Be age-appropriate and don't go overboard with details. Stick to simple explanations like “There's a baby growing in my uterus, which is a part of my body.” Books about a baby's development and being a big sibling can help with explaining what to expect.
When should I tell my child I'm pregnant? Most experts recommend waiting until your pregnancy is well established — that is, sometime after your first trimester when the risk of miscarriage declines. If you're having prenatal screening or testing, you may want to wait until you get the results from those tests.
Most often, ovulation begins before women turn 20. On average, it first happens when a girl is between 12 and 13. It's important for young women to know that their first ovulation will happen before their first period. This means that a young woman can become pregnant from vaginal intercourse before her first period.
It is usually best to wait until your second trimester to let your little one in on your big news. One exception to this advice would be if you have a hefty dose of morning sickness, in which case you might want to share the news sooner so your child doesn't think something is wrong. Keep it simple.
Then you could say, 'A baby can be made when a vagina and penis fit together. This is called sexual intercourse. Sperm from the penis can swim up the vagina and join an egg that's been released from an ovary, and the egg becomes fertilised. The fertilised egg grows into a baby in the uterus.
Many women choose to delay announcing a pregnancy at least until the end of the first trimester (12 weeks into their pregnancy). This is usually because of concerns about the risk of miscarriage (pregnancy loss) during this time.
Pregnancy at ages 12 and younger is very rare: Among all 12-year-olds, about one in 7,000 get pregnant in any given year.
Just because a girl can get pregnant, though, doesn't mean she can safely deliver a baby. The pelvis does not fully widen until the late teens, meaning that young girls may not be able to push the baby through the birth canal.
A woman's peak reproductive years are between the late teens and late 20s. By age 30, fertility (the ability to get pregnant) starts to decline. This decline happens faster once you reach your mid-30s. By 45, fertility has declined so much that getting pregnant naturally is unlikely.
Pregnant women are often advised to wait until they pass the 12-week mark, when the risk of miscarriage drops sharply, to announce their pregnancies to the world.
Adolescent mothers (aged 10–19 years) face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis and systemic infections than women aged 20–24 years, and babies of adolescent mothers face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth and severe neonatal condition.
The earlier your teen gets prenatal care, the better her chances for a healthy pregnancy, so bring her to the doctor as soon as possible after finding out she's pregnant. If you need help finding medical care, check with social service groups in the community or at your child's school.
When you are a pregnant 13-year-old, there are some added risks of pregnancy; your body may not be fully developed enough to carry a child to term and have a safe delivery. A doctor can answer all of your questions and make sure you receive the care you need to keep you safe and healthy.
Be age-appropriate and don't go overboard with details. Stick to simple explanations like “There's a baby growing in my uterus, which is a part of my body.” Books about a baby's development and being a big sibling can help with explaining what to expect.
How are babies made? A sweet and simple explanation will satisfy very young children. Tell them that a sperm joins an egg to grow into a baby. If your child asks for more details and you think they're ready, you might consider telling them, "When two grown-ups have sex, one person's penis goes into the other's vagina.
Sperm come out of the penis and go up into the vagina and if one of the sperm connects with an egg, the two may combine to make a baby (actually, it's called an embryo at this stage). The embryo makes its way to the uterus, where it will grow for the next nine months, until the baby is ready to be born.
Use your ultrasound photo or sonogram as the most obvious way to share a Christmas pregnancy announcement. Take a snap of you holding your photos in front of the Christmas tree, or place one in a flatlay with some festive accessories, like a “Baby's First Christmas” ornament.
There are no rules to when you announce your pregnancy. Some women wait until they're 20 weeks, others can't wait for the home pregnancy test to dry!