I've loosely scheduled a meeting for today to break the news to my supervisor. I'm only six weeks, so this is all happening well before I had really wanted people to know. It's also happening before my planning-obsessed little brain has had time to figure out how this meeting should go down. On the plus side, I'm going to request that my desk be moved to the spare office on the other side of the building for the next seven months or so, which will be a very easy solution to my panic over xylene fumes at my current desk.

I'm 90% sure everything will be just peachy provided I get past the first two sentences. Somehow, I get the feeling that it would be a Bad Thing to walk into his office yelling, "Yo boss! That guy you used to hang out with, who I ended up marrying before I worked for you, knocked me up!" Singing it to him opera-style seems like an equally unpleasant idea.

What Would Offsprung Do? Give me two or three good sentences that won't make my boss think I'm going to be that obnoxious pregnant lady who causes problems at work! In return, I hereby do solemnly vow to stop asking for advice for at least two solid days and being that obnoxious pregnant lady who asks long-winded, fairly stupid questions in an online community.

hey, we LIVE for long-winded stupid questions! That said, I am sorry that I have absolutely no advice for you...I was unable to work while pregnant, and I was my own boss, so I told myself to quit.

Yeah, I had a much different situation too. I just kept my pregnancy quiet as I did my proposal defense and became officially ABD. Then I went away for the summer and when school started, just showed up pregnant. My advisor was like, well, I guess you have something to tell me?

The first person I told that I was pregnant died within an hour of hearing it. So, I'm probably equally unqualified to dispense advice. But that's never stopped me before. :)

Just be frank. I seriously doubt this is the first time that he, as a supervisor, has had someone make an announcement like this. If you're worried about coming off as a crazy pregnant lady, say so if it makes you feel better. You can tell him that you don't expect zillions of accomodations, but that you need your desk moved for safety and health reasons. That you're coming in to the meeting with a workable solution for moving your desk is a good thing.

Good luck!

When I told my supervisor I did so with my realistic ideas for time off, back up plans, and return to work schedule all played out. I went in prepared, to help alleviate any worries that might initially exist.

I offered my opinion on someone in the office who I could train to back me up while I was on leave, and even a training schedule over the next few months that would work. This was all presented as suggestions, but appreciated by my manager. It made her job easier. And it worked.

I went into her office and said roughly, "Well, I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is I'm going to be out of the office for a while. Probably about 8 to 12 weeks, actually. But, the good news is won't be for about 7 more months so we have plenty of time to prepare! I'm pregnant!" After the obligatory congratulations and the initial deer in headlight look wore down, I continued with my ideas and plans. It carried through perfectly by the way. And when I returned from maternity leave only to have to report to my bosses office to once again say, "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is I'm back. The bad news is it's only for about 8 more months. I'm pregnant again, already." it just turned into one big laugh fest.

I'm not so sure it was a good thing that my leave went so smoothly...I would like to think the place fell apart with out me. But, my planning, cooperation of other employees and my willingness to share my knowledge really all contributed to the fact that I was needed, missed, but thankfully prepared enough that things did run smoothly. My transition to mommy and then from mommy back to employer was easy as pie. And I work with attorneys who are notorious for being anything but easy.

So, in a nutshell, being prepared, being honest about your expectations and plans, and seeming calm and confident all will make a HUGE difference when you drop the bomb.

Good luck!

Start like this:
"Hey guess what? I'm pregnant. No, it's not yours."

I don't know your boss, so I can't say this with absolute certainty, but I think that most work places and most bosses are pretty progressive these days when it comes to pregnancy and stuff like that. I'd just be direct and honest. Ask for what you need without being bitchy or demanding (because I know without this warning, you would have, right) and I think you'll be fine.

My boss was the first person to know outside of my husband and my mother. I had to tell him at 6 weeks because I was so sick, I wasn't making it in for 9 am. I had to let him know that I wasn't shirking my job and I would stay later to make up the time. I was also running to the bathroom about every 1/2 hour. He wasn't totally surprised, the office manager had announced a couple of weeks earlier that she was expecting, but she had made it to 5 months before telling anyone! It wasn't the way I would have chosen to let him know, but I had no choice.

I would go in and just tell him straight forwardly. As someone else said, it can't be the first time. And if he is any decent kind of person, he should understand that you want to move out of the chemicals.

I wouldn't even put the "crazy pregnant lady" idea in their head. Don't say "Now don't worry, I'm not going to be one of those pregnant ladies who sleeps at her desk and cries all the time" because probably that never even occurred to your boss in the first place. Just tell them as simply as possible with a positive attitude. Maybe them when your due date is.

I told my boss very early in my first pregnancy because I actually was falling asleep at my desk. With my second pregnancy, I was freelance telecommuting and never had to go into the office. Since they couldn't see me napping, crying, and growing a belly, I kept it a secret until my 3rd trimester began.

Good luck!

I had quit because I was offered another job right before I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. So my note to boss went something like this, "You know how I quit a week ago and gave you two weeks notice? Can I take that back, because I just found out I'm pregnant and I really don't want to leave and start a new job right now."

My boss was really happy because he had been a little freaked out over trying to figure out how he was going to replace me and get somebody trained on such short notice. This way he had about 8 months and a set end date to plan for my departure. It was truly a win/win.

That should say notice, not note, we met in person for this fun discussion.

I never had to tell a boss but I went into an interview 5 months pregnant for a clerk position at a uniform store. Despite my big bump she hired me on the spot.

Boss has been told. Being the eloquent person that I am, I announced with the soul-stirring words: "Um...I'm pregnant." Luckily, he already knows I'm a dork.

I totally should've used DGB's line, though.

>>The first person I told that I was pregnant died within an hour of hearing it.

mamawho: You can't just leave us hanging with this.

Sorry - My husband and I went to tell his grandma that I was pregnant. She was ill, but not unusually so. While we were there, she became terribly ill and 911 was called. She died soon thereafter at the hospital. Yeah, I felt weird. We had to announce to the rest of the family that I was pregnant at the hospital that night.

I had had about four appointments with different doctors, and my boss was kind of worried about me. So after my first real OB appointment I met with her and said, "Well, I'll be having a lot more appointments, because I'm pregnant."

My co-worker broke the news. I told her by showing her my medical alert bracelet. I was showing her the new line I'd added to it, "Pregnant: due 12/24/07". She soon took her lunchbreak and returned with milk and cookies. She spread them out on the table in my office, and when the Boss came back from the meeting, Jane announced we were celebrating. Boss asked what we were celebrating, and I said "my Christmas present. My new baby!"

Jane, the sweetest woman ever, passed away from brain cancer a few weeks before Ebay was born. I drank milk and cookies in her memory after her service.