When to tell DD she's going to be a big sister?

Anyone who's had kids, and your pregnant again, when did you tell your child that your pregnant? And why?
Thanks.

I only have the one so can't say but just wanted to say congratulations I'm sure your DD will be estatic that she's going to be a big sister

We told DD pretty early - well actually she said something about babies coming and it was just right - i think it was about 7-8 weeks.
She was just under 2.5 years at the time.
DSS was told after we got to 12 weeks, this was his request, we had lost a baby the previous year and he was really sad by it and said that he wanted to know when it was 'safer' so told him when everyone else found out (although a lot of people knew and had to keep the secret and surprisingly DD didn't say anything!) He was 12 at the time (now 13).

I think that it depends on the age of your child and how they will understand the information.

I dont remember actually sitting the older three boys down to tell them about each others impending new sibling but when I was pregnant with DS4 I sent the boys a card in the mail. Saying I cant wait to meet you love your new brother or sister. They were all old enough to understand and it was their reactions were really cute.
I think I was about 16 weeks that time.

With DD, my brother had not long had my niece and the boys were all fascinated with her. So we waited till we had the 20wk scan to find out DD was infact a girl and I bought a little pair of pink socks that I left on the table when they got home from school.
At first they assumed they were nieces but I said no they are your sisters!! :lol:

They were over the moon and being already half way gone they didnt have to wait as long to meet her.

Congratulations! DD1 was about 18 months when DD2 was on the way and we just told her when we starting telling our families and friends (maybe 8 weeks?) She didn't really get it until I started getting bigger and she could kind of comprehend that a baby could fit in there! She loved reading "There's a House Inside My Mummy" and it helped her understand a bit more.

I told the older ones straight away, but didn't bother exlaining it to the 2 year old until I had a belly. They seem to understand better if they can "see". I also got the book There's a House Inside my Mummy.

DD1 was told by showing her the 13w ultrasound dvd of her little sister. She thought it was a monkey (and sometimes I think she was right!) but then we explained it was her little brother or sister in my belly.

DS was about to turn 3, or just turned 3. We waited until we had announced it to everyone otherwise he'd have spoilt the surprise!

I think he's the most impatient one waiting for this baby to arrive! He can't wait!

DD was almost 3yo. We took her with us to the 12-13 week ultrasound (thinking that she wouldn't really know what was going on anyway) and when the sonographer said everything was looking good then we told DD that we were all looking at her new baby brother or sister. She understood straight away and could actually pick the baby's face from the ultrasound photos! We let her tell our families which was a bit special and made her feel special :-)

We told her pretty much straight away, I was about 5 weeks.

TBH, the notion of miscarriage never crossed my mind, as it didn't with DD1 either. She was about 2.5 at the time, and well and truly capable of understanding.
We had asked her before TTC what she thought of it (about 10 months earlier) also.

Charlotte was so excited and spent the whole pregnancy kissing the belly and talking to the baby, she came to all the U/S and a couple OB appts too, heard the heard beat and all that jazz, she loved it. And I think it has really paid off - she was involved in the whole process and is so involved with the baby. She isn't jealous and understands, likes to help etc and I think a lot of that has to do with her being involved in the pregnancy.

My only regret was that I didn't have a birth she could be apart of.

Thanks guys, given me food for thought. Just to worry about DSD's. Concerned how their mother will react to them having a half brother/sister

Will be stalking this one - my DD is very nearly 9 (eeek, Monday!!) and I'm about 4 and a bit weeks now. Haven't told her yet, but might wait as doc was talking about a scan at around 10 weeks so we'll have some pics to show her.

I'm hoping she'll be excited, she's been talking about a little sister (not so keen on brother :p) for a while now.

We have always told ours as soon as we know, which was always within a few weeks of falling pg. We figured if we had a m/c or complications of any sort, the kids should still be entitled to grieve that loss with us and would otherwise be confused if we were devastated and upset and they didn't know why. And that they should be entitled to feel the joy of knowing life is (all going well) going to get more exciting for them, too!

DD is 2 and a half. Im about to have baby any day now. DH is terrible and cant keep a secret so she knew from the day we knew which was about 5 weeks. shes had plenty of time to get used to it but they dont really have a concept of time at that age so its hard for them to understand that it takes SOOOOO long!!! and plus, in the begining when i didnt really what the whole world knowing i was pregnant DD would tell anyone who would listen that i had a baby in my tummy....post office line etc etc :rolleyes:
congratualtions by the way!!!

i told my little boy that he was going to be a big brother as soon as i found out as m/c didnt cross my mind either but same thing if that was to happeen i would have prefered DS1 to know about it, he was just over 2 when i found out and he now loves his brother he also heard the heartbeat and so fourth i think it helps

I can't really remember "when".

But there is a book I read to her every night, "there's a house inside my mummy". Beautiful book!

We told DD a couple of days ago (14wks) after our 1st U/S, we told her after 12 weeks with DS too. She's very excited as long as it's a girl, lol.

I can't remember when we told DD that we were pregnant with DS?? I'm guessing it was close to the 10-12 week mark since we were a little concerned about something happening after trying for so long.
With this one, we told DD the same time we told my parents, 8w4d. No one believed us, i think cause DS is an IVF bubba, so we had to show them the little blob photo we had gotten that arvo from the ob. DS knows, some days the baby is in mummys tummy, some days the baby is going in the fire truck and today the baby has evolved to being a car!! lol..
We took DD with us to the scan at 20 weeks for this one, and found out we are having a girl.. It was nice to include her, and i think she loved being included as well...