Pregnant- Not Sure When to Notify Employer Since I Telecommute

I would contact HR first. I would make sure you are CLEAR on your maternity leave options...paid leave, unpaid leave, FMLA, etc. so that you have researched everything BEFORE you talk to your boss. That way you can present it as, "I'm excited to share that I'm pregnant! I've already talked with HR and here's my plan..." I would also reassure them that you will continue to be 100% available and "on top of things". As a former HR professional, I think people who presented a confident, well prepared plan when "announcing" their pregnancy did a better job of alleviating bosses concerns.

Feel free to msg me if you need help with your options. I've been out of HR for several years now, but most of this is standard procedure.

Congrats!

Why do you need to tell them at all? Unless it interferes with your ability to do your job, I don't see how it's any of their business. When you get closer to delivering, then you might want to notify them that you'll need some time off, but otherwise, why bother telling them?

Congratulations! I would let them know sooner rather than later so that they can make arrangements to cover your workload while you are out. There is no need to do this face-to-face (although it is a more personal way to share personal news). You could call and then follow-up in writing.

Not sure what you do for a living, but if they will need to find a short-term replacement or shuffle responsibilty for a few months they need to make arrangements. Be coureous and let them know within the next month!

Ditto everything Mom On the Go suggested.

I agree, sooner rather than later. You are already past the first trimester, so you're already over your first personal hurdle. As the previous poster said, your employer should be made aware so that they can plan for the time you will be out and arrange for someone to cover your load. You should also know how long you plan to be out for maternity leave or personal leave. I'm pretty sure that will come up, so it's better to be prepared with an answer.

Here's a bit of mama-wisdome.

As a Mom of 3, I can honestly say second children are tricky. On one hand, you're already a pro with the baby thing, but juggling two kids has to become a more coordinated event. With one child, you can be more flexible, go almost anywhere and take the baby. With 2, you've got 2 nap times, etc. Also when the kids get sick, it's not always at exactly the same time. One child is sick with the other following behind by 2 or 3 days, so everything runs longer. One usually gets the bug worse than the other.

Personality wise, your second child will probably be opposite than your first. Not always, but if you prepare for it now, it won't shock you to your socks when you observe it. If your first was a mellow, easy going baby, your second might well be a screamer, fusser, etc. If you're like my best friend, her first was the fussy high needs baby/child (and still is) and her second one was an easy going, mellow baby.

Sometimes knowing is half the battle. Good luck and congratulations.

K.
Mom to 3 ages 8, 6 & 4

I would say that you should notify them in the next month. This way they will be prepared with a plan to cover your workload while you are out on leave - and if, God forbid, you end up on bed rest or are otherwise unable to continue working during the last trimester, it will not come as a complete surprise to them.

I agree with the advice of the other mom who said to speak with HR before speaking with your boss. That way you can be totally clear on what your options are, how much leave you are planning on taking, whether you are going to go out on disability at 36 weeks, or work right up until you deliver, etc. These are all things your boss will want to know, and the more clear you are on your plan, the easier the conversation will be.

Congratulations on your growing family!

Hello A.,
I want to say Conradulations on the new addition for your family. Parenthood is the greatest of all adventures.
Unless your contract has a clause about pregnancy wait as long as possible. As a woman of 5 children, I never found that I had it interfer with my work projects/assignments. If you are planning to continue working from home after the birth- Maintain your work ethic by having a nanny that can be the caregiver while you do the conferance calls/ hours that you need to put towards your work. So there is not a concern from your employeer about your personal life interfering with your career. Good Luck

Hey A.,
How did you end up with such a wonderful temecommuting job?
That's awesome and if you have any tips to share, please do so!
I think you should notify your employer to the extent that it may need to be reported to your insurance company for covrerage. And, unless you won't be able to fulfill the duties of your job, you shouldn't have any issue. You should be able to take time off for the birth and afterwards, so you need to talk about how that will work as far as disability, etc. Working at home gives you a far greater flexibility than someone who is expected back to work Monday through Friday, 8-5 after 6 weeks of giving birth.
I think that letting them know, and letting them know that it won't affect your position is a positive first step. I would say to let them know, but that's just me.
Congratulations and I hope everything works out for you.

I also held off telling work because we were waiting to tell others. I think I told them at 19 weeks. I went to HR first just to make sure that they were aware and to see if there was anything that they needed from me this early. They also notified insurance for me as well. While working from home takes away some of the face-to-face stuff, you will still be out of contact during your doctor appointments that will be more and more as you get to the end, so it is just courteous to let them know earlier.
I then let my manager know (she is out of state). I felt that she needed to know because my travel abilities would be limited late in the pregnancy and I didn't want to be committed to a project that I couldn't complete before my maternity leave.