Ever since you were a little girl, you’ve always known what you wanted your future career to be. Growing up with parents that were both doctors, you always felt certain that you were destined to follow in their footsteps. Not just because you admired them and their work, but because helping other people was what you were most passionate about. Simply put, you could never imagine yourself doing anything else.

Now at 24, you’ve finally turned your dreams into reality. You’ve completed medical school, and secured your first job as a GP.

However, a few months into your new job and you’ve received the biggest surprise yet: a positive pregnancy test.

You and your partner were overjoyed when you found out the news. But there was one worry in the back of your mind that started to slightly stunt your excitement: what will your parents think?

Telling your family that you’re pregnant can feel exciting, nerve-wracking, or somewhere between the two. However, whatever reaction you might anticipate from your parents, it’s good to be prepared for how they might feel, and understand how this news will affect the family dynamic and your individual relationships with them. Remember, whether your family react in a way that you deem positive or negative, you, your baby and your partner are your number one priority – and you are going to be ok!

Here are some pointers on what you could potentially expect:

Your parents might start to organise their identities around grandparenthood. At this stage in their lives, you may find that your parents' lives are slowing down and that the prospect of a new baby is something to look forward to. So, don’t be surprised if they can’t stop talking about the pregnancy, and arranging their calendars around shopping for you and the baby!

Your parents may mix up their happiness for you with their own sense of accomplishment. Some grandparents tend to forget that you’re the mother at the centre of this exciting news, and will view the pregnancy more as something happening to them. Remember that no matter how old you get, your parents will always see you as their child. So, when you become a mother for the first time, it can understandably be a little disorientating for them to experience this shift in generational roles.

You may notice your parents trying to make themselves feel important and generative. As a result of feeling like second-tier parents in the family, you may find that your parents consciously or unconsciously take a step back to make themselves feel more important. For example, by buying a new house and busying themselves with setting up a new home.

Alternatively, you may find that your parents react by vacillating between being absent and being intrusive. If your parents happen to have mixed feelings about taking on their role as a grandparent, then their behaviour may be unpredictable in this way as a result.

You may find your mother finds adjusting to her new role difficult. Mothers will often find it difficult to adjust to the role of being a grandmother, as this can signify to them that they are getting ‘old’. You may even find she goes as far as requesting that your child does not call her ‘grandma’ or ‘granny’. Remember that even though this may be difficult to deal with, it may just be her way to cope with ageing.

Your parents could potentially express judgement towards your pregnancy. Although it can be hard to face, it’s important to be aware that your parents may not feel the same way about your pregnancy that you do. They may express opinions that you are abandoning your career to have a family, for example. If this is the case, you can either try and explain how these judgments affect you, or listen to how they feel without reacting in order to keep a calm and peaceful dynamic. Ultimately, you have to do what feels right for you.

What should I expect when telling my family that I’m pregnant?

We sometimes begin our articles with specific hypotheticals but the fear of a family's reaction is common.