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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Anyone told work about pregnancy before family?

30 replies

Masha31 · 11/04/2019 15:29

Exactly that really, I have my first midwife/booking appointment coming up soon and need to leave work about 30 mins early to get there in time (it's the latest appointment in the day). I know employers allow time off for pregnancy related medical appointments but it would mean me telling work that I'm pregnant before I've told any of my family or friends. I'm a teacher so have to sort a cover teacher for the last lesson of the day, which of course has to be authorised.

Has anyone else told work before anyone else?

I was planning on telling my employer once I got to 12 weeks to give them plenty of time to get someone sorted for my maternity cover.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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oh4forkssake · 11/04/2019 15:34

Yes, I did.

There was a work matter which would have been adversely impacted by my leave, so rather than let it be set in motion, I told my manager when I was only about 6 weeks. I had a really good working relationship with him, and figured that I would tell him if the pregnancy didn't work out, so this was no different.

We told family at 12 weeks.

ChilliMum · 11/04/2019 15:37

Yes. I had awful morning sickness and I was struggling to keep down so much as a glass of water and couldn't even get into my office as a colleagues perfume made me retch literally from the stairwell.

My boss was unexpectedly awesome. His wife had had hg with both her pregnancies.

He told everyone he had given me permission to work from home on a project with a close deadline (busy noisy office) and just put in the calendar I was not to be disturbed and to contact him in my absence.

I actually did work from home and got quite a bit done as I was far too ill to do anything else so his generosity paid off too.

Original poster

Masha31 · 11/04/2019 16:10

Great, thanks ladies!

OP posts:

secretlyhermione · 11/04/2019 17:34

Yep I also told before when I was 10 weeks. I wanted to tell them after my parents but because of a skiing retreat he planned super last minute I hate to tell him. He also took it very well :) My parents live abroad so I'm planning to tell them over Easter - they still don't know!

keepingspiritsup · 11/04/2019 19:10

If I ever get a BFP again i will most definitely tell my boss before most family members - he's been very supportive through several miscarriages and a near fatal ectopic and is probably rooting for me more than anyone to have a healthy successful pregnancy - he has daughters himself and he treats me how he hopes someone would treat his daughters one day in the workplace x

supadupapupascupa · 11/04/2019 19:14

Yes because I was as sick as a dog

PotteringAlong · 11/04/2019 19:16

Yup, also a teacher. Told my head at about 5 weeks in all 3 pregnancies

BillyAndTheSillies · 11/04/2019 19:16

First pregnancy I told my manager the day I found out, so less than four weeks but mainly because we were very close friends and used to spend a lot of the day in outside pub meetings chain smoking (I know I know!).

This time around my in-laws are my managers so I killed two birds with one stone. I had to tell them because I needed risk assessments at work.

I think it's pretty normal to tell at least one person at work before 12 weeks mainly to fit in appointments.

crazycatlady7 · 11/04/2019 19:19

I told my manager and two of the people I manage due to the environment- I work with SEN so needed a RA and not to work with the learners.

angelix · 11/04/2019 20:35

Yeah, I told my boss and my team at around 7 weeks then told family at 13 weeks.
I've been struggling with sickness in the morning (16 weeks now and still struggling) so haven't been in work on time at all in the last few months. I'm lucky though and it hasn't been an issue.

Bambamber · 11/04/2019 20:40

I did, but because the environment I work in I have to avoid certain things

smartcarnotsosmartdriver · 11/04/2019 20:43

I told my boss at 5 weeks because I've miscarried before and I didn't want him to be blind sided if it happened again, he's been good about it so far but they want to do a DSE assessment at 7 weeks which feels a little premature.

AnnaBegins · 11/04/2019 20:45

Yes both times! First I told them the day before family as I was going on holiday and didn't want colleagues to see anything on fb from my family. Second I told my boss at 6 weeks because we had redundancies coming up and I wanted to protect myself. Both times they were fine about it.

LittleChristmasMouse · 11/04/2019 20:47

I did but that was health and safety reasons - I handled cytotoxic drugs and radioactive patients.

Heyha · 11/04/2019 20:49

Yep, I had to for risk assessment reasons. Told my parents and one set of DP's parents the weekend after I told work during the week though. Didn't tell DP's mum as she didn't turn up to where we'd planned to meet (other side of country near where she lives) so she had to wait until we could next get over there...

Everyone else was after 12 week scan.

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 11/04/2019 20:52

I did although only because my boss was yelling at me for coming into work with a vomiting bug after one of my colleagues kindly told him they'd seen me puking in the toilets.

JE87 · 11/04/2019 22:20

Yes my boss was first person I told!

Iamthecaptainnow · 12/04/2019 07:13

I will because this is an unplanned and unideally-timed pregnancy, workwise, and I want to find out my rights, negotiate a leave package etc, before we tell family. I want to feel more in control. I work for a big multinational so I hope they'll work something out, but these things can take time when dealing with the HR branch.

Cannyhandleit · 12/04/2019 07:52

I did with my first pregnancy as I had some early bleeding and I'd had 2 previous miscarriages so didn't feel comfortable telling family yet but also needed time off for extra appointments/scans.

Cannyhandleit · 12/04/2019 07:56

I had a friend who told her boss as soon as she found out as she had had fertility issues and it took a long time to get pregnant which her boss knew about. Unfortunately 2 weeks later her boss fabricated reasons to fire her!! It was an awful, awful shit storm for her!

KnitterOfSocks · 12/04/2019 07:56

Yes cos H&S issues with being pregnant at work. Told my boss at 5 weeks, he discreetly arranged things for a couple of months until we told everybody at 14 weeks. Although I show early and big so most people had guessed by then anyway!

Sessy19 · 12/04/2019 08:02

Everyone at work knows I’m pregnant because I had a rather humiliating incident where I had an enormous bleed at 7w at a lecture theatre....whilst I was briefing 300 of my colleagues! The blood literally flooded my uniform on stage.

Fortunately, I was able to tell them all the following week that I was in fact still pregnant.

The only family members who know are my sister and two best friends. We’ll await further dramatics and navigate those before telling family after the 12w scan which is scheduled for 13w6 in two weeks time.

To be honest, this is my first and my husband’s third child, his family have already expressed that they don’t agree with him remarrying and living with someone else apart from his children, so this is going to go downhill like a shit storm, so I’m happy to put it off. And I don’t talk to my mother. I’m really only excited to tell my dad and step mum because they will be over the freaking moon! Thank god.

HerSymphonyAndSong · 12/04/2019 08:04

I didn’t but my husband did because he is a teacher and wanted to come to the 12wk scan

Nuttyaboutnutella · 12/04/2019 08:08

Me, both times. I had to due to manual handling. I also had to tell a few colleagues very early on. Told my parents at 8 weeks with both pregnancies, work knew within a few days of BFP.

stucknoue · 12/04/2019 08:14

Depends on work, if you do certain jobs you need to change procedures or role even when ttc so someone does need to know.

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