Working While Pregnant: How to Handle It

Making the Announcement

You'll be tempted to spill your secret right away, but conventional wisdom says it's a good idea to keep your pregnancy on the down low until your first trimester is over and the risk of miscarriage drops dramatically. Whenever you decide to announce the news, make sure your boss is the first one to know; you want her to hear it straight from you, not through the office grapevine.

Schedule an appointment to tell her that you're expecting and to let her know when your baby is due. Keep your tone positive and upbeat, and spare any overly personal details. (Whatever you do, don't pull that sonogram image out of your purse!) "Be prepared with a general idea of your company's maternity-leave policy, but don't talk about your specific plans for time off just yet," says Marjorie Greenfield, MD, author of The Working Woman's Pregnancy Book. "Right now, your boss needs reassurance from you that your productivity won't be affected." Once you've clued your boss in, you can share the news with as many, or as few, people as possible. Pretty soon, even the guy in the mail room will know.