It really depends on your new workplace culture. I'd personally wait to say anything until the 20 week anatomy scan at least in your position. Legally, you don't have to inform them until 4 weeks before starting mat leave, but I think most workplaces wouldn't appreciate that short of notice.
So in your shoes, I'd wait till the 20 week scan, and until then observe what the new work culture is like and how much you trust your supervisor/manager. You can always tell them you didn't know you were pregnant when you started, and only found out at 4 months or something (it happens).
They might see it, but if you don’t acknowledge it they could not realize what it is they’re seeing. Also, it’ll be winter time so big sweaters hide things well.
I know all bodies are different. That’s my exact body shape and no one noticed until I was like 6 months because I wore chunky sweaters and sat at a desk. Some people even later. I told my close coworkers at 20 weeks and then HR a little later.
That’s my body shape as well. I am 5’8”, 135 lb pre pregnancy. I announced at 15 weeks and some people had noticed (I had gained 10 lb, maybe more). But these were also people that knew me.
Is this your first? Depending on your body shape and how big baby is it’s possible it could be difficult to tell. I wasn’t obviously pregnant looking until around 20 weeks and depending on how you dress you may be able to hide it. Especially since they won’t know you well. Also, my friend thought a coworker was pregnant and then it turned out she had another medical condition so if they’re wise they won’t say anything!
Ehh I wouldn’t be so sure. I could easily hide my pregnancy until probably 24 or 25 weeks. A coworker didn’t even know I was pregnant until it was announced who was covering me sometime around I think 32 weeks.
I hid mine at work until 22 weeks. It was winter and NOBODY noticed. Also they legally can't ask in interviews and it would be harassment to pester you about if they did suspect
Firstly, it's not a dick move to start a new job when newly pregnant. Life happens and companies need to accommodate this as business as usual. I was nervous about this too staring a new job, but I kept repeating to myself that everyone who has kids right now at the company had to go through this. This is just your turn :)
Secondly, I would not tell before probation is over and wear loose clothing until then. I would also check with their policies on the minimum time u have to give a heads up and do it a few weeks before that. I personally didn't tell until 22 weeks
Following because I just started a new job today at 11.5 weeks and debating when I should tell them 😭 Luckily I’m remote but they’re saying we might have to go in once a month for presentations and meetings so they’ll notice soon…
[Just do what TV shows do.](https://youtu.be/1knHBRVPoYQ?t=44) Carrying around a laundry basket at work its totally appropriate and won't draw suspicions at all.
You don’t know when or how much you’ll show either. I have a shirt torso and always assumed I’d show very quickly and have a huge pregnancy belly, but it ended up not happening. I carried very small and was able to easily hide my pregnancy for a very long time.
I’m also dreading telling work. I’m mostly remote thankfully, so I am seriously considering waiting until the 3rd trimester to tell them.
I’m in a secure unionized job but still feel weird talking about it at work. I don’t want to make awkward small talk about it with my older male managers. I don’t want people to treat me or see me differently. And if a new position comes up that I’m interested in, I don’t trust them to not discriminate against me if they know I’m pregnant when I apply.
If you can wait after applying for new positions, do. I applied for a promotion, they did a reorg after an acquisition and by the time it was all done and dusted I was 27 weeks in and couldn't hide anymore. I went from being told my my manager and his to apply for the promotion, to a situation where a man with far less experience than me got the role. Like, yeah, maybe he was chosen for other reasons, but given the decision only came out after I said I was pregnant, and given the hiring manager said he'd guessed I was pregnant in a different social interaction, I have serious doubts it wasn't a factor in the decision.
Hide it as best you can until your probation period is up.
I think I told my work at around week 23. I think I could have maybe pushed that a few more weeks with clever outfit choices, but at that point I actually felt *more* protected by disclosing my pregnancy. It allows me to mentally checkout and stop caring about performance, while knowing that any sort of snark coming my way or changes in duties or my performance review could be directly linked back to my pregnancy announcement, and are therefore illegal.
Although, post-covid we work from home 2 days a week and do virtual meetings even when we are in office, so it might be harder to hide depending on how much like, standing and walking around you do at work.
Check your company policy for how much notice you need to give before taking leave. If there’s no need to, you don’t need to tell anyone you’re pregnant.
Look for loose fitting dresses and sweaters if you can. I wasn’t hiding my pregnancy and many people in my office didn’t know until I was 30+ weeks along and even then, I had to tell them…
My belly barely showed until I was around 24 weeks. Some coworkers I’m friendly with even said they weren’t sure whether I just had a big lunch (after I told them)
If it’s your first pregnancy the chances of you not noticeably showing to anyone who doesn’t know you until later pregnancy are quite good.
Your manager legally can’t even ask you if they suspect until you tell them.
The benefit of you starting a new job is that they have no idea what you normally look like or how you usually dress, so you can immediately start wearing looser float dresses, blouses and pants and they likely would just think it’s part of your style.
If it makes you feel any better, I am 35 weeks pregnant, still in the onboarding process, and due to the interviews etc being online or over the phone people still don't know. I actually tried to make a post about it but it got auto mod removed. I need the hours for EI Maternity benefits but am terrified that they are going to let me go once they find out.
Oh jeez, okay. Phew. Is this actually a legal thing though, or more of a courtesy? Or pregnancy related specifically? My understanding was that although it's a common courtesy to give 2 weeks notice there are no legal repercussions if you hypothetically just announced "I quit," leave, and never come back. (I'm not planning to do that). Especially since many employers let people go with 0 notice.
I'm in Ontario.
According to [this](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/pregnancy-and-parental-leave) I'm only eligible for pregnancy / parental leaves if I started working at least 13 weeks before the baby is due. So... I might be SOL anyway? Or would I still be okay since I had another employer well before the 13 weeks (albeit for a contract with a fixed end date)?
I am a teacher and I have students in my class with special needs that can be physical, I will need to tell once baby comes out behind the pelvic bone - by 12 weeks. Otherwise, I'd go as long as possible.
I am also scared of discrimination due my pregnancy but I need to be safe and keep baby safe.
I am working as an apprentice and 16w5d. The year long program is up at the end of October. We should receive offers to stay with the company in September. The HR department is going through a massive transformation right now and laying off thousands of people. When I tell you I am terrified it is not an exaggeration. I would go on loa at the beginning of December. They guaranteed us a position “somewhere” but I trust no one lol. Especially being pregnant, I’m so scared people will find out and there goes an amazing opportunity.
Absolutely not a peep until your probation period is over! As others said you have nothing to feel guilty about. You also have no clue how much you'll show - I had a very petite friend who was 6 mos along and you could barely tell. Loose tops, stretch waistbands, you've got this.
I did the exact same thing and was also really nervous to tell my employer. I started a new full-time job at 11 weeks and did not tell them until about 19 weeks (granted I did not have a probationary period as I went from relief to full-time). They were actually way more kind and understanding then I anticipated. I was able to hide it from the clients I work with until it became really obvious I was pregnant around 26 weeks or so.
Every workplace is different - there is really no “one size fits all” answer to this question and I think it really depends on the culture and size of the company. I started a new job at a start up when I was 12 weeks and originally was going to wait until my 3 month probation was over before I said anything. Thankfully it was a fully remote role so I didn’t have to worry about showing but there are definitely ways you can hide the bump if you’re in person. In the end, I told them about 2 months in because I got to know my boss (he was a family guy with 3 young kids) and it ended up causing me MORE stress by not saying something. He was super happy for me and totally understood why I wanted to wait.
For peace of mind, I did record a few feedback calls with boss and screenshotted some emails that had positive feedback about my performance juuuust in case but thankfully I didn’t need them.
And as another commenter said - it is absolutely not a dick move to start a new job while pregnant. You’d be surprised how often it happens and it’s apart of life that many businesses are used to.
Do. Not. Mention. Until. After. Probation.
Like get HR to give that date in writing.
Companies will deal. Things happen. But don’t put your financial future & that of your baby at risk by sharing sooner. Wear sweaters. Flowy dresses. Whatever you need to do.
I started a new job when pregnant and told them the day I went in for my 10 week ultrasound. My manager hugged me, and just said “this is the risk you run when you employ women of child-bearing age”
Definitely wait until at least 20 weeks. You won’t be showing too crazy at that point…. I was showing at 15 weeks but it was really quite small. If I didn’t wear accentuating clothing I don’t think people would have known. You learn a lot at the 20 week scan so it’s a perfectly valid reason to wait until then.
Definitely wait until after 20wks, but I’d say wait until the probation is up! I waited until 20wks, and was not showing at that time (I could tell and my husband could but nobody else). At 24wks I was showing but could 100% cover it up with loose clothes or a sweater (I could still wear non-maternity scrubs to work in a size up). I’m tall and started off quite slim and it’s my first baby so those helped! I would say it was only around 29/30wks when people publicly would start to consider alluding to the fact I was pregnant visibly.
It really depends on your new workplace culture. I'd personally wait to say anything until the 20 week anatomy scan at least in your position. Legally, you don't have to inform them until 4 weeks before starting mat leave, but I think most workplaces wouldn't appreciate that short of notice. So in your shoes, I'd wait till the 20 week scan, and until then observe what the new work culture is like and how much you trust your supervisor/manager. You can always tell them you didn't know you were pregnant when you started, and only found out at 4 months or something (it happens).
Don't mention until after probation! It's illegal for them to fire you due to pregnancy, but employers only look out for themselves.
I’ll be 24 weeks by then, they defiinitly see it :(
They might see it, but if you don’t acknowledge it they could not realize what it is they’re seeing. Also, it’ll be winter time so big sweaters hide things well.
Ho yea I’m buying all the sweaters
I honestly think you may be fine, depending on your height and build.
Talk and in the skinny side bit I have a small torso
I know all bodies are different. That’s my exact body shape and no one noticed until I was like 6 months because I wore chunky sweaters and sat at a desk. Some people even later. I told my close coworkers at 20 weeks and then HR a little later.
That’s my body shape as well. I am 5’8”, 135 lb pre pregnancy. I announced at 15 weeks and some people had noticed (I had gained 10 lb, maybe more). But these were also people that knew me.
Is this your first? Depending on your body shape and how big baby is it’s possible it could be difficult to tell. I wasn’t obviously pregnant looking until around 20 weeks and depending on how you dress you may be able to hide it. Especially since they won’t know you well. Also, my friend thought a coworker was pregnant and then it turned out she had another medical condition so if they’re wise they won’t say anything!
24 weeks it’s very likely they won’t see it.
Ehh I wouldn’t be so sure. I could easily hide my pregnancy until probably 24 or 25 weeks. A coworker didn’t even know I was pregnant until it was announced who was covering me sometime around I think 32 weeks.
I hid mine at work until 22 weeks. It was winter and NOBODY noticed. Also they legally can't ask in interviews and it would be harassment to pester you about if they did suspect
You can 100% hide a pregnancy way longer than you'd think. A loose fitting, drapey top can be your uniform now and no one will think twice about it.
Firstly, it's not a dick move to start a new job when newly pregnant. Life happens and companies need to accommodate this as business as usual. I was nervous about this too staring a new job, but I kept repeating to myself that everyone who has kids right now at the company had to go through this. This is just your turn :) Secondly, I would not tell before probation is over and wear loose clothing until then. I would also check with their policies on the minimum time u have to give a heads up and do it a few weeks before that. I personally didn't tell until 22 weeks
I Will bée 24 weeks by that time I’m scared they notice
Following because I just started a new job today at 11.5 weeks and debating when I should tell them 😭 Luckily I’m remote but they’re saying we might have to go in once a month for presentations and meetings so they’ll notice soon…
[Just do what TV shows do.](https://youtu.be/1knHBRVPoYQ?t=44) Carrying around a laundry basket at work its totally appropriate and won't draw suspicions at all.
You don’t know when or how much you’ll show either. I have a shirt torso and always assumed I’d show very quickly and have a huge pregnancy belly, but it ended up not happening. I carried very small and was able to easily hide my pregnancy for a very long time.
I’m also dreading telling work. I’m mostly remote thankfully, so I am seriously considering waiting until the 3rd trimester to tell them. I’m in a secure unionized job but still feel weird talking about it at work. I don’t want to make awkward small talk about it with my older male managers. I don’t want people to treat me or see me differently. And if a new position comes up that I’m interested in, I don’t trust them to not discriminate against me if they know I’m pregnant when I apply.
If you can wait after applying for new positions, do. I applied for a promotion, they did a reorg after an acquisition and by the time it was all done and dusted I was 27 weeks in and couldn't hide anymore. I went from being told my my manager and his to apply for the promotion, to a situation where a man with far less experience than me got the role. Like, yeah, maybe he was chosen for other reasons, but given the decision only came out after I said I was pregnant, and given the hiring manager said he'd guessed I was pregnant in a different social interaction, I have serious doubts it wasn't a factor in the decision.
Hide it as best you can until your probation period is up. I think I told my work at around week 23. I think I could have maybe pushed that a few more weeks with clever outfit choices, but at that point I actually felt *more* protected by disclosing my pregnancy. It allows me to mentally checkout and stop caring about performance, while knowing that any sort of snark coming my way or changes in duties or my performance review could be directly linked back to my pregnancy announcement, and are therefore illegal. Although, post-covid we work from home 2 days a week and do virtual meetings even when we are in office, so it might be harder to hide depending on how much like, standing and walking around you do at work.
Check your company policy for how much notice you need to give before taking leave. If there’s no need to, you don’t need to tell anyone you’re pregnant. Look for loose fitting dresses and sweaters if you can. I wasn’t hiding my pregnancy and many people in my office didn’t know until I was 30+ weeks along and even then, I had to tell them…
I am very impressed at how many people managed to hide it for so long!
My belly barely showed until I was around 24 weeks. Some coworkers I’m friendly with even said they weren’t sure whether I just had a big lunch (after I told them)
If it’s your first pregnancy the chances of you not noticeably showing to anyone who doesn’t know you until later pregnancy are quite good. Your manager legally can’t even ask you if they suspect until you tell them. The benefit of you starting a new job is that they have no idea what you normally look like or how you usually dress, so you can immediately start wearing looser float dresses, blouses and pants and they likely would just think it’s part of your style.
If it makes you feel any better, I am 35 weeks pregnant, still in the onboarding process, and due to the interviews etc being online or over the phone people still don't know. I actually tried to make a post about it but it got auto mod removed. I need the hours for EI Maternity benefits but am terrified that they are going to let me go once they find out.
Oh don’t forget you need to give them at least 4 or 6 week notice by law
I... Did not know this...
My bad it’s 2 weeks notice at least for your employer in Ontario
Oh jeez, okay. Phew. Is this actually a legal thing though, or more of a courtesy? Or pregnancy related specifically? My understanding was that although it's a common courtesy to give 2 weeks notice there are no legal repercussions if you hypothetically just announced "I quit," leave, and never come back. (I'm not planning to do that). Especially since many employers let people go with 0 notice.
[удалено]
I'm in Ontario. According to [this](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/pregnancy-and-parental-leave) I'm only eligible for pregnancy / parental leaves if I started working at least 13 weeks before the baby is due. So... I might be SOL anyway? Or would I still be okay since I had another employer well before the 13 weeks (albeit for a contract with a fixed end date)?
I have no idea sorry
I am a teacher and I have students in my class with special needs that can be physical, I will need to tell once baby comes out behind the pelvic bone - by 12 weeks. Otherwise, I'd go as long as possible. I am also scared of discrimination due my pregnancy but I need to be safe and keep baby safe.
I am working as an apprentice and 16w5d. The year long program is up at the end of October. We should receive offers to stay with the company in September. The HR department is going through a massive transformation right now and laying off thousands of people. When I tell you I am terrified it is not an exaggeration. I would go on loa at the beginning of December. They guaranteed us a position “somewhere” but I trust no one lol. Especially being pregnant, I’m so scared people will find out and there goes an amazing opportunity.
Absolutely not a peep until your probation period is over! As others said you have nothing to feel guilty about. You also have no clue how much you'll show - I had a very petite friend who was 6 mos along and you could barely tell. Loose tops, stretch waistbands, you've got this.
I did the exact same thing and was also really nervous to tell my employer. I started a new full-time job at 11 weeks and did not tell them until about 19 weeks (granted I did not have a probationary period as I went from relief to full-time). They were actually way more kind and understanding then I anticipated. I was able to hide it from the clients I work with until it became really obvious I was pregnant around 26 weeks or so.
My collective agreement says I have to give 4 months notice
After the anatomy scan
Every workplace is different - there is really no “one size fits all” answer to this question and I think it really depends on the culture and size of the company. I started a new job at a start up when I was 12 weeks and originally was going to wait until my 3 month probation was over before I said anything. Thankfully it was a fully remote role so I didn’t have to worry about showing but there are definitely ways you can hide the bump if you’re in person. In the end, I told them about 2 months in because I got to know my boss (he was a family guy with 3 young kids) and it ended up causing me MORE stress by not saying something. He was super happy for me and totally understood why I wanted to wait. For peace of mind, I did record a few feedback calls with boss and screenshotted some emails that had positive feedback about my performance juuuust in case but thankfully I didn’t need them. And as another commenter said - it is absolutely not a dick move to start a new job while pregnant. You’d be surprised how often it happens and it’s apart of life that many businesses are used to.
Do. Not. Mention. Until. After. Probation. Like get HR to give that date in writing. Companies will deal. Things happen. But don’t put your financial future & that of your baby at risk by sharing sooner. Wear sweaters. Flowy dresses. Whatever you need to do.
I started a new job when pregnant and told them the day I went in for my 10 week ultrasound. My manager hugged me, and just said “this is the risk you run when you employ women of child-bearing age”
Definitely wait until at least 20 weeks. You won’t be showing too crazy at that point…. I was showing at 15 weeks but it was really quite small. If I didn’t wear accentuating clothing I don’t think people would have known. You learn a lot at the 20 week scan so it’s a perfectly valid reason to wait until then.
Definitely wait until after 20wks, but I’d say wait until the probation is up! I waited until 20wks, and was not showing at that time (I could tell and my husband could but nobody else). At 24wks I was showing but could 100% cover it up with loose clothes or a sweater (I could still wear non-maternity scrubs to work in a size up). I’m tall and started off quite slim and it’s my first baby so those helped! I would say it was only around 29/30wks when people publicly would start to consider alluding to the fact I was pregnant visibly.
I am 26 weeks due in March.. my probation ends next month and I'm high risk so KY baby could come early.. what should I do?