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Announcing the pregnancy and the birth

When and how you tell people about the pregnancy and the baby, and whether you share on social media.

When and how should we announce the pregnancy and the birth?

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: Immediately; After first-trimester results; After the anatomy scan; Close circle only, nothing on social media. Evidence: your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide. Best settled: during pregnancy.

Evidence
Your call
Best settled
During pregnancy
Part of
Pregnancy to first birthday

Announcing the pregnancy and the birth: what are the options?

Parents usually land on one of these 4 approaches.

  1. 1. Immediately

    You tell people as soon as you know.

  2. 2. After first-trimester results

    You wait until the first-trimester checks are done.

  3. 3. After the anatomy scan

    You wait until the mid-pregnancy scan.

  4. 4. Close circle only, nothing on social media

    You tell only close family and friends, and post nothing online.

Announcing the pregnancy and the birth: what does the evidence say?

Your call. No outcome evidence picks a winner. Preference, culture, money and logistics decide.

no outcome research gathered; raised in one pre-baby list

Sources

What else is worth knowing?

When to tell people is partly about the chance of early loss and partly about privacy and workplace timing. Sharing online is a separate choice from telling people in person. Agree who is told first so no one hears it second-hand.

Questions to ask each other

  • When do we want to tell family and friends, and does anyone get told first?
  • How do we feel about posting on social media, and what would we never share?
  • How will we tell people if something goes wrong early on?

More in Pregnancy, birth and arrival

First published 2026-10-03. Last updated 2026-10-05. General information, not medical advice.