanted mine (I hope that makes sense). She may be distant for a while, she may spiral a bit, but all you can do is tell her you love her and you are there for her if she needs you. Give her the space she may need even if it breaks your heart a little.

Mostly though, take care of you xx

JuJu2017 · 22/03/2018 15:32

Congratulations OP, and I’m so sorry for what you went through.
I don’t mean to sound like I’m being harsh towards your friend, but why on earth would you she phone you ‘frantically happy’ just after you lost your baby? It doesn’t sound like she cared very much about your feelings back then :(. You’re a much better person than me to be thinking about her feelings now.
You have every right to be happy about your pregnancy - especially after what you’ve been through - and considering how you went round to her house after your loss, she should recognise the sacrifice you made for her and show you the same courtesy now and be happy for you. Of course it’s going to be difficult for her though, and that’s understandable, so maybe send her a text asking how much involvement she wants and avoid sending scan pictures her way?

Millypad · 22/03/2018 17:53

I am so sorry for your loss, and very happy that you’ve started your new journey.

My situation is slightly different- tbh if my friend had gone through what you had, I’d be nothing but happy, despite own sadness. But for me, I lost mine a couple of years ago and then pcos hit and we couldn’t fall again. I was heartbroken as more and more people around me seemed to announce. When I met up with my best friend she announced straight away she wasn’t drinking because of antibiotics, and I thought ‘hmmm, I’ve used that one.’ Then it happened again win a different excuse and I thought ‘you know I know, why not just tell me?’ Women ttc will always know because they’re on the lookout for it. I spent eight weeks dreading the call from my friend and I was of course so happy for her, but I wish she’d just told me in the first place instead of - what felt like, perhaps unfairly- dropping hints and leaving me to guess. If you really value her friendship tell her as soon as you can so she feels involved, consulted, not pushed out and with time to figure out how she feels. (And so many congratulations!)

Flymetothemoon18 · 22/03/2018 20:04

Thank you all for your reply’s and advice! I find this a very delicate subject to touch on with her as it’s effected her in such a negative way. I suppose I care more about her feelings because I know it’s worse for her being told she’s pretty much never going to have another baby, and here I am pregnant like that. I was gutted at her insensitivity when she told me about her baby but then I knew how much she wanted a baby, again making this extra hard. I definitely agree that telling her by text is probably going to be best but I’m unsure of doing that now as I’m in no place to tell anybody yet, I can’t go back through announcing and telling people until I’m as sure as I can be we aren’t about to go through that hell again. I fear if I tell her and go as far as upsetting her to then lose this baby again then it’s putting her through that for nothing if that makes sense, the same as with our family and other friends. I will make sure that when I do tell her she knows how much she means to me and my children, she knows they adore her and that il always be there to support her. In my head I feel myself wanting to say sorry to her but I don’t have anything to be sorry about, we deserve our baby especially after what we have been through. Thanks again for your support xx

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