Man inadvertently finds positive pregnancy tests. 'When should I tell her I know?'

So…when (or should) I(M29) tell my girlfriend(F23) that I know she is pregnant? It’s been 1 week and she’s said absolutely nothing.

I think she’s pregnant. This is all just based off of a picture. I went on my girlfriend’s ipad to try to print something from there (I did get her consent) and there was a picture of a hand holding 2 positive pregnancy tests.

I know it was her because of the nails, my girlfriend just got a new set done and it was indeed in our bathroom. I just printed what I needed to and gave her iPad back to her like I didn’t see anything. The photo was dated on the previous day.

2 days went by and it was really just me thinking. Maybe she’s not pregnant, maybe it’s a prank, maybe this, maybe that. I was just trying to make sense as to why she didn’t mention anything.

And the only conclusion I can come to is either she’s not pregnant or she hasn’t made up her mind on what she wants to do. Now it marks 1 week tomorrow, and I still have no answer.

We’ve talked about kids, but nowhere in the near future. So maybe she’s contemplating on that. I’ve gone through every possible scenario from maybe it’s a friends (didn’t work out) to maybe she doesn’t think I want a baby.

I know she loves kids, but that doesn’t mean she wants a kid. I’ve been trying to look out for any pregnancy symptoms but she’s pretty much the same.

I’m wondering if I should just wait around contemplating the what ifs, or if I should just tell her that I saw the picture of her holding 2 pregnancy tests. Because I’ve been doing a lot of mental gymnastics over this.

Here's how the commenters weighed in.

Loose-Garlic-3461

Perhaps she is waiting to confirm by a doctor before she tells you?

PossumsForOffice

I think the best rule in any relationship is to have honest and respectful communication.

I think you tell her what you saw and then just give her the space to talk about it. If she is pregnant, she might be scared or freaking out so if she reacts erratically and freaks out - try to stay calm, if you can.

Also go in with the mindset that it’s probably going to be a conversation you guys have over several days/a few weeks. So give yourself and her time to process and try to give each other grace and kindness as you talk.

OP

This is probably the first thing I should've done. Tell her that I saw what I did and we take it from there.

But at least it's not too late to have this conversation(s).

Mirimichelle

One time I pregnancy tested positive while my boyfriend was on a hiking trip. He was out of service for two days and within the two days I had a very large “period” and then negative pregnancy tests after my period ended.

I don’t want a baby and wasn’t planning on keeping it but it was crazy how fast an early miscarriage can happen.

If I wasn’t a few days late and curious I would have missed I was pregnant entirely and I would have thought I just had a slightly bigger period. Not saying this is your scenario AT ALL but I do think it’s something to consider. I never mentioned those pregnancy tests to my boyfriend because there was never a discussion to be had at that point

OstrichAlone2069

Is it possible that she is trying to plan a cute announcement? Maybe she ordered a t-shirt and onesie that she is waiting to arrive. Or she's making other plans and arrangements beyond just saying "welp, we're knocked up". Is your girlfriend the type to do an announcement like that for you or because she wants it for social media or memories?

ETA - there's nothing wrong with telling her you saw the photo either. A frank conversation is usually a good thing in a relationship.

OP:

Yea she's the type. But she doesn't really do it for social media, she mainly does it for memories to look back on, so it's pretty likely. Hoping this is the case!

Dandorissue

It must be nerve wracking. If it's her tests, she's taking her time to consider her options and her future so it makes sense to give her space and keep quiet. But the conversation can't be postponed forever. Do you know when she usually gets her period? If she misses it, that could be a conversation starter, if you guys already openly discuss things like that.

Flashy-Bluejay1331

You don't know she's pregnant. You just know she was holding 2 positive tests. So just ask. Hey, I inadvertently saw some pics when I went to print XYZ the other day. What's the story with those tests you were holding? They kind of looked like pregnancy tests...