Sorry to start yet another pregnancy-related thread on here but, since so few people know our news yet, I appreciate being able to get some advice and reassurance from posters on here.
I'm about fourteen weeks pregnant with my first baby. It was a long journey to get here through IVF but we are delighted to be expecting, even if my anxiety levels are through the roof. Thank god, our twelve week scan was fine, which was such a relief, though I know we have a long way to go yet.
The only person, outside of medical and care professionals, who knows about my pregnancy is my older sister. I am very close to her and she was the only person aware of our IVF journey, she is also very discrete and supportive.
We plan not to tell most family and friends, even close ones, until after the twenty week scan as I don't think we will really start to relax until that has, please god, come back clear.
However, we have decided to tell my husband's parents earlier than that as we are close to them and I think they should be the first to know. My own beloved parents sadly both died a year apart a few years ago. I know my in-laws would want to know and we're getting to the stage where it would be good to have their emotional support as we navigate through pregnancy.
We're planning to tell them this weekend when they visit rather than breaking the news over the phone. I expect them to be very surprised as I am sure they had no idea that we wanted children. My husband is their only child so this will be their first grandchild. I think they will be happy for us but I am also concerned that they may be worried about how I am going to cope. I am completely blind and have had rheumatoid arthritis since I was a baby so have somewhat restricted movement in multiple joints.
My wonderful and able-bodied husband and I have discussed in detail how we plan to manage raising a child when one of us has substantial physical disabilities and, while we know it will be a challenge, we are doing our best to put the extra support I will need in place.
If my in-laws are worried I know it will come from a place of love and wanting what's best for us and I hope we can reassure them somewhat by discussing our plans with them. I'm a little more worried about how others may react. I'm probably over-thinking this as we have wonderful family and friends, but I can't help being prematurely defensive in case people question my ability to parent and the wisdom of someone like me having a baby in the first place.
As I said, this might all be in my imagination but if anyone on here with severe physical disabilities has an experience of telling family and friends their pregnancy news and is willing to share the reactions, good and bad, they received and ho w you dealt with negative reactions or difficult questions I would be most grateful.