How and when did you tell your boss about your pregnancy?

[GrumpySock]

I'm in a remote job. Been there for over 10 years. Have two kids. Both times I announced after 20 weeks and felt very very awkward and for some reason apologetic. I'm a grown woman now and don't want any embarrassment anymore 😄
My boss is lovely. She is abroad and we never go to the office so it is impossible for the news to reach her unless I tell her. The job is stressful and with a heavy workload so I appreciate I need to tell well in advance.
Can this be done naturally? How?

Just a comment to say that I feel that way even about telling my own family

I unfortunately had to tell my boss about 3 miscarriages last year and she was extremely supportive, also telling me that her first pregnancy many years ago had ended in loss (and she isn't normally the sort to disclose much). Our team have mostly worked remotely since COVID so this was done via email.

I have just told her my recent news (again via email) and went fairly simple with "I just wanted to let you know that I am pregnant again and have actually made it as far as 12weeks". I hadn't been sure about when/how I would tell her but she invited me to a meeting at a time when I might still be at a scan appointment so I thought I would let her know that I might be delayed.

If your boss is lovely it makes it easier (even more so if she has children herself?). I would just keep it simple and send an email headed 'News' or something like that. Then just go straight in with "Just wanted to let you know that I'm pregnant and all being well, baby will be due around XXX". I think it's one of those things that becomes as big a deal as you make of it!

I think telling shortly after first trimester ends is fair enough and gives plenty of notice for divvying out workload etc and planning for your absence. I work on lots of long-term projects and felt similar to you that some advance warning would be a courtesy (though admittedly not necessary but fine for me because I'm secure in my role/team etc). Good luck!

Told him at 7 weeks both times as I had severe sickness and it was impacting my work. Most of my family didn't even know yet! He was great about it. I told HR soon after 12 weeks.

Been in the same company 17 years and my new boss had absolutely no idea we had been through IVF so it came totally out of the blue. I was 16 weeks when I told him, I was really nervous as I'm quite heavily relied upon as a manager and knew it would throw a big spanner in the works. He was fantastic and reminded me that work is work and our health and family are way more important. He's been very supportive since and told me to let him know if the workload gets too much. I've been lucky and had zero symptoms so haven't needed any time off or special allowances but know if/when I do I will be supported. Not the same for everyone I know but I honestly expected a totally different reaction..it's a very male heavy senior management but they surprised me. Just go for it I think employers do appreciate being given notice as officially we don't need to tell them anything until 25 weeks..

I have an awesome manager I just asked for a quick chat over Teams and told him at 12 weeks pregnant. I’m the only woman on the team and the only person in my role on the team so I told him early to give time to sort cover. He was actually super excited for me 😊. He has been super supportive throughout. Senior management however dithered and have only just sorted cover for me (I've been on Mat leave for the last 2 weeks 🤦‍♀️).

I’m a teacher and head of my department, and just got promoted to a role where I’m now also line managing other departments. We’ve had a nightmare on recruitment recently so I wanted to give the school as much notice as possible, plus I wanted them to take my stress management seriously, so I told the head as soon as I found out. I told her in person, then followed it up with an email to HR. I’m pleased that I did because I’ve been so ill this week.

I left it to 18 weeks as I had a very high risk pregnancy. I did it face to face and brought along a planned proposal about how my absence could be managed to show my boss that I was mindful of the impact and would be constructive during the pregnancy to try to set things up well for being away. It went down well and she was very gracious given it was genuinely appalling timing for the business.

I had to tell mine at 9 weeks due to covid going around as I wasn't comfortable going into the office! Next time I'd wait a lot longer as I was very nervous to tell that early.

Thank you for sharing! I think this time I will tell them after the 12 weeks scan if we make it. Probably just mention in the conversation.
Last time they got my date wrong (although all was in writing) and they only sort out the cover after I went on maternity leave. Maybe this time they will be more efficient

I’m 20+5 and only told my manager this week, on Monday, because I wanted to wait until my 20 wk scan which was last Friday (I’ve had 4 miscarriages previously). I work for a large global company but mainly work with teams in different countries so go into the office quite infrequently. I was a bit nervous about telling them actually because I have a critical role but also because I managed to negotiate an additional increase very recently so I was worried they’d feel a bit let down since I was soon going to be going off on leave. I just told my manager over a call and she was great, all the team have been very happy for me and supportive. I think although I told them quite late, I think many do after 12 weeks, according to our policy you only have to do it by 25 weeks so I reckon they still have more than enough time to plan plus sort out cover etc. Most people in our team have families and if someone in my team was in the same position I wouldn’t mind even if they told me at 25 weeks, even the longest notice period we have for resigning is three months so this is still more notice.

I think I must've been about 18-20weeks when I told my workplace during our Christmas-do.

With this pregnancy/job I'm going to try and avoid saying anything until 25weeks - which will fall on when I've been in the organisation for exactly a year. My current job and manager are just horrible for a long long list of reasons.

It would give me great pleasure to let them know as late as possible I will be gone too. I'm only JUST eligible for OMP - that's how eager I am to leave this dump. And there's a recruitment freeze - so they'll have to find someone else to address the impossible and ridiculous tasks they always give me.

Can't wait!

I knew I was pregnant at two weeks, even before my period was due. But I knew because my sense of smell when over the roof and bought a test. He was the first person that knew, when I told my partner that evening I already had a new work schedule more suitable to my pregnancy. All good.