pregnancy questions

Telling Family and Friends

At some point early in your pregnancy you may need to tell your family or friends that you are pregnant. In most cases it is very difficult to face people who love and care about you and tell them that you are unexpectedly pregnant.

If you are concerned about telling this news on your own, you might want to have someone whom you love, trust or respect with you when you tell your parents. Choose an adult friend, counselor or member of your church or synagogue. If you feel that you cannot tell the news yourself, you can request that this person be the one to tell your family first and then you could meet with them all together.

Many people's first reaction to your news may be anger or shock, and this may not give you the understanding and support that you need. Allow people time to think, to talk to others, to ask for guidance, to examine their own feelings about the situation, to reflect, to maybe even stay upset for a while, and then hopefully to calm down and learn to accept the situation. Try to be as patient and understanding of your friends' and families' reactions as you would like them to eventually be with you. In time most people will be able to offer the support you need while you examine your options.