7 Reasons to Announce Pregnancy Early & Overcome Miscarriage Fears

Is it Bad Luck to Announce a Pregnancy Early? Do You Have Pregnancy Fears?

The positive results of a pregnancy test can bring surprise, joy, anxiety, and fear – especially if you have experienced a previous miscarriage. Overcoming miscarriage fears can be challenging, but the decision to not announce pregnancy early – won’t make those pregnancy fears go away.

For some women, their pregnancy catches them by surprise.  Some women have longed for a child and finally are one step closer to their dream.  Pregnancy is a time of a lot of emotions, learning, and self-discovery.

Expecting moms excitedly do the calculations to determine when this child will enter the world.  At that moment, this child is real and they are beginning to prepare.

Expecting moms can picture when this child is going to enter the world and are going through all of the things they need to do to prepare for the child’s arrival.

Yet, for many women there is hesitation.  These women hesitate not because they don’t want a child, but because they know how easy it is to miscarry and lose this baby. They wonder if it is bad luck to announce their pregnancy early and that somehow it will jinx their pregnancy.

Pregnancy and miscarriage fears are a serious burden. Somewhere around 15% to 20% of women will lose their babies to miscarriage.  Too often women and their spouses go through these losses alone in silence.

Sadly, Christian parents suffer alone as well. Despite the fact that our church is supposed to be family, many Christians often wait to annouce to their churches as well.

Consequently, they are not able to receive the love and support of their congregations during their pregnancy loss.

Why Do Women Wait to Announce Their Pregnacies?

When do women usually announce that they are pregnant?  Usually, it is around 10 to 12 weeks, when the threat of miscarriage decreases.  This is the timing that seems to be the most popular in our culture.

Why do women wait to announce? Often, they wait because of the threat of miscarriage.  They are nervous and anxious.  Miscarriage fears can hold us back from sharing.

Is it okay to announce pregnancy early? Yes! Overcome Your Pregnancy Fears & Announce!

We guard our hearts against too much planning and wondering in case we lose the baby.  We don’t share to save ourselves from the awkwardness and hurt of explaining to others again and again if we do lose the baby.

Can we really guard our hearts? Should we?  Moms know that it is a baby that they are carrying inside themselves. When we choose to announce pregnancy early, we are naming that truth without shame for the world.

Why Should I Announce My Pregnancy Early?

The baby’s heartbeat has begun by five weeks with the initial formation of its circulatory system.  By the sixth week, the baby’s little nose, ears, and mouth are starting to emerge and take shape.  At nine weeks, there are tiny earlobes!

At ten weeks, there is no doubt that this is a tiny human with fingers and toes.  Its little nails are even starting to develop.  At yet even at this point, our miscarriage fears might keep us waiting to announce!

Dear Christian, let us not follow the ways of the world. Let us proudly proclaim life and announce early.

Step Out in Faith & Overcome Miscarriage Fears!

Reason to Announce Early #1

If you believe that life begins at conception, then proclaim it!  The willful blindness to the scientific evidence of life prevalent in the world, should not silence Christians from proclaiming life loudly.

By announcing early, we are blessed with more opportunities to proclaim that this is a baby not a mass of cells.

Related Post: 5 Steps to Use the Wesleyan Quadrilateral Tool with Your Teens

Reason to Announce Early #2

Share the joy! Life is wonderful and precious.  In this dark world, we need to proclaim the joy of new life and the wonder of God’s miraculous gift. 

Are we to take a light and hide it under a bushel? No. 

So, why then do we hide a blessing from God because we are afraid that the blessing might be taken away from us?

Reason to Announce Early #3

Share the news so that others can pray for you. The anxiety and worry of those first few weeks are real. 

For some, it is every week through birth that the anxiety, pregnancy fears, and worry about miscarriage is ever-present.  Why deny yourself the blessing of prayers?

Reason to Announce Early #4

Share the news so that if the baby dies, you will have others to share in your grief. Why force yourself to grieve alone? 

Share your news and hope for the best.  If the worst happens, then you have a community to support you. 

Your miscarriage pain will still be there regardless of whether or not you share.  There is great comfort in others knowing your pain and being able to comfort you at this time.

Reason to Announce Early #5

Share the news, even if you do lose your child because your child is real and they deserve the recognition of their life.

Don’t believe the lie of the world that your baby is just a mass of cells. Celebrate the time you had with your baby.  Celebrate their short life. 

You will always remember them, honor them now.

Related Post: 7 Powerful Ways to Honor Your Lost Baby

Reason to Announce Early #6

Share the news and serve other women.

Our silence prevents us from receiving the support of our communities.  Our silence also prevents witnessing to other women. 

We know that miscarriages happen, we don’t have to suffer in silence.  Let us create an open culture that allows women to come forward earlier and receive the support of their community.

How Can the Church Serve Women with Pregnancy Fears and Fear of Miscarriage?

Dear Church, Church leaders, and Pastors –

The silence and waffling of the church on abortion have a profound impact on how it ministers to women who have had miscarriages. When the church is silent on abortion, it is usually silent on miscarriage as well.

The culture says that in the first trimester babies aren’t really real, yet as people of faith we know otherwise.  It is time for the church to end its politically-correct silence and support the pregnant women in their congregations.

How Can Churches Support Women to Overcome Pregnancy Fears?

#1 Encourage women to announce early.

Pastors and church leaders should model for members of their congregations and announce their pregnancies early. Pastors should speak from the pulpit of the desire of the church to support women during the whole of the pregnancy.

#2 Celebrate each and every pregnancy. Encourage baby showers for every child.

Churches will often have baby showers for a couple’s first baby? But, what about a baby for the second? Or, the seventh?

Churches need to celebrate every single pregnancy. Parents don’t need as much as they do when they have their first child, but they still need support. By having showers, we physically demonstrate that we celebrate life.

#3 Encourage women to formally mourn for lost children by providing funeral services for their child.

Has your church held a funeral service for a child that died in the womb? If we believe that life begins at conception, why not? Even a small service of remembrance marks the value of that child’s life and the pain that the parents are experiencing.

#4 Annually remember lost children.

October is the national Miscarriage and Infant Loss Awareness month. Some groups will focus on a particular week in October for Miscarriage Remembrance. October 15th is recognized as Miscarriage and Infant Loss Awareness Day.

Take time during the regular service that week, or in a special service, to remember those lost children. It can be as elaborate as having an opportunty for members to name those children or simply a prayer while lighting a candle. The impact on your congregation will be profound.

Create a New Culture Regarding Pregnancy Fears & Pregnancy Loss

Let us embrace the truth of life and proclaim it loudly in word and deed.  Be strong and courageous in creating a set apart new culture celebrating the fragileness of life from the beginning.

Do you have children that you only held in the womb?  I encourage you to leave their name below.

In memory of Penelope Grace and Ella Mae, and six other siblings in heaven.