What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

Honestly, the best way to handle comments like that is to just hit them with a counter-question. Something like, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that—are you actually being serious right now?"
Personally, I enjoy shutting down stupid comments by asking an even stupider question in return...
I had a pretty flat stomach during my first two pregnancies, so I didn't feel much of anything for those first six months. You wouldn't believe the crap old ladies used to say to me back then. Now that I'm starting to show, I'll probably get hit with a whole different set of unsolicited opinions...
And I hate, hate, hate it when people try to touch my stomach. It gives me a sudden, violent urge to reach out and grab them right back in the groin. 😬

I absolutely loathe that too......
It’s pathetic... on the surface, everything looks perfectly fine.

I gotta admit, it really hit me hard. Like, who actually expects things to be this quiet? My hormones have been all over the place lately, so I definitely started overthinking everything.
He finally kicked last night, though, so I finally calmed down. 😉

And my belly... haha! Unless you already know I'm pregnant, nobody even notices, so they don't try to touch it!!! At least there's one perk to this. 😉

It’s honestly been weighing on me a bit—my stomach seems to have puffed up out of nowhere, and since it’s still way too early for me to actually feel any movement from the baby yet, I can't help but worry...

I’m honestly losing my mind because I haven't slept a wink in two nights, just constantly being jolted awake by this sharp, stinging pain shooting through my hands 😠😢
Probably something going on with my neck or spine...
I’ve been telling everyone for months now that that fancy Tempur-Pedic mattress everyone raves about is way too soft for me 👎

Linda Ward312 said:I’m honestly losing my mind because I haven't slept a wink in two nights, just constantly being jolted awake by this sharp, stinging pain shooting through my hands 😠😢
Probably something going on with my neck or spine...
I’ve been telling everyone for months now that that fancy Tempur-Pedic mattress everyone raves about is way too soft for me 👎

I’ve been dealing with this for about 15 days now. Just when I finally settle down and start to relax, it kicks in—and it’s always my right hand. Last night, I was up at 2:00 AM, and then again by 7:00 AM. Between the arm issue and the fact that my little one was throwing a literal party in her stomach all night—she’s never been this restless—it’s been a rough stretch.

During my first pregnancy, people kept making comments about whether I’d put on too much weight,

honestly, I wanted to snap back at them—back when I wasn't even married yet, so I didn't have to worry about being polite—and tell them that my husband's family has a strict rule against dating anyone under 200 pounds, so I basically had to bulk up overnight just to qualify.😁

Linda Ward312 said:I’m honestly losing my mind because I haven't slept a wink in two nights, just constantly being jolted awake by this sharp, stinging pain shooting through my hands 😠😢
Probably something going on with my neck or spine...
I’ve been telling everyone for months now that that fancy Tempur-Pedic mattress everyone raves about is way too soft for me 👎

My doctor actually told me that the numbness in my hands was caused by an iron deficiency, and honestly, ever since I got my levels back up, the tingling hasn't been nearly as bad.

analogmarlin78 said:During my first pregnancy, people kept making comments about whether I’d put on too much weight,

](as if all that extra mass just magically settled in my hips, making me look wider than a heavy-duty storage cabinet while my belly stayed barely noticeable)😁-

honestly, I wanted to snap back at them—back when I wasn't even married yet, so I didn't have to worry about being polite—and tell them that my husband's family has a strict rule against dating anyone under 200 pounds, so I basically had to bulk up overnight just to qualify.😁

I find it incredibly obnoxious when people say, "Oh, you've put on some weight, it shows in your face." What am I supposed to say to that? I honestly don't know how to respond to comments about gaining weight or getting thicker... I mean, come on, I'm seven months pregnant!🙄

analogmarlin78 said:My doctor actually told me that the numbness in my hands was caused by an iron deficiency, and honestly, ever since I got my levels back up, the tingling hasn't been nearly as bad.

That wasn't the case for me; my iron level is at 29 (and anything up to 30 is considered normal).🤷

You should try applying some
POLAR ICE gel—you can grab the blue box at any CVS or Walgreens—to the upper part of your back.

(At least, that’s how it worked for me.) I relied on it during my first pregnancy, and honestly, it’s been a lifesaver during this second one too.

analogviper2 said:I’ve got a question for the group... I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes or call out any specific marriages here, I just want to hear some perspectives:

If you can't even get on the same page about the small stuff—like who’s handling the cooking, the laundry, or the grocery runs—how on earth do you and your partner actually tackle real problems or make decisions about the big, life-altering things?

Someone please weigh in...

Look, we get into arguments over those exact same kinds of nonsense—doing the dishes, cleaning up, things like that. I know I can get pretty heated with him, and then he’ll just be sitting there snacking on some Reese's or playing a video game like yours do; they're all cut from the same cloth... 😉
The thing is, when it comes down to the IMPORTANT matters, we both become more serious, calmer, and more responsible. I suppose we just feel the weight of it? Generally speaking, the bigger the issue, the more seriously we approach it and somehow find a way through.
Unfortunately, we're always going to bicker over the small stuff. I guess it serves as some kind of pressure valve. It doesn't feel good when we fight, but we always make up in the end, and the love is still there.

When people comment on my weight, I’ve started telling them, "Yeah, I gained some weight because I'm pregnant," just to shut the conversation down. Most people catch the hint and move on quickly.🙂

Everyone around me is being careful, though. For instance, my mom calls a traitor a "leech" and says you have to squeeze everything out of a woman. I told her I wasn't a dairy cow to be milked, and now she won't even know how to ask me if I'm "ready to produce."

It really rubbed me the wrong way when my grandma would use terms like "expecting livestock" instead of saying I was pregnant—like I'm some kind of animal. And she knows it bugs me! Using those terms... it's just gross.

Kyle Ortiz2 said:When people comment on my weight, I’ve started telling them, "Yeah, I gained some weight because I'm pregnant," just to shut the conversation down. Most people catch the hint and move on quickly.🙂

Everyone around me is being careful, though. For instance, my mom calls a traitor a "leech" and says you have to squeeze everything out of a woman. I told her I wasn't a dairy cow to be milked, and now she won't even know how to ask me if I'm "ready to produce."

It really rubbed me the wrong way when my grandma would use terms like "expecting livestock" instead of saying I was pregnant—like I'm some kind of animal. And she knows it bugs me! Using those terms... it's just gross.

You're absolutely right, and honestly, you should handle it that way.
It drives me insane when this one acquaintance of mine tries to comment on how I've "filled out." She was already making these snide remarks during the first few weeks of my pregnancy when I'd only put on maybe two pounds. Like, what exactly are you seeing? Give me a break.
The kicker is she stays around 140 lbs, while I went from 125 to 130 during my second trimester. Totally ridiculous.

I’m feeling pretty frustrated because my glucose tolerance test results weren't what I hoped for, especially since I’ve been so careful about what I eat throughout this entire pregnancy... 😠 actually, it’s not even frustration, it’s just that I feel really down about it... 😢

It also doesn't help that my sleep has been getting worse lately. I keep waking up in the middle of the night because my limbs start tingling or I get these sudden cramps, which makes it so much harder to finally get comfortable and drift off... 🙄

John Baker5 said:I’m feeling pretty frustrated because my glucose tolerance test results weren't what I hoped for, especially since I’ve been so careful about what I eat throughout this entire pregnancy... 😠 actually, it’s not even frustration, it’s just that I feel really down about it... 😢

It also doesn't help that my sleep has been getting worse lately. I keep waking up in the middle of the night because my limbs start tingling or I get these sudden cramps, which makes it so much harder to finally get comfortable and drift off... 🙄

I went through the exact same struggle with sleep around my fourth or fifth month—I would be wide awake for two, three, or even four hours at a time, constantly battling leg cramps. But now, in my final trimester, I somehow sleep through the entire night without any issues, aside from perhaps getting up once to use the bathroom, and the cramps have vanished... Perhaps this insomnia will pass for you as well...

Brother-in-law... sister-in-law... father-in-law...

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😠😠😠😠😠

John Baker5 said:I’m feeling pretty frustrated because my glucose tolerance test results weren't what I hoped for, especially since I’ve been so careful about what I eat throughout this entire pregnancy... 😠 actually, it’s not even frustration, it’s just that I feel really down about it... 😢

It also doesn't help that my sleep has been getting worse lately. I keep waking up in the middle of the night because my limbs start tingling or I get these sudden cramps, which makes it so much harder to finally get comfortable and drift off... 🙄

I honestly can't believe your glucose test results weren't better!😲 I follow your meal plans, and in my opinion, they are a perfect example of what a balanced, healthy diet should look like!

As for that part in bold—I'm going through the exact same thing. For me, using extra pillows to prop myself up in a much higher position actually helped a bit... it seemed to reduce the numbness somewhat.

Noah Ramirez7 said:Brother-in-law... sister-in-law... father-in-law...

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Oh, for heaven's sake... goodness gracious... 😠

James Anderson8 said:Oh, for heaven's sake... goodness gracious... 😠

exactly..
thank goodness I only have to deal with them once a week..
I honestly thought I was going to lose my mind this past Saturday.. 😠😠
Every time I see my father-in-law my blood pressure hits the ceiling, and the second my mother-in-law opens her mouth... especially with that whole... ULTRASOUND thing being "dangerous".. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..
And she won't even say it to my face like I do, she just drops these hints about her daughter who just had a baby lately..
Like, oh, it wasn't good that she went for ultrasounds so often..
I swear I almost snapped!!!
So I finally lost it and told her straight up that plenty of women need that peace of mind to know if their baby is actually healthy or not when something goes wrong..
Because let's be real, not every woman is choosing to have a sick child..
But you can't teach an old dog new tricks, right?,,
And my clean-cut brother-in-law is absolutely throwing a tantrum because we didn't show up at his house to celebrate Christmas and New Year's in person, but just sent him a text instead since he's impossible to reach..
What a jerk..
With this belly, I feel like I should be making a pilgrimage from one shrine to another just to get to the dentist..
I told him that once I actually give birth, I'll be the one needing to go to the hospital to show off the baby, not him barging in whenever he feels like seeing it..
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..
I am just beyond furious..
I want to just 🙂🙂🙂🙂:2up:

My OB-GYN is such a hypochondriac. She’s sending me for tests that half my pregnant friends haven't even heard of.