When to tell work?

[Irishstout]

Hi All.
I've just had positive pregnancy tests. After was due last Friday so I'm still very early.

I need to know what to do about work though. I wasn't planning on announcing until after scan and everything going OK because I know there's no guarantee it will stick.

My job involves some tasks that you aren't able to do if pregnant. Like it's OK the list of things adviaed against by NHS. How has everyone else navigated this? Do I tell them early? I don't want all my colleagues knowing though because they'll gossip and it will spread back to my friends and family.

I would love some advice.

If there are things you aren’t allowed to do you must tell your manager ASAP.

If you need a risk assessment for things you shouldn't do during pregnancy then you should tell your manager early. It doesn't have to be passed to your colleagues. Legally they need to know by 25 weeks.

Thanks I think that's the answer I was expecting.

It's going to be so hard to stop doing these tasks without everyone at work finding out.

I'm just so early I hate the idea of having my horrible HR know before my mum.

I have to tell work as soon as I find out. The first time I needed two colleagues to do something for me as I couldn't do it. I told them why although they probably would have guessed if I said I wasn't allowed to handle samples from that project.

I usually get hyperemesis in pregnancy and have told people I work with when they are expecting me to have completed work and I've been unable to do so because of the sickness. I have gone with the approach that I would rather tell them the truth than them judge me for an obvious lie. A friend of mine had an awful first trimester because her colleagues thought she was lazy as she stopped doing certain tasks she couldn't do because of pregnancy. They became really bitchy and it was horrible for her.

I've had two miscarriages and it's been helpful that work already knew to have a bit of space for appointments and to process everything. I never told one of my colleagues who knew I couldn't complete work because of pregnancy that I lost the pregnancy but it was quite obvious that I wasn't pregnant. I guess it could have been awkward but it wasn't.

Oh and I told my line manager before I told HR. I only told HR when I was going off sick due to pregnancy sickness

I'm just so early I hate the idea of having my horrible HR know before my mum.
You can tell your mum today if that's bothering you.

Absolutely with you on this.
I’ve got this (what I know is ridiculous) idea that I need to tell my DD before anyone. I’ve booked a scan for 8 weeks but I still don’t want to tell DD until the statistics are a bit more “safe” 🤞
4 years ago I had a MMC during covid. Told my boss immediately to shield. She ended up gossiping and telling loads of people, even put out a job advert for a promotion for my colleague to take on my work as well as hers - then I lost it. Same boss now who I just don’t trust to be confidential but I can’t risk being put it an unsafe situation so I’m going to have to just suck it up.

@DappledThings it's not that I'm desperate to tell my family it's more that we live in a small neighbourhood and if HR makes the wrong comments to people. Eg. Irishsout isn't allowed to do x y or z then everyone will know. And people will talk and talk will travel and before I know someone will see my mum in the shop and say congratulations.

I just want to keep myself safe but also process things myself. It's my first and I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all