Friends, first among equals
One of the fringe benefits of getting pregnant is that you get to be the bearer of good news. One gets to tell the whole world or a chosen few depending on the individual in question. This is happy news and meant to be shared with near and dear ones. Family gets to know of course but so do friends. Some women think it is very important to tell friends because they can tell them in a way that they cannot tell others. Not even their husband. This is because with friends one can be oneself and need not adhere to social norms. This is very important when one comes from a traditional family. With friends there is no role playing and one can tell it like it is.
Friends are forever
Generally speaking women tend to tell their friends who are either the same age or are married. This is because they have a perspective common to the pregnant wife which other friends who are younger or older by a big margin might not have. If the friends are not married then also it is difficult to relate to the situation. However married friends of approximately the same age are ideal to talk to. The pregnant wife can share intimate details with them. She can talk about her joy, her enthusiasm, feelings, fears, hopes and dreams for the future. Friends would understand because they are not there to judge you. They know you how you were and so they can understand your point of view. One does not have to indulge in role playing with them the way one would have to with the husband and his family. Friends also tend to keep sensitive issues to themselves because they too have the same feelings. Telling people of a different age group has an inherent problem which is people might not be on the same wavelength.
Have news will tell
One can tell friends verbally or send a message. With modern communication tools available one can tell friends wherever they are about the news. With the internet one can send live feeds to your friends and capture the moment for posterity. Research shows that most pregnant women would prefer telling their friends first before their own families if they could. This is because with friends the news is pure joy and there are no expectations especially regarding the gender of the child. It also prepares them for telling the family about it. Telling the family has serious consequences if not done properly. With friends one can tell it with unbridled enthusiasm. So some women prefer to tell their boyfriends about it and then tell their families.
