When to Tell Your Coworkers You’re Pregnant
When you’re working with people, there are certain details about your personal life that you may not feel comfortable sharing.
You may be worried about what your coworkers think of you or how they will react to the news. When it comes to being pregnant, keeping it a secret from your coworkers may feel impossible.
You can’t exactly hide a growing belly forever. With so many different pregnant celebrities in the media and seeing your friends get married and have kids, it feels like everyone is getting preg—and fast.
So when do you share this news with your coworkers? And when might it make more sense to keep it to yourself? Read on for some helpful tips on how and when to tell them you’re expecting.
When to tell your coworkers you’re pregnant
There are several factors to consider when deciding when to tell your coworkers you’re pregnant.
The first is the type of workplace you’re in. If you work at a small business where everyone knows each other, it may feel easier to share your news. However, you may feel more comfortable waiting a bit longer in a more formal, corporate office environment.
Another thing to take into account is how far along you are. Many women feel a mix of anxiety and excitement as their pregnancy progresses. However, as your belly grows, it will become increasingly difficult to hide.
If your office has a casual dress code, you may be able to wear large sweaters or other pieces of clothing to cover up your growing bump.
If your outfit is a bit more formal, you may be able to pull off oversized clothing for a while, but it won’t be long before others notice your change in appearance.
When it’s obvious and won’t be a surprise
If you’re at the point where your coworkers might notice your pregnancy even if you don’t tell them, you may want to go ahead and spill the beans.
You may not want to wait to share your happy news because you don’t want others to find out about the pregnancy from someone else.
If you were planning on keeping your pregnancy a secret, you may be worried about how your coworkers will respond. If you’re worried about coworkers’ reactions to your pregnancy news, you can always wait to tell your closest friends at work first.
You may also want to wait until you’re past the first trimester when morning sickness is hopefully behind you and your energy level is back to normal.
When you want advice and support from your coworkers
If you keep your pregnancy a secret, your coworkers may want to offer their congratulations once they notice your bump. You can politely decline their kind words, wishing that they hadn’t noticed the change in your appearance.
If you’re looking for advice or support, though, it may not be a bad idea to wait until you can share your happy news.
Since you’re not ready to tell them you’re expecting just yet, you can tell your coworkers that you’re not ready to share the news yet.
This will allow you to wait until you’re ready to share. Your coworkers may want to know when the baby is due and how the baby is developing. You may not want to share those details, though.
When you don’t feel comfortable at work while pregnant
If you’re feeling really uncomfortable at work for any reason, it may be best to hold off on sharing your pregnancy news.
If you’re worried about how your coworkers will react to the news, you may want to wait until you’re no longer pregnant.
Once you’ve given birth, you may find that your coworkers are more compassionate, and you can share your news at that point.
If you’re concerned about your job while pregnant, you may want to wait to tell your coworkers. You don’t want to give them a reason to let you go or have you reassigned to a position that is less demanding or that you don’t feel comfortable in.
When you need to take time off from work due to morning sickness or other pregnancy symptoms
If you need to take time off from work due to pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness, you don’t have to wait to tell your coworkers.
You can tell them upfront.
Your employer may have a policy that requires you to disclose your pregnancy and how it affects your work.
If you’re nervous about disclosing this information, though, you can wait until you absolutely have to. If your morning sickness is really bad, though, you may want to tell your employer about that first.
Conclusion
Pregnancy is a beautiful, exciting time, and you may want to share your news as soon as possible.
However, you don’t have to announce it to the world the moment that you find out you’re expecting.
Pregnancy is a very personal journey for every woman, and it may be best to share your news with those closest to you first. Once you have the support you need from your closest friends, you can decide if you want to let others in on the secret.
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