NewMom: How much is too much?

I’ve just learned that I’m having a few minor complications with my pregnancy. Nothing overly worrisome — or overly feminine (if you catch my drift). It’s nothing that’s restricting my work or activity, though it is likely among the reasons that the first trimester fatigue never quite went away.

I can talk about it all day long to girlfriends, sisters, and female colleagues, but why do I find it so difficult to share the details with my male boss? I’ve just told him now that I do have “a few medical issues that will require more frequent doctors visits.” Just a heads up so he’ll know why I’m not always available as quickly as I usually am. But I find myself almost physically unable to explain any further detail. I’m not concerned about my own medical privacy. And I don’t think it’s because I think he won’t care or empathize. He’s the father of young children himself and has been more than compassionate and concerned despite the little detail I’ve shared.

I think the real crux of the issue is this — pregnant or not, where are the boundaries between personal and professional information, and why do they feel so different for men than for women?