What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

Sophia Walker89 said:I was just sitting here reading over the new one-time payment amounts released by the City of Zion... $600 and get this—they’re splitting the first child benefit into just two installments throughout the year!! It is an absolute disgrace!! They keep piling new costs onto our shoulders—it feels like there's a new fee every single week—yet they keep slashing our benefits!! And then people have the nerve to claim we don't want children; it's no wonder the country is struggling under its own weight! Honestly, it feels like they're just pinching pennies when it comes to kids. Meanwhile, we're out here working ourselves to the bone, yet those politicians live like royalty—paying for luxury travel and fancy retreats while they pocket our hard-earned money to buy massive estates! It's just ridiculous...

Man, tell me about it... I saw that news a few days ago too. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have even looked up the details if I hadn't clicked on a link someone sent me... I bet it was posted over on $667 when I was checking things last year

I actually lost it on myself today because I dropped my biggest jar of mayo right in the middle of the kitchen floor (of course there was glass and mayo splattered everywhere 🙄)... what really caught me off guard was how I didn't even start crying after it happened 🤣

Kenneth Jones78 said:Man, the subway and being pregnant? Not exactly the best combo. Sometimes I'll hop on, find a seat immediately, and then at the next stop, an elderly guy gets on—barely able to move without his cane—and I'm surrounded by three or four high schoolers or college kids, and nobody even flinches. I'll just stand up for him and stay a bit further away, mostly out of pure disbelief. Nobody reacts. I couldn't believe it, like, where is this society even heading 😲. It's not like I expect everyone to jump up for me; honestly, when it's packed, I usually stick near the doors so if I start feeling unwell, I can just get off. And I don't want to trigger anyone's guilt by making them feel like they *have* to stand up, so I don't mind standing. Besides, for some people, standing really is hard—they're coming home from a long shift or they're just exhausted and happy to have a moment to rest.

But there were days during my last pregnancy where it was legitimately difficult. I was way past my due date, going in for checkups every other day, it was summer, and it was hot enough to make you lose your mind. Plus, after an amniocentesis, the pressure and discomfort were real. Back then, I was in a state where I just needed to sit down and go home. I always tried to board the subway when it wasn't crowded so I could grab a seat, but a few specific moments really stuck with me—especially one time when I felt truly awful; I got on through the back doors, stood at the very end, and this younger woman just stared at me for a few stops until I eventually sat down once some guy else got up.

I just don't get these young girls/women. What kind of upbringing leads to that? I've lived in a big American city for years, and I've never once failed to give up my seat for a pregnant woman, a mother with a kid, or someone visibly elderly and frail. I wonder what goes through their heads and how they aren't embarrassed to just ignore someone, especially since they'll be in that exact same position one day. 👎

Gosh, I went on a bit of a rant there, but I just had to vent my "commuter" frustrations somewhere 😁

I actually snapped at some idiot today... 😬

So, I hop on the light rail and start heading toward an empty seat, when this kid—probably high school age, maybe a bit older—just shoves right past me to take it. And he’s with this guy, maybe in his 40s... probably his dad, I guess. Anyway, this kid sits down and just stares at me with this blank look... so I lost it a little and just told him, "Hey kid, move it, I'm literally days away from giving birth." The guy just sat there like 😕 and stood up, totally clueless... I was like, "Yeah, you can think what you want, but move," and I took my seat 😍... honestly, he just played dumb for his old man, and I wasn't about to let anyone mess with me... 🙂🥳

But honestly, it gets even more intense. I’m standing there at the bus stop when this elderly lady walks on and asks me—and some younger woman sitting across the aisle from me—if we could move so she could get up. 🙄 Look, I get it, the lady is old and clearly exhausted, but... sorry, my kid comes first here. I just looked at her and was like, "Can't you see I'm pregnant?" and then she actually apologized. But the woman sitting right across from me? She just stares back and forth between me and the old lady, doing absolutely nothing. Just totally ignores us. Doesn't budge an inch. 🤷

In the end, some older guy sitting a few seats down ended up being the one to get up for her anyway. 🤷

Seriously, that bus was just packed with idiots today. 🤷

Hahaha, honestly, you just have to take a stand, tell them "get up," and call it a day... but I’m just too shy for all that. It feels so awkward to ask someone to move, so I usually just sit there overthinking everything, telling myself I can hold out a little longer. But lately, my back has been killing me, and the constant pressure on my bladder is getting ridiculous. I’m actually starting to worry about what’s going to happen in a month—by then, I definitely won't be able to stay quiet about it.

Man, I’m right there with you. Honestly, I’ve never been the type to fall for anyone... just haven't felt that spark before. But this guy? He’s seriously messing with my head. 😬

I had a similar experience on a Greyhound bus once. This elderly lady right next to me just passed out cold, then snapped back to reality almost instantly. But instead of actually helping her up, those dozens of other seniors just leaned over slightly to ask, "Are you okay?" while staying firmly planted in their seats. I was eight months pregnant at the time, so it wasn't exactly easy for me to move.
I ended up stepping off the bus immediately just to get some fresh air—thank God my friend was there with me—so I could 🙂🙂 them all
according to my own little list.

Carl Miller11 said:I had a similar experience on a Greyhound bus once. This elderly lady right next to me just passed out cold, then snapped back to reality almost instantly. But instead of actually helping her up, those dozens of other seniors just leaned over slightly to ask, "Are you okay?" while staying firmly planted in their seats. I was eight months pregnant at the time, so it wasn't exactly easy for me to move.
I ended up stepping off the bus immediately just to get some fresh air—thank God my friend was there with me—so I could 🙂🙂 them all
according to my own little list.

Oh man, I can't even imagine. That sounds intense... but honestly, I don't get it. Is it just a woman thing? Or maybe men too? One lady actually looked at me and said, "Well, you must have had ten kids already!"

Gerald Carter said:Oh man, I can't even imagine. That sounds intense... but honestly, I don't get it. Is it just a woman thing? Or maybe men too? One lady actually looked at me and said, "Well, you must have had ten kids already!"

Speaking from experience, women can be even more difficult than men in these situations. Most will just look at you being pregnant and say, "So what? I worked/dug/stood all day until the very last second of my pregnancy too..."

I was absolutely livid back on Friday dealing with some jerk at a local farmers market in Chicago...

So, I’m out doing my weekly grocery run, picking up bits and pieces, when I spot some Granny Smith apples$2.00/lb
They looked homegrown—smaller than the supermarket stuff, but they looked great. I decided to grab 2kg worth, but the guy starts shoving the apples from the back toward me instead of letting me pick the ones in front. When I told him I wanted the ones closer to the front, he just brushed me off, saying, "They're all the exact same thing." Fine, I thought, I'll take his word for it.
Well, turns out he was lying through his teeth. He sold me apples with wrinkled, shriveled skin. I don't even see fruit looking that bad on clearance at a Walmart or a Kroger. What an absolute crook.
I am never going back. I honestly cannot wrap my head around this certain type of American mentality where people think it's okay to cheat customers like that. There is zero chance I'm buying anything from him ever again.

Ronald Williams9 said:I was absolutely livid back on Friday dealing with some jerk at a local farmers market in Chicago...

So, I’m out doing my weekly grocery run, picking up bits and pieces, when I spot some Granny Smith apples$2.00/lb
They looked homegrown—smaller than the supermarket stuff, but they looked great. I decided to grab 2kg worth, but the guy starts shoving the apples from the back toward me instead of letting me pick the ones in front. When I told him I wanted the ones closer to the front, he just brushed me off, saying, "They're all the exact same thing." Fine, I thought, I'll take his word for it.
Well, turns out he was lying through his teeth. He sold me apples with wrinkled, shriveled skin. I don't even see fruit looking that bad on clearance at a Walmart or a Kroger. What an absolute crook.
I am never going back. I honestly cannot wrap my head around this certain type of American mentality where people think it's okay to cheat customers like that. There is zero chance I'm buying anything from him ever again.

I never let them bag my fruit for me. I always grab my own bag so I can pick exactly what I want...
Next time, bring a friend along and make sure to loudly announce—"We aren't buying from here, this guy's a total scammer"—especially if you've been ripped off before. I even got scammed when I was pregnant... edit: just make sure there’s a crowd nearby when you call them out.😁

neonsurfer32 said:I never let them bag my fruit for me. I always grab my own bag so I can pick exactly what I want...
Next time, bring a friend along and make sure to loudly announce—"We aren't buying from here, this guy's a total scammer"—especially if you've been ripped off before. I even got scammed when I was pregnant... edit: just make sure there’s a crowd nearby when you call them out.😁

Look, at that Whole Foods over in Cherry Hill, they don't always let you choose... not all of them, but some do. When I run into those types, I just turn around and walk away. This guy actually seemed decent at first... damn him. $4.00

What a pathetic loser.

I'm just getting started and it’s driving me crazy how hungry I am all the time. I feel like I’m constantly snacking.😢
Once I actually eat, though, I start stressing out, wondering if I'm just packing on the pounds😠 and worrying that I'll end up looking like a total refrigerator by the time I'm full term.🙂🙂

steelowl10 said:I'm just getting started and it’s driving me crazy how hungry I am all the time. I feel like I’m constantly snacking.😢
Once I actually eat, though, I start stressing out, wondering if I'm just packing on the pounds😠 and worrying that I'll end up looking like a total refrigerator by the time I'm full term.🙂🙂

I'm halfway through my pregnancy and I am feeling the exact same way.🤣 🤣
Lately, I’ve actually started keeping a food diary where I log everything I eat and the specific times I eat it.🙄 I try to make sure there's at least a two-hour gap between meals...
But then, after successfully avoiding sweets for three whole days, I'll somehow manage to restrain myself just long enough to go overboard and devour two ice cream cones back-to-back.🤣
Well, I guess that's just part of the whole pregnancy experience, right?😉

I hate my own damn self. Spent the whole day obsessing over strollers again 😠, even though I was 100% sure I’d already made up my mind!

Serves me right. If I hadn't been too indecisive to just buy them two weeks ago when I actually had the cash, I wouldn't be stuck in this endless loop.

Dammit, honestly, going through 8 rounds of IVF felt easier than picking out a stroller. 🙂🙂

I haven't bought a single thing for the baby yet, and everyone keeps asking me when I’m finally going to start shopping... honestly, it's like they think someone else is going to be dressing my kid.

Ugh, I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and I’m already stressing over which shoes to wear. I was thinking maybe some cute little flats, but honestly, I’ll probably just end up sticking to my 🙂 😱
because they're the only thing that feel right. I mean, my shins are looking a little puffy, but my feet felt totally fine until just now 😢

And don't even get me started on the food situation... I'm about two days away from hitting the one-month mark on this diet, and let me tell you, I am straight-up dreaming about cookies 😳

Linda Ward312 said:Ugh, I’ve got a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and I’m already stressing over which shoes to wear. I was thinking maybe some cute little flats, but honestly, I’ll probably just end up sticking to my 🙂 😱
because they're the only thing that feel right. I mean, my shins are looking a little puffy, but my feet felt totally fine until just now 😢

And don't even get me started on the food situation... I'm about two days away from hitting the one-month mark on this diet, and let me tell you, I am straight-up dreaming about cookies 😳

Dieting!? Are you kidding me? Honestly, the scale is driving me absolutely insane... I swear, it's maddening. I really don't eat much at all—just a quick breakfast around 8:00 AM and then lunch somewhere between 3:00 and 4:00 PM, and after that, it's basically just fruit, yet somehow I managed to gain four pounds in just four weeks! I'll have sweets once in a while, sure, maybe a piece of chocolate or an ice cream, or like this past weekend when I went all out and made some homemade snack cakes, and I do drink quite a bit of milk... I actually thought about cutting out carbs entirely, but how am I supposed to do that when I'm eating two or three slices of toast—usually whole wheat or cornmeal—and I hardly ever touch potatoes... but the weight just keeps climbing 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂

Ditch the cornbread—swap it out for rye bread instead. Your fruit intake is also hitting high sugar levels, so try limiting yourself to just one or two apples at a time. 😉
:Experienced Mom of a Toddler: 😍

Good grief, this kid is driving me absolutely insane 🙂
But I have to tell you—my OBGYN nearly lost it laughing when he saw my latest glucose tolerance test results 😍
A fasting level of 2.8, then dropping to 2.2 right after breakfast 🤣 🤣
My husband was kind enough to point out that there might be something slightly off with me 🤣 🤣

Honestly, I feel like I’m losing my mind dealing with this weight fluctuation and these unpredictable digestion issues, if you'll excuse my colorful language...