I am 7 weeks pregnant (27F, married) and honestly terrified to tell my team.

18 Comments

1. IanyJanuary 9,2026 at 1:33PM UTC

   Hi expectant mother - a current mommy here. First of all, very many congratulations on your pregnancy. This should be an exciting time, not a terrifying period in your career. In terms of a reality check, the later in life you have children, the higher the opportunity cost at the office. I had mine at almost 40 and it most certainly cost me a promotion. I then moved to another company to try to get the same promotion and now 2 years in, I have realized that the role I have been striving towards no longer fits my new life and new needs as a mom and as a woman. To be honest, I have been completely disillusioned with my prior career aspirations and have decided to pivot to a better / growing field. So, good riddance, if they end up laying you off because you are pregnant, don’t assume it’s for the worst! Please keep perspective that such a company is probably not a happy and healthy place to be as a single childless woman either.

2. AnonymousJanuary 10,2026 at 1:28PM UTC

   Congratulations on your pregnancy. I feel like I’m missing g something: how did two older female colleagues become the arbiters of your decision to start a family at 27?

   I promise you these women wouldn’t give you a second thought if you left this employer so pls consider how much power you’re yielding to them about this decision to start a family.

3. AnonymousJanuary 10,2026 at 2:34PM UTC

   Congratulations!! So excited for you. I am 40 and don’t have kids yet because I prioritized my career feeling like I had to. While my career definitely accelerated a lot, I walked away from it at 38 seeing the price I was paying for it. Trust me, you’re making a good decision. In the next ten years if it has impacted your career I don’t think you’ll regret it. Usually those who regret it are those who felt like they had to delay their family planning. Congrats again! ❤️

4. GirlBossanova934974January 10,2026 at 2:51PM UTC

   I think you may want to be a bit more choosey when selecting your next employer. Believe it or not, there are companies out there who take this all in stride and hire contractors to take over your job for 3-6 months while you are away. I know. I have been that contractor for those time frames in these circumstances. Those sub jobs paid me very well and the employee came back after the contract ended and I went on to the next gig.

5. AnonymousJanuary 10,2026 at 6:18PM UTC

   What? What does having children have to do with your career. Your life and life choices are your own.

   When you are sure that the pregnancy is full viable tell your manager plan an exit for your maternity leave and return and celebrate your news!

6. AnonymousJanuary 11,2026 at 12:03AM UTC

   I’m happy for you. I kept putting it off because my employer and role advertises for work/life balance, but didn’t really advocate for it and I never had any. I carry a cell phone and it was a pager before that. I’m always on call. And, I was always working for that promotion.

   Well, I have a great career… and I waited too long to have a child. I have a huge hole in my heart and a lot of regret. I’ve since lost a parent and I have nobody to pass heirlooms on to. I have nobody to pass money down to. But, it’s really the loss I’ve felt with devoting myself to my employer instead of my family. Be glad you aren’t me.

7. AnonymousJanuary 11,2026 at 3:25PM UTC

   You’re over thinking. Plan and strategize and they will be planning a baby shower haha

8. Jacqueline CutlerJanuary 11,2026 at 5:17PM UTC

   You don't mention the state or country, but do check that the laws protect you from being fired because of being pregnant.

   Personally, I would wait until at least 12 weeks. If you can hold out, that's often when the pregnancy is more viable, and then you can tell them.

   Also, have faith and confidence in your decision; this is what you want and what is right for you and your husband. Here's to an uneventful pregnancy, easy relations at work, and a healthy baby.

9. AnonymousJanuary 11,2026 at 6:23PM UTC

   I waited until my third trimester to tell my employer. I just let them think I was getting fat! You do not need to tell them right away. Keep this info close to the vest for as long as possible. If you are in the USA, you are in a protected class. Legally, they cannot do anything to you because you are pregnant. You only need to discuss what benefits you receive after the birth of your child.

   Your career progression should only be affected if you go part time or quit.

   Congratulations!

10. AnonymousJanuary 11,2026 at 9:09PM UTC

    Keep this news to yourself at work. Only divulge when you're in your 3rd trimester and will need time off for appts and planning for coverage while you are on maternity leave.

    Children are a blessing. Congrats to you and your husband. You should have no problem fulfilling your career goals should you choose to go back to work rather than stay at home full time to parent your baby.

11. AnonymousJanuary 11,2026 at 9:40PM UTC

    As a manger, I had an employee take short term leave unexpectedly. She has been with the company many years longer than me, I approved her leave and left the details in HRs hands. She came back at the end of her leave. I didn’t ask and she didn’t tell me why. I heard through the rumor mill that she had a baby. I’m happy for her and if she wants to share, I’ll listen, but her being a mother has no bearing whatsoever on her job. She takes PTO as is her right with the company. I don’t ask. It’s not my right to know.

12. AnonymousJanuary 12,2026 at 2:19PM UTC

    It is way too early to tell anyone. 10 weeks is absolute minimum and wait 12 if you can. Not only is your risk of miscarriage less, but your team has less time to ruminate. Come up with a plan about how this is going to work and be sure to be professional and pull your weight. There is no “right time” to gave a baby. Who cares if it hurts your career? You have the rest of your life to work - you may only have a baby once so make that your priority. Remember - you can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once. Good luck!

13. Erika REYNOLDSJanuary 12,2026 at 4:40PM UTC

    It appears that your culture has children early so now you may have to take time off to birth and raise them.

14. AnaJanuary 13,2026 at 1:14PM UTC

    Your life plans are as important as your career. A career should not dictate how you want to live your life it is just a means to an end.

15. AnonymousJanuary 13,2026 at 2:45PM UTC

    Sorry you are stressing at such a happy time. You only need to tell your manager. I would wait until after 1st trimester. Just because the women managers in your group don't have children it doesn't mean they will be judgemental. But personally I don't think you are unusually young to start a family.

16. AnonymousJanuary 13,2026 at 3:14PM UTC

    When I was early in my career, I thought the only path was the linear one that led to continuous promotions. But I found along the way that the "detours" and unexpected lateral job changes have enhanced my career just as much as the promotional opportunities. While I didn't have children in my 20s (not for lack of trying but it just wasn't in the cards for me), I did add children to my family through adoption which means they came into my life unexpectedly and not at the most "ideal" times in my career. What I have found with motherhood is that my career aspirations have changed, and I find myself enjoying being a manager but also having a work life balance that fits my family's needs. That does mean I've stayed in a couple positions longer than I anticipated, but it hasn't necessarily hindered my career opportunities. It just delayed them momentarily or changed them for different career goals. For now, embrace the excitement of being pregnant -- congratulations!! That's so exciting and I hope that you and your spouse are thrilled at that wonderful news. Focus on that and when you're ready, consider having a private conversation with someone you trust (mentor or manager) to consider how to best handle the discussion with your team.

17. AyianJanuary 13,2026 at 5:05PM UTC

    Your employer does not need to know until you are 6+ months pregnant and solely for temporarily filling your position while you're out. You owe them no information about your private life and certainly not in a time frame when miscarriages are incredibly common. 1 in 5 pregnancies do not make it to term. 1 in 10 fail before week 10. This is just statistics - and until you're far along, there's simply nothing to tell unless you have health complications.

18. LanaJanuary 18,2026 at 3:34PM UTC

    I did not disclose until 16 and 20 weeks. It's noone's business.