Should I tell my manager?

[Ririi]

i recently had a positive pregnancy test, it is still very early days, I should be about 5w and already feeling extremely tired, a bit nauseous (but no vomiting so far) and I just want to nap all day.

I am yet to have two very busy months at work and I am worried I may not be able to be as productive as I need to be, especially if the nausea gets worst. I am considering telling my manager, as she also has kids and I am hoping she would understand.

What would be the negatives if I tell too soon?

What do you think? How should I approach the conversation? We have a one to one session on Monday, so that may be a good opportunity.

it could mean she’s not particularly understanding op if she suffered from what sounds like very normal early pregnancy symptoms and still managed to pull in a management job?

Do you have a good relationship with her?

Not everyone suffers with nausea or vomitting, you might be lucky! Tiredness passes by about 10w as well.

Personally I'd wait (unless adaptations were needed for me to safely continue working).

We have an ok relationship, but we are definitely not close. She had been understanding with taking time off when ill previously; and I will not be saying I will not be doing any work.

although she is the type of person that would not take a sick day off unless absolutely necessary.

I would definitely hold off then

When did you find out Op?

I'd see how you go over the next week or so but I'd inform her before needing too many adjustments.
In my job I had to tell manager straight away which did take when should I say out of the question but I quite quickly needed time off with hyperemesis and fatigue in my pregnancies so it was good to have got the conversation over with before needing days off.
They let me work from home more and relaxed the inform us by 10 am rule for days off sick as often that was peak sickness time and I wasn't always in a fit state to inform by 10 but could a bit later. In 2 pregnancies I struggled in as much as I could and ended up more unwell but the third time I accepted a 4 week sicknote and whilst I was as unwell I didn't feel the tole as much on my body.
Unfortunately two of the pregnancies ended in miscarriage and it was helpful that they already knew I was expecting. The first time my boss cleared my diary for me for the following few days until I was ready to come back and the second time I had permission to keep working at home until we had Christmas shutdown as whilst I was fit for work I wasn't emotionally up for Christmas cheer that came with the Christmas lunches and the run up to Christmas.

The negatives are that if things go wrong you have to deal with telling about that too

the positives are that as soon as work know you are protected from pregnancy discrimination and any pregnancy related absence has to be recorded separately.

I would also wait. I waited until 13 weeks before informing work with both of my children. Like others have said you may feel ok and symptons come and go. One pregnancy I felt awful and one I felt perfectly normal just the odd few days of nausea

If you can manage the symptoms until after the 12 week scan however if things are unbearable you need to let your manager know.

Lu x

I would definitely say something. It will be confidential and a heads up if you’re unwell with morning sickness is good for your boss but also provisions can be given to you. For example you could start work later, reduce your workload….i had to do this in my first trimester due to being so unwell.
No one else knew apart from my boss.
i had hellish morning sickness from 5 weeks onwards so please don’t keep quiet. Get the support you’re entitled to.

as someone who has gone through a number of miscarriages it was very helpful for work to know so I could take time off to heal. With my second miscarriage I got an infection so needed a fortnight off to recover.
i don’t like the idea that you have to keep quiet you need support pregnant or if something goes wrong

What did you decide OP?

I would wait until you know that any symptoms are having an impact on your work. Saying that, I told my line manager really early, as she was encouraging me to apply for an EOI in another team (temporary post), so wanted to know what she’d do in my situation, given that, all being well, I’d only be around until January.

I always told work straight away, it made things a lot easier for me

I told my boss straight away. Glad I did tbh, I am 10 weeks pregnant and have been sick so much that I burst a capillary in my eye. Look like a zombie lady for two weeks haha.