So you're ready to start baby-making? It's exciting to finally make that decision, isn't it? I know I got a rush of excitement each time my husband and I decided we were going to start trying to get pregnant. Before telling anyone else about your plans though, here are a few things to consider:
RELATED: 10 Thoughts I Have While Trying to Conceive
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Who will you share with? You'll want to decide if you'll only share with close family and friends, the entire Internet, or anything in-between. Deciding to have a baby is a personal decision but can be hard to keep a secret. It shouldn't have to be a secret if you don't want it to be! I wish I had told more people when we were struggling to conceive at first because maybe I would have had more support along the way.
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How much will you share? Are you just letting people know in a casual conversation that you're ready for a baby or do you want to talk cycles and cervical mucus? Yes, people will know you are doing the deed. The question is, do you want them to know vague details or specifics about everything related to baby-making?
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Your partner's comfort level. You're on this journey together. While you don't need permission to dish the exciting news to your best friend, you'll want to make sure your partner is on board with you discussing intimate details, and with whom. I'm not sure we would have felt as comfortable blogging about trying to get pregnant with our first child as we do now.
Sometimes the disappointment of yet another negative pregnancy test feels heavier when you have to tell other people about it too.
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Fielding constant questions. When other people know your plans, be prepared for questions! Some months, it is easier than others to answer, "Are you pregnant yet?"
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Receiving lots of advice on how to make it happen. Most advice will be well intentioned, especially from others who've gone through similar issues you may face, such as an irregular cycle. Other times you'll wonder what happened to people's filters.
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Managing stress and disappointment. This partly goes along with dealing with questions and advice. It's OK if you don't feel like discussing how the baby-making is going every time someone asks. Sometimes the disappointment of yet another negative pregnancy test feels heavier when you have to tell other people about it too. Well-meaning curiosity about whether or not you're pregnant yet can feel like pressure. Sharing your journey also allows you to create a wonderful community to support you through the worst parts of trying to conceive.
RELATED: 10 Things Your Ob-Gyn Would Like You to Know About Your Fertility
7. Change of plans. You don't need to map this out entirely before you tell others that you're trying to get pregnant, but you may want to consider how you want to handle telling people if you have a change of plans. Whether that's due to taking a break from trying, recovering from a loss, seeking fertility treatment, or any other reason, you may no longer wish to share what you are doing. Or, perhaps you are changing who you want to share with because you need different support than you're currently receiving.
What other factors would you consider before telling someone that you're trying to make a baby?
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