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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

When did you tell people you were in labour?

65 replies

bleachblondemom · 06/11/2020 20:56

I don’t necessarily mean announce to the whole world, just tell like family members or whoever you felt was important. I don’t want to keep it from my parents or my husbands parents and then just be like surprise I had the baby but I don’t want to tell them too early and then keep getting harassed for updates. Especially as I’m going to try and stay at home for as long as possible in early labour, I know for a fact my mom will be constantly ringing me or trying to come round if she knows I’ve started having contractions. So I want to try to keep it quiet until I’m actually in the hospital, but she will definitely be ringing me every day around my due date... so I’ll have to answer the phone like ‘yeah I’m fine no news yet’ whilst contracting 😂

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TeddyBeans · 06/11/2020 21:00

I was living with my parents at the time so they knew and my ex told his parents as soon as I told him we needed to go to the hospital. His mother then kept everyone updated on my progress on Facebook and even stole the joy of announcing my child had arrived safely into the world...

If I have a second child I won't be telling anyone anything until after the fact

nomorespaghetti · 06/11/2020 21:04

I didn’t tell anyone either time! It was quite quick with my first, and then there was no reception at the hospital, so my dh went outside and rang family once dd was born. My second child I had a home birth, and my dd was already at my parent’s house for a sleepover (we were supposed to be having one last child-free weekend before baby was born... ended up having baby instead!) I think my dh might have called my mum to let her know at some point (was also quite a quick labour), but we didn’t tell anyone else till ds was born. Unless there’s a logistical reason for telling family, eg childcare, I’d never consider telling anyone I was in labour! But that’s just me.

Original poster

bleachblondemom · 06/11/2020 21:14

The idea of going into labour and not telling my parents and my husbands parents, or at the very least my mom, seems a bit weird to me. I feel like they should know. I want to tell them, but also want to follow it with ‘please now leave me alone until you receive the next update’ 😂 I’ll try to get away with not telling anyone while I’m still at home though cos like I said I will just be bombarded by my mother.

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Original poster

bleachblondemom · 06/11/2020 21:15

@TeddyBeans as overbearing and overexcited as my mom can be, she 100% knows full well not to put anything about my life on Facebook until I’ve given her permission, I totally trust her on that one lol

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Greenhairbrush · 06/11/2020 21:17

First time I was induced and it took forever so a few people knew.
This time I’m hoping for a spontaneous labour but will need dm for childcare so she will be told. But that’s probably it.

GoingBackTo505 · 06/11/2020 21:18

My mum knew as our car had broken that week so she had to drop us at the hospital, but other than that, we didn't really think to announce it to anyone. I don't think we even looked at our phones until after baby arrived anyway.

majesticallyawkward · 06/11/2020 21:20

Didn't occur to me to tell anyone.
My mum knew with dc2 because it was an induction and she was looking after dc1. We told her when I was in active labour and dh sent her updates every now and again as dc1 was a bit anxious about me being away.

It's so personal though I wouldn't think about telling anyone that didn't 'need to know'. A friend text me when I was in hospital overnight with the induction and I was super bored so said where I was and she kept me company for a while.
In the moment in laws, or anyone other than me, dh and the impending baby, was of no concern.

peachypetite · 06/11/2020 21:20

I’m nearly 37 weeks and don’t intend on telling anyone. Don’t want the pressure.

Cheeseycheeseycheesecheese · 06/11/2020 21:21

When we arrived at the hospital dh text my parents and his parents to say "baby will be here today" about 10 minutes later it was a photo and "scrap that meet your new grandson"

My labour was fast in the sense that we got to the hospital and he arrived within 25 minutes.
I'd been having contractions on and off for 3 days though, so I think both set of parents knew to a degree that birth was imminent.

PotteringAlong · 06/11/2020 21:22

I was induced with my first and my 3rd so people new and I needed childcare for the 2nd so they new then too.

majesticallyawkward · 06/11/2020 21:22

Having said that, there's been a few people I know who are so active on messages/calls/social media if they've been quiet for a bit you just kind of know they're probably in labour. I wouldn't contact them and ask even then, but usually when I've thought that a baby announcement has come pretty quickly!

Lollol86 · 06/11/2020 21:22

@bleachblondemom I've always told close family as soon as my contractions started. With my first I was asking my sister for advice and second time my mil had my daughter when I when my contractions started and my big sister was my 2nd birthing partner xx

Pipandmum · 06/11/2020 21:26

I didn't tell anyone. My waters broke just as we got off the sofa to go to bed, we went to hospital, my husband rang his work to cancel his next day but I actually don't think we told my parents until the morning (I was going to have a section and wasn't in active labour). I didn't see any point having them worry overnight.

37weekswithno2 · 06/11/2020 21:31

Wait and see how you feel, no need to make a decision just now if there's no childcare to consider.

With my first I told my mum not long before I went to hospital, only because she was meant to be coming round. Dh told MIL at some point after we were at the hospital. It was hard not to tell them as we speak to them everyday so they would wonder why we weren't answering the phone.

This time round MIL will be coming to look after ds so we'll have to give her a heads up when I'm sure Labour has started so she's got time to get herself ready to come to ours.

kowari · 06/11/2020 21:31

Woke up in labour at 5am. Woke the father after calling the hospital and getting the okay to come in. Called my mum from the hospital.

Tfoot75 · 06/11/2020 21:35

No one ideally depending on circumstances! Dd1 we told no one, she was born at 8am so nobody contacted us/missed us overnight.

Dd2 we told my dm as she had to care for Dd1, labour started at 7am ish born at 12.30pm. The rest of my family knew as they were having Sunday lunch at dm's house.

DH didn't tell his family either time. One of my pregnancy worries was DH's parents turning up on the maternity ward.

VeggieSausageRoll · 06/11/2020 21:36

About 12 hours after birth!

GreyishDays · 06/11/2020 21:36

Didn’t tell anyone each time as I knew they’d be worried sick until I’d delivered.

If you decide you don’t want to tell people, maybe gently cut down on contact now.

AnneElliott · 06/11/2020 21:38

I didn't tell anyone. Although DS arrived in 3 hours and 20 mins so didn't exactly give us a lot of time!

SugarSW7 · 06/11/2020 21:40

My contractions started in the middle of the night, I told my DH. Spoke to my mum in the morning, but didn't let on. I wouldn't have been able to cope with her anxiety so I only told her when the birth unit took me in and said I was 4cm, she then made her way to be present at the birth. I wouldn't change it!
But it's hugely personal OP, good luck!

Original poster

bleachblondemom · 06/11/2020 21:48

@SugarSW7 that sounds like what I’m thinking of doing, not letting on that anything’s going on while I’m at home and then telling parents when we’re settled in at the midwife led unit (or hospital, but MLU if all goes to plan). But no one will actually be coming with me except DH.

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Original poster

bleachblondemom · 06/11/2020 21:50

@Tfoot75 yeah if it all happens in the middle of the night I don’t think I will tell anyone lol

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Original poster

bleachblondemom · 06/11/2020 21:55

@37weekswithno2 exactly people will think it’s weird if we’re not answering calls/texts as we both talk to our families a lot. I want people to know I just really really don’t want my mom to keep ringing me or trying to come over so I’m gonna have to throw her off the scent until I’m safely tucked away in the birth unit 😂

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tigger001 · 06/11/2020 21:55

My husband knew my waters broke as he had to drive me to the hospital, they kept me in overnight, sent my hubby home, I rang my mum in the morning whilst in early labour, she knew by my voice I was in labour so didn't need to tell her, I asked her not to come until we had txt and had baby as we didn't want het sitting around the hospital.

She did infant come to the hospital without telling us and just waited patiently, but was in the room 3 minutes after we txt her. She was my best friend and an amazing mum so we didn't mind, we told everyone else once he was here.

Alarae · 06/11/2020 21:56

I got sent to the Day Unit for assessment following my 40 week midwife appointment as my blood pressure was high.

As it didn't come down with medication, I was brought in for induction that day. It was a very boring time before it actually kicked off so I was talking to my sisters/mum. My oldest sister kept my dad in the loop.

I went to the unit on Friday afternoon and my daughter was born Sunday evening. So a lot of time to fill!

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