We bought homemade crackers and put a copy of the scan and a little message inside each one. He loved being the bearer of good news!" - Viv "For my second pregnancy we made our son a T-shirt that said, "Big bro to be." We dressed him up in it when we saw our parents. "We bought blank congratulations cards for both sets of grandparents and just included a copy of the scan photos - watching their faces as they realised why they were being congratulated was fantastic, much better than the old 'we've got some news' line which somewhat spoils the actual announcement!" - Fiona
Need some inspiration? We asked other parents-to-be how they did it… Use this time to decide who to tell first and how. Waiting till it feels right for youĮven after your 12 week scan, you and your partner may not feel ready to share your news with anyone and there’s no harm in keeping your secret for a little longer. Taking it easy in the first trimester is important and that can be tricky to do with excited friends and relatives eager for details. You may also prefer to spend this special time with your partner, keeping your secret from the rest of the world while you prepare for parenthood. Any decisions that need to be made won’t have to involve a network of family and friends all giving their opinions. This will also give you a bit more time to get used to the idea of being a mum (though you’ll probably need the whole nine months for that!). It can help to have your 12-week scan in the bag (and ideally in its frame!) to make you feel ready to let the world know. If you are at a higher risk of miscarrying, or are worried it could happen again, you may feel telling people early is bad luck. You’ll meet lots of other women who’ve just found out they’re pregnant and can share all the symptoms and questions and form great friendships, without involving anyone from your daily world. You don’t need to give your real name, so no one need know who you really are. So, if you do want to tell people, why not join one of our birth clubs.
Plus, don’t forget even if you’re selective, word gets round, so make sure you tell the people who really matter to you first to avoid them hearing the news second hand. You may also find that although it’s great to have recommendations, everyone wants you to follow their advice, and differing opinions can be overwhelming. If you do miscarry, having already told people your news, dealing with people’s questions and explaining what happened can make your emotional recovery more difficult. If you do miscarry, people will be more aware of what you have gone through. You’ll get lots of support and advice and can ask for recommendations about everything from morning sickness to midwives. A few extra weeks of being treated like a princess can’t hurt and it’s fun to share the early milestones with those closest to you. If you just can’t wait, there are some benefits to letting people know your condition early. But there are many other factors to weigh up and only you can decide when you're ready to tell.