When did you tell people you were in labour?

[bleachblondemom]

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 😂

I didn't. Then again I'm one of those people left scratching their heads over this recent compulsion to over-share or 'announce' everything. News is for when there's something to tell.

I was induced so ofc everyone knew

There were a lot of texts/phone calls but in fairness 90% were being sent to DH who basically picked and chose if/when he replied whenever was convenient.

We didn’t do a ‘big announcement’ as we aren’t that way inclined, not social media people but I think that worked amazingly as DM and MIL rang round the respective families whilst DH and I messaged close friends.

This time they’ll have to know again as we need DS looking after

I agree with @NameChange30. My Mum knew because we she popped in to see us and my waters broke when we were sitting on the sofa chatting - can't hide that! She said she couldn't sleep until she knew baby had arrived. Luckily for me it was less than 3.5 hours but it could've been a lot longer and she would have worried throughout.

I hadn't planned to tell anyone. We wouldn't have given updates or anything so it seemed pointless to tell them and it was a lovely call to make after baby arrived to share the good news. Worth noting I also told very few people my actual due date as I couldn't stand the 'is the baby here yet?' messages so perhaps I am on the overly private side.

I will have to tell my Mum this time around as she will be looking after DC1, but she will be under strict instructions to not share the news with anyone.

Honestly though, once you get into labour, telling your family will be the last thing on your mind. It's so all consuming - something I really hadn't expected beforehand. Good luck!

I gave birth on Thursday. It was my second. Obviously told DH when I thought I was in labour at 8am. Then told Mum, Dad and DS at about 12pm but they live abroad so they couldnt arrive over. I then rang my MIL at 3PM to come and collect DD and the dog, and then she told her entire family in pure excitement which I wouldnt have done but was having contractions so didnt care. That was it. Didnt tell anyone else. Baby arrived at 9:35pm. The hardest thing was my parents were obviously messaging DH worrying about me but he was busy running through the hospital with me in a wheelchair pushing because we stayed at home that little bit too long 😆 I didnt have anyone over bar MIL over for 5 mins. I even told DH to stay in work til 4PM and laboured at home by myself. I was pretty chilled and happy.

Not planning on telling anyone.

Not till baby here. It's not really a surprise, they will be expecting it.

I loved listening to dh making the happy call telling them baby was here. Rather than stressing my mum out with waiting to hear.

Up to you though, just quite stressful for close family if things take time and they are fretting waiting for news.

I wasn't going to tell anyone with our first but had the baby at the hospital I work at and bumped into my boss when they sent me to walk the stairs to get things going so thought she would tell my colleagues and I was worried one that is a friend and massively excited about me having a baby as she had introduced me to my husband who put something on Facebook so did call both sets of parents Friday afternoon baby didn't arrive till 6am Saturday morning and my mum had said she couldn't sleep knowing I was in labour (she lived a fair distance away so wasn't going to come to the hospital till baby arrived). My MIL did call and ask if we wanted her to come to the hospital she had been angling to come to the birth but I did want her or my mum there luckily husband said no.
If we ever manage to have another MIL will know because she will be on childcare for number 1 and my mum has now passed but probably would ou tell my dad when baby is here.

With dc1 didn't tell anyone other than then H and medical professionals. Both sets of parents were out of the country, but wouldn't have told them anyway.

With dc2 my mum was contacted straight away so she could come over to look after dc1 in case I needed to go to hospital (planned homebirth). In the event she arrived at the same time as the paramedics H called after I'd delivered dc2 myself.

My plan was to not tell anyone I was in labour until I was 4cm and admitted in hospital in 'established' labour...started with contractions and I told my sister & sis in law cus I text them 24/7 and I was having contractions every 5 mins...wasnt dilating at all so I still refused to tell anyone else until I was 4cm, 36 hours later went in 10cm pushing (unknown!) Husband rang my mum and his mum whilst I was pushing to tell them i was in fact in labour and pushing...text them 5 mins later with a pic of baby. 😂 they had alot to take in and they never got the excitement of 'oh my god shes in labour' I kind of wish I'd have just told them at the start, but then I didnt want the annoying 'anything happening' texts

Not planning on telling anyone. DH's mum would be fine but mine would be unable to stop herself constantly asking for updates and whatnot, so I'd rather just say after the fact.

I'm not going to go out of my way to hide it though so if I go into labour done at gets for Christmas or she happens to ring during, oh well.

Baby was 3h old when we told people I had been in labour.

My waters broke at midnight and went into labour in the early hours. I gave birth at lunch time. I phoned my parents mid afternoon at the time I was meant to video call them. I was 8 days early so they weren't expecting baby to arrive.

When my sister had my niece my parents and family knew. I spent 2 days fielding questions and updates and it drove me loopy I knew then that if I had a child there was no way I would have told anyone in advance.

@bleachblondemom please don't worry about the tone others decide to take on here when you've asked a genuine question. People don't seem to care that posters may be worried or just seeking a bit of advice or reassurance. Our minds go into overdrive during pregnancy just wanting everything to be perfect! Everyone's situations are different and everyone should be free to ask whatever they like without judgement!

@kidsareok thank you xx

I told my parents that I was in labour, and my DH's parents once we were in hospital. My husband then just messaged them to give them updates from time to time so they didn't need to ask us what was going on constantly! Im very close to my parents and my mum and dad both came to the hospital and sat with me whilst my DH went and got a coffee - it was a verrry long labour and I had an epidural and syntocin drip, so I was confined to the bed and couldn't really do much. My dad stayed for about half an hour and my mum stayed with me and my partner, and was there for the birth. This time round they will be looking after my little boy, but we will keep them updated like we did last time. I think it completely depends on your relationships - nobody else can judge. Do whatever feels right! Also you never know what you'll feel like in labour - you might want to keep in touch, you might not.

@JemNo66 that sounds like a good scenario, keeping the people important to you aware but without feeling overwhelmed by them.