What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

Megan Mitchell4 said:Lately, it feels like every single person I run into is constantly breathing down my neck, telling me stuff like "WATCH THAT BABY" or having my relatives go all crazy with the "PROTECT OUR LITTLE ONE!!" vibes. Honestly, I don't even get it... like, what am I supposed to be, some kind of surrogate mother or something?!! Tiger Woods🙂

Tell me about it. My husband's friends constantly ask him when they're finally going to have a kid. 😂I just told them if they're so worried, they can start buying the diapers. 🙂

Dana Martin87 said:Moms obsessed with strollers. I had no idea this phenomenon even existed until I got pregnant myself. Everyone tries to convince you that a stroller without a bassinet is a terrible choice—even people like me who think a bassinet is just consumerist greed, a gimmick, and total nonsense. Until now, I only knew about guys who obsess over cars; now I’ve realized there are groups of women who obsess over strollers in the exact same way.
God, I was reading a Chicago forum where some expectant mom says she wants to buy a Stokke stroller, and another woman responds, totally dead serious, "Why would you get a Stokke? Every other person in Chicago has them, just buy a Bugaboo." Helloooo? In Chicago, every other person is starving, not driving a Stokke, and what does it matter how many identical strollers are on the street? Is the only thing that matters if they're comfortable for the baby?!

I used to be disgusted by car guys; now I'm disgusted by their wives too.

And since I'm already on a pre-labor rant: Women who smoke, eat junk food, drink Coke and alcohol, and dye their hair during the first three months of pregnancy while simultaneously claiming pregnancy is the best thing that ever happened to them. Just be honest: "I hate this kid in my womb and I want it to die." Seriously, who are you kidding? If you can't give up something for nine months that threatens your baby's health, don't act like you're overjoyed.

Or those "virgin moms" who act all shocked at women having sex during a healthy pregnancy. If the pregnancy is healthy, sex should just add to the bliss. Amen.

Then there are the women who splurge on high-end stuff like Johnson & Johnson and think that's why they didn't get stretch marks. The cheapest Walmart almond oil and the most expensive luxury cream will have the exact same effect on the final result. I learned that the hard way.

Oh, and the hospital drama. When for the tiniest little thing—just a routine checkup—a woman, her husband, her mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa all start making connections that aren't there, spreading panic into a perfectly normal situation.

Pregnant women who brag about only gaining 10 pounds by 40 weeks, while they could easily carry someone like me who gained 20 kilos. Honestly, this whole weight talk drives me crazy.

And the women who preach about breastfeeding. I don't care one bit whether I breastfeed or not. If I have milk, I'll nurse, but for a maximum of six months because it's proven that after that, breast milk loses its properties and mostly just serves to soothe the baby, which feels like pure perversion to me. So, if there's milk, I'll nurse until six months; if not, I won't, and that's that.

There's more where that came from...

Bravo to the mom from Boston, I agree with most of what you said (you certainly let it all out!—silentraven6 teases me that in these last few weeks I'm like someone from a folk song saying "I don't love... such is my nature," ha ha)...except regarding breastfeeding...the longer the baby stays on mom's milk rather than cow's milk or something else, the better—it's vital prevention against future allergies to everything and anything (I'm waiting for my third and hope to nurse him for at least a year; my first was 15 months, the second was 18 months—unforgettable moments, believe me!) Felix the Cat and good luck!!!

Lately, I’ve been getting a little frustrated—thankfully I’m almost done with this pregnancy—whenever I’m at the grocery store or a service counter where there are all these signs saying pregnant women get priority. It feels like if people aren't being considerate, the staff could at least step in and say, "Excuse me, let this lady go ahead." One day I popped into Walmart just to grab a cream that was on sale, and someone wouldn't let me pass. It makes me wonder, if we're supposed to have priority, why doesn't the cashier say anything? Or even at my local corner market where they know me, I'll be stuck behind someone indecisive about which pastries to pick while missing out on the deals... Honestly, I don't mind waiting; I never asked to skip the line during my first or second pregnancy, but this time my blood pressure keeps dropping, especially when it gets hot outside...

Exactly... I’ve been telling you this, Sarah Taylor. Wives are the worst; they push their way through everywhere you go. 🙂
Right now, I am getting so annoyed by this constant advertisement for Ford that pops up no matter what I click on. Hello? Seriously? It's not like I'm going out to buy one today even if I wanted to. 🙂 🙂 🙂

It honestly gets a bit irritating when people ask if we "accidentally" got pregnant again, or heaven forbid, if we were actively trying, especially since my little girl is only 13 months old. There’ll be about a 21-month gap between them, which I don't think is actually that bad. The truth is, we were hoping to conceive within a few months, so we weren't exactly being super careful or following a strict schedule. We just didn't expect it to happen on the very first try, but here we are. We're really happy 🙂

I feel like it's the same way people react when they see twins or triplets; they always seem to want to know if it was through IVF or happened naturally..

People just have zero respect lately. Some jerk pushed right past me in line at Walmart's with only three items, while I was just standing there with one. And honestly? Not a single soul said a word.

Alex Castillo said:People just have zero respect lately. Some jerk pushed right past me in line at Walmart's with only three items, while I was just standing there with one. And honestly? Not a single soul said a word.

Man, why didn't you just body slam him? 😁

So where is everyone? Since you guys are all venting, I might as well jump in and moan a little too... Let’s see how this goes: 1. I’ve been feeling nauseous all day long, but not quite enough to actually act sick and get sympathy—so naturally, everyone assumes I’m doing just fine, even though everything feels ten times more exhausting than it did before I got pregnant. 2. Because the nausea is constant, I end up snacking non-stop just to take the edge off—which means I’m visibly gaining weight by the second (not that anyone’s complaining about having more of me to deal with, right?). 3. And since I’m clearly packing on the pounds, I’ve got people thinking they should "warn" me about my eating habits—as if I’m out here intentionally trying to get huge... please, go ahead and try being pregnant and then tell me to fast if you think you're such a tough guy. 4. At work, nobody is showing me an ounce of mercy; they’d probably have me jumping through hoops like some hyperactive toddler even if I were in active labor—honestly, once I finally take medical leave, they'll realize how much they messed up... assuming my doctor actually clears me to stay home. 5. My mood? Absolute garbage. I have zero motivation, zero energy, and I’ll burst into tears just because someone mentioned a box of cookies—for no reason at all, obviously, because who needs logic when your hormones are throwing a full-blown riot? BUT—I guess I’ve become a little less filtered lately—meaning I’m finding it easier to just say exactly what’s on my mind, even if I end up feeling like a jerk later, at least I’m not sitting there with a mountain of repressed rage building up inside. Then again, talking to certain people is a total waste of breath anyway because they’re going to be idiots regardless, and I just don't have the energy to spell everything out for them... so yeah, that’s the state of affairs for now, and if I remember any other brilliant thoughts, I'll drop them here... thanks to this forum for giving me a place to vent, and shout out to all the other moms out there dealing with their own mess, whether it's with people or just battling themselves. Peace to everyone 🙂

Yeah, I really can't stand people who don't know how to react when I tell them I'm pregnant. 🙄🙄🙄
It’s like, instead of just saying congratulations, they immediately start judging women who post their ultrasound photos on Facebook and act like they're heroes. It's honestly so lame.

Or you get those people who, instead of being happy for you, just go, "Pregnant? You??"

God, it's so annoying. ☕

Suddenly everyone’s an expert on my life—giving me endless advice. Don't do this, try that, did you even think about doing this instead? Like, seriously? Just let me make my own calls for once. Stop micromanaging me. 🙄

And while we're talking about things that get under my skin—mood swings are the worst. But honestly? Nothing irritates me more than mm. The most infuriating thing happened recently—he started watching this movie that was just straight-up garbage. (Total trash, total trash... and here I am thinking cinema is actually an art form) Still, even then, it wasn't enough to truly blow a fuse. 😂

It absolutely infuriates me when I tell someone my baby is a girl and they immediately jump in with, "Oh, but so-and-so was a girl too and ended up being a boy," or "A girl can always turn into a boy later." My response is always just that I couldn't care less about those labels...
Why do people feel the need to comment on this in the first place?

driftingcrane83 said:Yeah, I really can't stand people who don't know how to react when I tell them I'm pregnant. 🙄🙄🙄
It’s like, instead of just saying congratulations, they immediately start judging women who post their ultrasound photos on Facebook and act like they're heroes. It's honestly so lame.

Or you get those people who, instead of being happy for you, just go, "Pregnant? You??"

God, it's so annoying. ☕

Oh, absolutely! When I announced my pregnancy, it wasn't just people acting surprised. I got comments like, "Gosh, I could see anyone else having a kid, but you?" or "I can imagine anyone else with a baby, but not you!"
Do I even need to mention how much that absolutely boosted my confidence? 😠

Timothy Ramirez7 said:Oh, absolutely! When I announced my pregnancy, it wasn't just people acting surprised. I got comments like, "Gosh, I could see anyone else having a kid, but you?" or "I can imagine anyone else with a baby, but not you!"
Do I even need to mention how much that absolutely boosted my confidence? 😠

Honestly, I can't tell if this is just low-class behavior or some actual psychological issue.☕

To add to this whole wave of collective disbelief: first they were shocked I actually had a boyfriend, then they couldn't believe he actually loved me, and then—of course—they acted like my pregnancy was some huge revelation...

And then came the inevitable line: "Oh, so you guys only got married because of the baby."

So now, apparently, we’re just together for the kid (and I guess this next one is just a total coincidence, right?)

But honestly? I’ve always said if you’ve got something worth showing off, let them talk. If people want to make up their own little stories about us, let them.

silentraven6 said:To add to this whole wave of collective disbelief: first they were shocked I actually had a boyfriend, then they couldn't believe he actually loved me, and then—of course—they acted like my pregnancy was some huge revelation...

And then came the inevitable line: "Oh, so you guys only got married because of the baby."

So now, apparently, we’re just together for the kid (and I guess this next one is just a total coincidence, right?)

But honestly? I’ve always said if you’ve got something worth showing off, let them talk. If people want to make up their own little stories about us, let them.

🤣

Exactly.

I realized earlier today just how much it irritates me that I can't simply put on my socks by lifting one leg straight out and stretching it. Instead, I have to perform this awkward, sideways maneuver. I can’t even do it standing up because I lose my balance, so I'm forced to sit down and struggle through the process like some frail old woman. 😠
I am more than ready for summer to arrive so I can finally retire the sock season.

silentraven6 said:To add to this whole wave of collective disbelief: first they were shocked I actually had a boyfriend, then they couldn't believe he actually loved me, and then—of course—they acted like my pregnancy was some huge revelation...

And then came the inevitable line: "Oh, so you guys only got married because of the baby."

So now, apparently, we’re just together for the kid (and I guess this next one is just a total coincidence, right?)

But honestly? I’ve always said if you’ve got something worth showing off, let them talk. If people want to make up their own little stories about us, let them.

Honestly, these reactions are comedy gold... I've dealt with my fair share. Everything from "Wait, how are *you* pregnant?" to people actually asking, "Are you going to keep it?" 🙄

Same thing with weddings... One girl actually told me, "Why make such a big deal out of a wedding? Just do a quick courthouse thing." I was just like, look, I'll marry however I want, and you do you. Some people are just ridiculous... 🤣

It honestly drives me absolutely up the wall when people try to lecture me with that condescending "you better get some sleep now because you won't get the chance later" routine. As if! If I actually had a magic wand to wave around, I’d just snap my fingers and sleep for ten days straight without a single interruption.😲Read more books, watch more movies... honestly, it’s like I won't ever have a spare second left in my life for anything else. ☕

Alexander Kim27 said:It honestly drives me absolutely up the wall when people try to lecture me with that condescending "you better get some sleep now because you won't get the chance later" routine. As if! If I actually had a magic wand to wave around, I’d just snap my fingers and sleep for ten days straight without a single interruption.😲Read more books, watch more movies... honestly, it’s like I won't ever have a spare second left in my life for anything else. ☕

Trust me, there’s no bad intention behind this. 😁

silentraven6 said:Trust me, there’s no bad intention behind this. 😁

Sure, it isn't malicious... but God, it is so incredibly irritating