t’s time to break the news to your boss and co-workers. When to do this depends mostly on your relationship with your employer. It’s best to resist the temptation of telling everyone you know as soon as the blue line shows on the little white stick because in the unlikely event of a miscarriage you will have the burden of “untelling” everyone.

Most people, superstitious or not, wait the standard 12 weeks to tell people they are pregnant. By that time, most of the important tests have been done and the likelihood of a miscarriage is slim. In short, try only sharing the news with those closest to you.

There are, of course, some exceptions to this. If you work in a situation with deadlines which would fall on or around your due date, it would be responsible of you to share the news so you are not overcommitting. Similarly, if you have particularly bad morning sickness or you find you have a high-risk pregnancy, you may want to inform your supervisor.

If your plan is to wait as long as possible to tell those with whom you work, there is good news. Generally with a first pregnancy you will not start showing until the fifth or sixth month so you may be able to wait. Just know that – aside from a few unusual circumstances – there is no way to hide the bump forever.

You will likely feel a sense of relief once everyone knows so you can give yourself permission to accept all of the positive attention that comes with being pregnant.