How NOT to Tell Your Boss Youre Pregnant

How elend to Tell Your Boss Youre Pregnant Congrats, youre going to have a babyYoure probably over the moon about your upcoming arrival and already daydreaming about baby names and nursery decor. But if youre like the many moms-to-be Icoach, youre also a little nervous about the road ahead, and what it means for your career.Youre probably wondering how your pregnancy will be perceived by your coworkers. Whether youre the first pregnant woman in the office, or the tenth, it can be tricky to navigate telling your employer that youre expecting.Your first conversation with your anfhrer about your pregnancy and maternity leave is an important opportunity to set the tone for how motherhood will impact your career.Set yourself up for success in this initial conversation by avoiding these six pitfalls.1. Framing yourpregnancyas bad news or a problemSometimes we mistakenly think that motherhood will make us appear less focused professionally, but the opposite is true. Arecent studyeven found that mothers of at least two children are, on average mora productive than mothers of only one child, and mothers in general are more productive than childless women.So becoming a mom can make you even more productive than you ever thought possible because you value your time away from home more than ever before.Dont apologize for being pregnant or see your news as an inconvenience for others.2. By waiting so long its really obvious (i.e. that bump is BIG)This is just awkward for everyone involved so do yourself a favor and tell your boss before your bump is a basketball. If you feel like youre majorly showing before youre in the second trimester and youre not ready to tell your boss, then it can be helpful to wear loose maternity clothing to give you some extra time. Plus its comfy.3. In a group setting, such as when mentioning that you cant have a glass of wineTell your boss in private, I repeat, tell your boss in private. The conversation will go more smoothly, I promise.4. Throu gh a co-workerIf you want your boss to respect you, then you need to respect your boss. She needs to be the first to know that youre expecting so that she can plan and be prepared for your maternity leave. While you might be wanting to tell your office friends that youre expecting, hold off until youve talked to your boss.5. By talking about how you plan to quit after you return from maternity leaveAs Sheryl Sandberg says, dont leave before you leave. Even if you think you want to leave the workforce after your baby is born, its impossible to know how youll feel until your child actually arrives. Give yourself space and permission to make this big decision after your baby is born, and you get a chance to adjust to the demands of motherhood. You never know, you might welcome the break of going back to work, as youll be able to drink your coffee in peace. 6. In the midst of an especially stressful time for your boss/company, in the middle of a negative performance review, or alongside bad newsYou cant completely orchestrate the perfect timing to tell your boss that youre expecting, but you can try to schedule the conversation during a non stressful time. So if the quarter is about to close and everyone is rushing to meet their numbers, maybe wait until after that final push.Need tips for navigating maternity leave? GrabThe Wise Mama Guide to Maternity Leaveon Amazon or hire an executive coach to help set you up for success.--Lisa Abramsonis an executive coach,TEDx speakerand bestselling author ofThe Wise Mama Guide to Maternity Leave. She is the founder ofWise Mamaand the co-founder ofMindfulness Based Achievement, which teaches high potential women leaders how to create sustainable success.