As hard as it was to navigate the path towards deciding when to tell your boss about your pregnancy and then actually telling them, if you work during your pregnancy you will have another, even tougher decision to make. As your pregnancy progresses, the question of when you will be leaving work is likely to become a frequent thought for you. When many women get pregnant, they plan to work right up until the end of their forty weeks. Of course, pregnancy has a funny way of derailing even the best laid plans. You may have to make the decision … Continue reading →

As soon as the pregnancy test comes out with a positive response, the question of whom to tell about your pregnancy and when is likely to be on your mind quite a bit. The list of those people who are on a need to know basis does include your boss, but this does not mean that you need to dish right away. Of course, there is no one correct answer about when to disclose your pregnancy at work. Here are a few things to think about that can help you decide when you will tell your boss about your pregnancy. … Continue reading →

Most of us can remember a time when we had a pregnancy scare. Although being pregnant is a wonderful thing much of the time, there are certain times when the thought of becoming pregnant is not very appealing and sometimes quite scary. Perhaps you were in a new relationship, or a relationship that you were beginning to feel would not work out after all. Maybe you were young and not ready for a baby yet. Perhaps you already had one or more children and did not want to increase your family size again. Whatever the situation was, you were just … Continue reading →

Some women claim that they knew that they were pregnant at the precise moment that conception occurred. I am not one of them. With both of my pregnancies, I was none the wiser until almost two months along. With my first pregnancy, I first became suspicious when my husband and I went out to breakfast one day. I love the taste of coffee, but on that day I thought that my coffee tasted absolutely revolting. I asked my husband whether his coffee tasted funny and he said that it did not. Discussion turned to why I was all of a … Continue reading →

When we found out I was pregnant, I was barely five weeks along. I knew that I needed to tell my students (and employer) at some point. It wouldn’t be long before they started asking me questions like “Did you just throw up?” I decided that I would tell them after Christmas break which would begin in a few days. I always like to do a little something for my students for the holidays throughout the school year. I told one of my theology classes that I had a surprise for them. One student piped up, “You’re pregnant!” Thinking fast … Continue reading →

In the news recently it was revealed that the singer Pink’s parents found out about her pregnancy through the radio. Can you imagine what that must have been like? At first they might have thought it was a rumor, but once they realized the news was true, I’m sure they must have felt hurt that they had not known sooner. It’s really disappointing when you don’t get to spill the news on your own terms. When I was pregnant, I decided to tell my in-laws through a scrap book. I spent a long time putting the pages together. It was … Continue reading →

Home pregnancy tests are always a fun topic to discuss. They are the kick off show to every pregnancy, and there is a lot of debate over things like whether there is such a thing as a false positive and whether the dollar tests are accurate. Here is an overview of the basic rules of home testing: 1. Use your first morning urine. I know it’s hard to wait until the next morning when you just bought a pack of tests the afternoon before, but it will be worth the wait. Your hormone levels are highest in the morning, so … Continue reading →

Last week I had the opportunity to test out Hallmark’s new Personalized Baby Announcements. According to Hallmark, all you have to do is visit Hallmark.com/baby, pick your favorite design, and customize the announcement with your baby’s photo and your personal message. You’re supposed to be able to finish your announcements in the amount of time it takes for your baby to take a nap, with time to spare. To put the service to the test, I enlisted the help of a friend, Danielle, who recently had a baby boy. The selection of templates to choose from was pretty good. The … Continue reading →

After you’ve personally announced your pregnancy to your family and closest friends, the rules loosen up quite a bit when it comes to how you announce it to everyone else. A popular way to announce a pregnancy these days is through social networking sites like Facebook. There are tons of creative ways to do it, from the most subtle to the most outlandish. What you do depends on your personality and sense of humor. For those that enjoy the subtle approach, a fun way to let people in on your secret is to add an extra tag to a photo … Continue reading →