How did you announce pregnancy news to your colleagues?

[anniz91]

Hi all

I am currently 18 weeks pregnant and told my boss at 16 weeks I'm pregnant. However, I have yet to disclose the at to my colleagues. I feel pretty awkward and wanted to wait as long as possible to disclose this as I'm still on probation and pretty much still a newbie. I'm starting to show a lot but hiding under baggie clothes, I planned on waiting till 20 week scan to tell my coworkers.

My main question is How did you tell your colleagues? Im such an introvert that this is quite private for me but I know people need to know and I feel a bit scared they are going to be pissed by me not disclosing it earlier due to planning.

I just told colleagues one on one in meetings. People are much more likely to be happy for you than annoyed :)

For different reasons i held off as long as possible both times. And I just let it slip into conversation when I was ready to let people know.
People are generally happy to hear someone else's good news. Even if it's a pain for them to find a temp replacement

I was the same as you and found it awkward. It was hard to just drop it into convo, i asked my manager to start telling people, so within about a hour it had spread around to everyone, was so glad once everyone knew and had said congrats and the attention was off me again !

I just told them in the next team meeting following my 20 week scan. Manager knew I was going to tell them so led me into it by saying 'Loop has something to share with you all'. No annoyances, lots of congratulations and then we moved on.

I told my line manager at 6 weeks because I had a threatened miscarriage. Then I told a few people around 12 weeks (friends and the head of the company). The big boss got VERY excited and emailed the entire staff team within 10 minutes. I didn’t mind, I’d left him until last for a reason.

I sent a scan photo on the teams chat 😆

Most offices have 'a gossip'. Tell them and then watch as everyone finds out. 😂

I once went through a very painful breakup and couldn't bear having to tell everyone at work so I used this tactic. Told this one person and within an hour, pretty much everyone knew.

I told senior management and close colleagues, and met everyone else find out by word of mouth

Don't tell them Just let them find out themselves.

I didn’t want to do an announcement in the staff room due to being an introvert too so I just posted it on the staff whatsapp group so everyone knew without me having to tell everyone individually

I’m also like this, don’t want the attention on me…. I’m 22 weeks and haven’t told them all yet but starting to show, told my boss and my closest friend at work, plan to tell my next closest work colleague next week. Then I plan to tell each one of my team (we’re a small team within a big team) one by one following that when I feel ready….I’ll then let them spread it to the wider team themselves or let people ask me when I start showing. Work gossip spreads like wild fire at my work hence me not telling any of them before now 🤣

I just awkwardly went ‘oh btw I’m pregnant didn’t know if you knew already but there’s that’ at the end of conversations with colleagues haha…. Then I let them gossip and wasn’t bothered really.

I told a couple of people at work, they asked if they could tell some more people, I’ve worked there for years and apparently, this was ‘big news’ (!) I said please do and then it got around really quickly. I didn’t really need to do much. I didn’t show properly until about 25 weeks so anyone that didn’t know then knew just by looking at me. I’ve had such a lovely reaction from everyone, they all seem to be genuinely happy for me. My boss, who I expected to be a bit put out by the inconvenience was the happiest of all! He was so so happy for me (I’m getting on a bit and I guess he didn’t think I’d ever have a baby). People love babies 🤷🏻‍♀️

I hid the bump under baggy clothes for ages then one day came in wearing a figure hugging dress which made it very obvious I was pregnant, then walked round my main colleagues and said something like “Morning! By the way, I have some news” <points at bump>

It was fun.

I haven't been in my latest job very long and have also been hiding it, I won't be entitled to smp so haven't had a reason to have to tell anybody though. 24 weeks today and starting to get rather round, been off for the summer holidays and going back when il be almost 26 weeks so I'm hoping people will just notice at this point rather than me having to say "hi, I'm pregnant " 🤣 x

@Madmax1992 I have absolutely pooped at 19 weeks! I don't think baggy clothes are going to save me anymore lol

*popped

I think you're over estimating how interested other people will be in your news.

Just put it in an email so they can do anything they need to before you go absent.

I had to tell my manager at 8 weeks, my morning sickness was so bad I needed her to know why I kept darting to the loo. I showed my team my scan photo then just let everyone else find out when my bump popped out… was kind of funny seeing their huh faces. Obviously not wanting to be rude but also wanting to know.
i was a big as a house by week 30 so they all knew then.

I waited until 20wks too. Told a few people I was close to, hoping they could then spread the word for me. My boss then announced it in the following team meeting! Was a bit embarrassed, but it got it all out the way! I found the leaving card/speech/flowers thing a lot more embarrassing!

Please do it in writing if you can, for the sake of anyone privately struggling with losses or infertility. It always sucks having to arrange your face after hearing such news.

I blurted it out during a relevant conversation with my close team and let others who needed to know for my safety as and when required. Otherwise they just find out whenever, I’ve had one person congratulate me saying they noticed my bump.

@Madmax1992 of you intend to take leave, regardless of pay then you still need to inform them and provide a MATB1 form before 25 weeks. Don’t forget to check your entitlement to maternity allowance.

@anotherpotoftea I am planning on writing an email!

I work through an agency, so I've told the agency and they have already told work I'll be finishing in December but not the reason why and yeah I'm going to claim maternity allowance, so still need a matb1 qnd an smp1 form x

Had to tell my immediate boss very early as had a bit of a scare at 7/8 weeks m, but at about 15 weeks sent a scan pic, via email to the dept (6 of us) with the subject New Team Member to join !