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Hi! Fellow cryer. I have cried a handful of times at work and I HATE it, even though I know in my head it's a perfectly normal physiological response to stress and emotion. I'd much rather be a cryer than a yeller... but at work it is hard.

In tough situations like this it has helped me to do the following:
1) Really practice what you're going to say. Write it out, read it out loud in a mirror to yourself. Multiple times. Try to anticipate the responses you might get (lots of different ones) and how you would respond back. Do that in the mirror too even though it feels really silly.

2) Do the above but with your spouse or a trusted friend. Sometimes it can be good for me to get through it with someone who I feel like I can cry in front of if that happens. Often it does, because doing this makes me feel very vulnerable, but crying with them has helped prevent me from crying with my boss or coworker. It's like the dress rehearsal and once I've gotten the tears out with someone they are less likely to reappear in the actual situation.

3) If you think it might help, when it comes time to actually have this conversation, start with a simple preface that you may tear up or cry. You can simply say that you have strong emotions because you <insert positive spin> something like valuing the work of the company, etc.

No suggestions, just want you to know you're not along! I've cried at work too and hated it every time. I think I mostly cried at my first job and I was young (early 20s) and my boss(es) were nice about it. I've WANTED to cry at my job now several times and usually try super hard to at least make it to the bathroom or my car.

The only suggestion I have is to press your tongue really hard into the roof of your mouth until the urge to cry passes.

That doesn't address much other than the immediate need to recover from the episode. I'm similar and only since having a kid!