The first thing you'll want to consider is when to tell your kids. Most experts recommend at least waiting until after the first trimester, when risk of miscarriage has declined.
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.
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.
In one study, researchers found a miscarriage rate of 9.4 percent at 6 weeks of pregnancy, 4.2 percent at 7 weeks, 1.5 percent at 8 weeks, 0.5 percent at 9 weeks and 0.7 percent at 10 weeks.
Most miscarriages - 8 out of 10 (80 percent) - happen in the first trimester before the 12th week of pregnancy. Miscarriage in the second trimester (between 13 and 19 weeks) happens in 1 to 5 in 100 (1 to 5 percent) pregnancies. Pregnancy loss that happens after 20 weeks is called stillbirth.
At 10 weeks, you'll likely have had your first prenatal visit, where your healthcare provider has confirmed your pregnancy and assessed any risks. So, it might be a good time to share the news! But you may want to wait a couple more weeks when the risk of miscarriage is lower.
There's no right or wrong time to tell people you're pregnant. It's up to you to decide what's best for you and, if you have a partner, you may want to decide together. Some people choose to wait until after they've had the first ultrasound scan. It's your baby, so it's up to you.
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!
When you're ready to tell your child about the pregnancy, keep the language positive, simple, and straightforward. For example, "Right now, there's a baby growing in Mommy's tummy. You are going to have a little sister (or brother) next spring."
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 comes out of the penis and goes into the uterus, where there might be an egg waiting.
Telling your parents you're pregnant early on is almost always better. The longer you wait to tell your parents about your pregnancy, the more complications and difficulties can arise. Often, waiting to tell your family causes you more stress and anticipation — which is exactly what you don't want in early pregnancy.
Even though your baby is tiny, by week 8 your womb (uterus) has grown to the size of a tennis ball. It's putting more pressure on your bladder, so you might need to go to the toilet more often than normal. This is the week when morning sickness is often at its worst.
More than 80% of miscarriages occur within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. After 12 weeks, the rate decreases rapidly (Dante et al, 2013; Houry and Salhy, 2014).
For instance, research indicates that between 10% and 20% of people with a medically confirmed pregnancy will end in miscarriage. Meanwhile, the risk of miscarriage after a fetal heartbeat is detected is only around 4%, dropping to 1.5% after 8 weeks and 0.9% by 9 weeks.
Here's the good news: According to a study, after an ultrasound confirms baby's heartbeat at eight weeks, the risk of miscarriage is about 3 percent. Better yet, research published in Obstetrics & Gynecology indicates that the rate is closer to 1.6 percent for women experiencing no symptoms.
Pregnancy is counted from the first day of your last menstrual period. This means an extra 2 weeks are counted at the beginning of your pregnancy when you aren't actually pregnant. So pregnancy lasts 10 months (40 weeks)—not 9 months—because of these extra weeks.
Timing is contextual for your working situation, but most women inform their manager towards the end of the first trimester. Some women wait a little longer if an important decision is being made about their career at the company.
Your nausea and vomiting may be worse than ever: Morning sickness peaks around 9 or 10 weeks of pregnancy for many women. That's when levels of the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) are highest (morning sickness is thought to be linked to rises in hCG and estrogen).
Frequent cause of miscarriages at 6-8 weeks: chromosomal abnormality. Miscarriages are a frequent and often unpreventable complication of pregnancy. On average, ca. 15% of all pregnancies are miscarried, but the rate is lower in younger women than in older women.
No Fetal Heartbeat After Seven Weeks Gestation
If you are past seven weeks pregnant, seeing no heartbeat may be a sign of miscarriage.1 By this point a transvaginal ultrasound should be able to reliable detect a heartbeat or lack thereof.