Announcing Your Pregnancy: Think before You Speak

While you might be dying to share the good news of your upcoming bundle of joy with the whole office, waiting to announce your pregnancy can be a smart career move. Bosses and co-workers may be genuinely happy for you, but they also may worry about your impending absence or covering your workload.

Experts generally recommend keeping silent during the first trimester (though don’t wait much after this date or you’ll begin to show and start causing speculation). Use this time to become familiar with the company’s maternity policy and to think about how you hope to manage work and family. This forethought will leave less up in the air when you actually make the announcement.

As a professional courtesy, tell your boss first. Hearing about it through the grapevine might make the person wonder if you were trying to hide the news and shirk the issues it entails. Avoid stressful times, such as before an important deadline, so that the news isn’t received as adding to the company’s burden.

As this article notes, your conversation should have a business-like tone with each party addressing concerns and working to figure out solutions. Even if your boss seems upset, don’t apologize. You haven’t done anything wrong; you’re just having a baby.

Just as you assure management that you will put things in order before leaving and are happy to train others to take over duties, be sure to extend this same courtesy to co-workers. Instilling confidence that you sincerely care about the future of the organization goes a long way toward others looking at your pregnancy as the happy event that it is. Even if you do not plan to return to work, maintaining good relationships keeps doors open and can help your career down the line.

Image courtesy of Thinkstock/Keith Brofsky