When you're an adult in a strong and committed relationship, you expect reactions to your pregnancy announcement to be positive, right? Unfortunately, not everyone reacts how you'd like them to. So, it's very important for you to not overthink or overreact to their reactions. Don't forget that breaking big news to someone for the first time means that you're prepared for an honest, authentic response. True feelings will reveal themselves and maybe that's not so bad. Starting a new journey, sometimes means removing the rusty anchors that are weighing you down. You now have so much to look forward to!

Best & Worst Reactions to my Pregnancy Announcement

Let's talk about those friends and family reactions to my pregnancy announcement. I individually called my closest friends and family members to reveal the big news to them personally. Most responses were full of pure joy, while some were a bit lackluster. I'm writing this to help you first time mommies or even 2nd, 3rd, 4th time mommies navigate through the varied reactions. I just want you to know that you're not the only one.

“What!? Omg! Congrats! I'm so happy for you!”

That's the reaction I got from the few friends I revealed my pregnancy to. Most of my friends are mommies so they've been waiting for me to join the mom club for quite sometime now. Their reactions were completely genuine and exactly what you'd want. Even my non-mommy friends were basically jumping up and down for me.

My best friend literally pulled me on top of her and hugged me as she teared up.

Those are the people who check on me daily and have made me feel so much more comfortable as my body changes from a woman into a mother.

“I knew it!” or “I had a feeling!”

Wait? You knew it before I did? I haven't talked to you at all about my symptoms but you “had a feeling”? That's weird. I didn't hint at anything and we weren't trying to have a baby, but you knew?

Gotta love someone who downplays the surprise factor.

“I never thought you'd have a baby”

Yes, I know. It's so hard to believe that me, a 28 year old, soon-to-be married woman with her shit together is going to have a baby. Little ole me, who has a career and a stable home, is going to have a baby. Joyce, who babysits your children and loves them as if they were her own, is going to have a baby. The woman you run to when you “need a little help” is pregnant! The one who was “careful” until she was in a healthy, emotionally and financially beautiful, relationship is going to be a mother! How terribly shocking.

It does sting a little. Well, a lot. But, I take it as a hard lesson learned. It's interesting to see what people really think of you.

“I thought you were going to wait until after the wedding!”

That was legit the first thing someone very close to me said. Has she never heard of someone getting pregnant without actually trying? Yeah, ideally it would be great to not be pregnant at my wedding. But the universe had something better in store for me.

Everything happens for a reason and this beautiful baby growing inside of me, was a blessing meant to happen now.

“You're lying! Ha ha very funny”

Pregnancy is nothing to joke about but, because of the nature of my relationship with this person, I totally get why he didn't believe me. Our conversations highly consist of pranks and sarcasm, so it took some convincing for him to believe that I actually am carrying a child.

For the record, after he realized I was telling the truth he was overly excited! He talked about all the things he'd teach my baby and how he's waited for this for so long. I could cry right now thinking of it.

“Laughter”

Initially, I thought “What's so damn funny?” Then, I realized the laughter was out of pure joy and exciting. Many friends and family members laughed through their tears of happiness. My grandmother let out the biggest, happiest laugh I've ever heard.

“I could tell!”

Talk about insulting! That was a huge foot-in-the-mouth statement made by someone. I wouldn't be insulted had I been showing already, but I wasn't. In fact, I announced my pregnancy before I was showing. Which means, that I definitely looked fat the last time that person saw me. Thanks, person. Thanks.

Those were the main first pregnancy reactions I received. I also had a lot of people asking very personal questions about my choices as a woman and a mother. Words like “circumcision, breastfeeding, natural birth, and vaccinations” come to mind. Oh what joy motherhood and the judgments from other moms will bring. I'll save that conversation for another post, though.

Thank you everyone for reading about my first pregnancy reactions! We’re so excited to have your continued love and support as we partake on this grand journey. You’ll be seeing a new motherhood column on Women and Their Pretties very soon! What kind of crazy reactions did you receive from your first pregnancy? Tell us in the comments below!

Be sure to visit my “First Trimester” post to read my journey through great, denial, and excitement! Up next is my Maternity Gift Guide which will feature gifts for mommies only!