What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

Hey there, everyone
It’s not just my one little 😂
I don't really care if he wants some peace and quiet or what other people have to say, but having them standing right in front of me? That's just too much for me to handle. 👎

On another note: I absolutely cannot stand getting unsolicited advice from women who have never actually been pregnant yet act like they know exactly what I'm going through. They want to lecture me on whether I'm nauseous, when I'm throwing up, how tired I am, how hard pregnancy is, how exhausting it is to have a baby, or how I'll never get anything else done in my life... honestly, give me a break. :2up:
Maybe once you're actually in my shoes, then you can start acting like an expert on my situation and my pregnancy.

Last night, while he was in an exceptionally good mood after 🙂, I handed him a printed checklist for IKEA and BabyCenter in SLO. It had everything on it—strollers, car seats, cribs, even specialized medical gear, skincare, diapers, baths, monitors, mobiles, bedding... the whole nine yards. I even circled the total amount and bragged about how much money I’m saving us. 😉
Then I went on about those $1,000 strollers (when our entire setup costs maybe $1,400), saying it's insane how people waste money on useless junk just because they feel like they have to. 😁

He wasn't exactly thrilled, but he didn't make a huge scene either. I made sure to tell him that once we start shopping in two months, I'm calling the shots—I've already found everything, and I'm not picking the most expensive stuff, nor the cheapest garbage.

Ever since the pregnancy started, he keeps feeding me this line about what his coworkers told him—apparently, a bunch of guys at his job just had kids recently—saying you shouldn't buy anything and should just borrow everything. 😠I love hearing "advice" from unverified sources. Besides, I don't exactly have a stockpile of people to borrow from, and I have zero interest in taking certain things used by random acquaintances or complete strangers.
Look, fine—maybe I'll borrow a few things here and there. But we've been waiting years for this baby and we can afford some decent gear. I don't want everything to be secondhand. 😛

Ugh, honestly, you’re so right about that—it’s probably best to just rent stuff instead... because they outgrow everything way faster than you think, right? I had absolutely no clue ☕

Adam Evans62 said:Last night, while he was in an exceptionally good mood after 🙂, I handed him a printed checklist for IKEA and BabyCenter in SLO. It had everything on it—strollers, car seats, cribs, even specialized medical gear, skincare, diapers, baths, monitors, mobiles, bedding... the whole nine yards. I even circled the total amount and bragged about how much money I’m saving us. 😉
Then I went on about those $1,000 strollers (when our entire setup costs maybe $1,400), saying it's insane how people waste money on useless junk just because they feel like they have to. 😁

He wasn't exactly thrilled, but he didn't make a huge scene either. I made sure to tell him that once we start shopping in two months, I'm calling the shots—I've already found everything, and I'm not picking the most expensive stuff, nor the cheapest garbage.

Ever since the pregnancy started, he keeps feeding me this line about what his coworkers told him—apparently, a bunch of guys at his job just had kids recently—saying you shouldn't buy anything and should just borrow everything. 😠I love hearing "advice" from unverified sources. Besides, I don't exactly have a stockpile of people to borrow from, and I have zero interest in taking certain things used by random acquaintances or complete strangers.
Look, fine—maybe I'll borrow a few things here and there. But we've been waiting years for this baby and we can afford some decent gear. I don't want everything to be secondhand. 😛

That really used to get on my nerves too...
But now that I'm expecting my second girl, I look back and realize how silly I was for buying certain things myself. 😂
But hey, what can you do?

Obviously, if you don't have anyone to ask, you aren't going to post "please lend me stuff" on Facebook Marketplace. 🙂

However, there are definitely things you don't need to rush out and buy immediately. You can always tell people to pick things up for you, since people usually ask if you need anything anyway.🙂

Right now, it feels like my husband's life hasn't changed one bit because of this pregnancy, while mine has been completely turned upside down. I spend about 90% of my day stuck at home. For instance, he finished work today, grabbed dinner, and headed straight out to a concert with his buddies. Meanwhile, I can’t even step foot outside because a simple walk leaves me totally winded. I can't grab a drink at a bar, I can't go to concerts without worrying about someone bumping into me, and so on. It’s hard knowing that this is just how it is for a while—no matter how supportive he tries to be, he’ll always have a level of freedom that I simply don't have right now.
God, I would give anything to just get outnnnnnnn, dress up, have some fun... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—total crisis mode.😢

So, I’m at this big family get-together today... and of course, the comments start flying immediately. "Wow, you got a little thick, didn't you?" "How are you doing, fatty?" Seriously, is there really nothing better to say to a pregnant woman? And here I was, feeling myself, all dressed up and wearing my favorite 😉....
Meanwhile, everyone else looks like they just rolled out of bed—total messes with overgrown hair, and honestly, half of them look like they haven't seen a dentist in years 😁,....
I swear, I was about two seconds away from telling the whole lot of them to just go jump in a lake! :2up:
To top it all off, they were whining about when we were finally leaving, after I’d already spent two hours stuck on some hard wooden bench surrounded by a cloud of smoke from all the smokers 😠

Men who honestly believe they’re experts on pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and newborn care—more so than the average woman—really get under my skin. 😠
I’ll say one thing, and he’ll just stubbornly insist on the exact opposite.
A friend of mine gave birth just twenty days ago—she hasn't even really stepped foot outside the house yet—and there he is, right in front of me, lecturing her about how "gross" it'll be for me because I'll be stuck at home during my sixth month. 😲
So, naturally, I told him that's out of the question. As soon as I feel up to it, I don't see why I shouldn't go for a light stroll with the baby. But no—according to him, we have to worry about what *might* happen to the infant, whether I'm "stable," or if I actually understand how much time a woman needs to recover 🙂 :
It's like this with everything.
The same guy who recently argued that an umbilical cord connects from the baby's navel directly into the mother's belly button. 🙂
What else is there to say? Honestly... :2up:

😂😂😂 Pure genius. You could search the entire country with a magnifying glass and never find people this easy to talk to. 🤦

Honestly, my mom is starting to get on my nerves. We talk almost every single day, and the script never changes. It always kicks off with the same question—"Are you feeling okay? Is anything hurting?" And then it just spirals into this endless loop of nonsensical advice. Don't walk too much, stay out of the draft, dress warmer, use a blanket, put on shoes, eat more fruit, eat more bread, eat some meat, cook yourself a real meal, don't lift anything heavy... 🙄
🙄🙄 In those moments, I low-key just want to hear the sound of a phone receiver hitting someone's soft skull. My husband usually moves out of the room, just to be safe.

Hannah Lewis2 said:😂😂😂 Pure genius. You could search the entire country with a magnifying glass and never find people this easy to talk to. 🤦

Honestly, my mom is starting to get on my nerves. We talk almost every single day, and the script never changes. It always kicks off with the same question—"Are you feeling okay? Is anything hurting?" And then it just spirals into this endless loop of nonsensical advice. Don't walk too much, stay out of the draft, dress warmer, use a blanket, put on shoes, eat more fruit, eat more bread, eat some meat, cook yourself a real meal, don't lift anything heavy... 🙄
🙄🙄 In those moments, I low-key just want to hear the sound of a phone receiver hitting someone's soft skull. My husband usually moves out of the room, just to be safe.

My grandmother is always calling me... if I don't pick up my phone immediately, she calls back like a maniac. Usually, I'm in the middle of a meeting or somewhere else entirely...

I don't get it. 🤷
If I'm actually sick or incapacitated, I'm not going to answer the phone anyway... 😂
Or it's the constant questions. How are you? What did you cook? What did I cook for the kid...

I know they mean well, but it’s driving me insane.

She always does this little thing at the end of a conversation, you know? Like she thinks she just *has* to have the last word. Just some random "Hey, say hi to G. for me," or "Don't work too hard." I mean, seriously, what the hell is that even about? 🤷🤷

Jerry Fisher3 said:Men who honestly believe they’re experts on pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and newborn care—more so than the average woman—really get under my skin. 😠
I’ll say one thing, and he’ll just stubbornly insist on the exact opposite.
A friend of mine gave birth just twenty days ago—she hasn't even really stepped foot outside the house yet—and there he is, right in front of me, lecturing her about how "gross" it'll be for me because I'll be stuck at home during my sixth month. 😲
So, naturally, I told him that's out of the question. As soon as I feel up to it, I don't see why I shouldn't go for a light stroll with the baby. But no—according to him, we have to worry about what *might* happen to the infant, whether I'm "stable," or if I actually understand how much time a woman needs to recover 🙂 :
It's like this with everything.
The same guy who recently argued that an umbilical cord connects from the baby's navel directly into the mother's belly button. 🙂
What else is there to say? Honestly... :2up:

That part right there.... 😂😂😂
And man, I totally know someone like that too. Honestly, thank god I'm dealing with some medical complications right now so I don't have to run into him, but every single time we cross paths at work, he won't shut up about breastfeeding (I swear the guy is still stuck in the oral stage 😁). It seriously felt like he was trying to inspect me to see if my nipples were out or if I'd actually be able to nurse!!! 😲

Jerry Fisher3 said:Men who honestly believe they’re experts on pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and newborn care—more so than the average woman—really get under my skin. 😠
I’ll say one thing, and he’ll just stubbornly insist on the exact opposite.
A friend of mine gave birth just twenty days ago—she hasn't even really stepped foot outside the house yet—and there he is, right in front of me, lecturing her about how "gross" it'll be for me because I'll be stuck at home during my sixth month. 😲
So, naturally, I told him that's out of the question. As soon as I feel up to it, I don't see why I shouldn't go for a light stroll with the baby. But no—according to him, we have to worry about what *might* happen to the infant, whether I'm "stable," or if I actually understand how much time a woman needs to recover 🙂 :
It's like this with everything.
The same guy who recently argued that an umbilical cord connects from the baby's navel directly into the mother's belly button. 🙂
What else is there to say? Honestly... :2up:

😂😂
I have someone just like that nearby, with the exact same attitude. I quickly learned to just nod along and ignore his "advice." Honestly, it’s all just incredibly cliché.🤦

Hannah Lewis2 said:😂😂😂 Pure genius. You could search the entire country with a magnifying glass and never find people this easy to talk to. 🤦

Honestly, my mom is starting to get on my nerves. We talk almost every single day, and the script never changes. It always kicks off with the same question—"Are you feeling okay? Is anything hurting?" And then it just spirals into this endless loop of nonsensical advice. Don't walk too much, stay out of the draft, dress warmer, use a blanket, put on shoes, eat more fruit, eat more bread, eat some meat, cook yourself a real meal, don't lift anything heavy... 🙄
🙄🙄 In those moments, I low-key just want to hear the sound of a phone receiver hitting someone's soft skull. My husband usually moves out of the room, just to be safe.

Oh, moms...😁
Mine does the same thing, always asking those questions. We don't talk super often though, so I guess it doesn't get on my nerves as much.😁
It used to bother me way more before I was pregnant, because back then I'd just be stuck facing a constant barrage of unnecessary questions and comments.

My mom calls me every single day, and it’s always the same thing: "Oh, what yummy treats did you eat today?" She uses this tone that makes me feel like I'm five years old!🙄
And honestly, she never used to talk to me like that before.
So then I have to tell her, "Hey, why are you talking to me like that? I'm not a toddler!" (By the way, if you didn't catch that, I'm pregnant!😁 )
Then it goes: "Well, since you're on maternity leave, what do you want to eat? What can I cook for you or bring over?" And my answer is always a resounding NOPE. Like, seriously, NOTHING. Then she calls back later saying, "I made this and that, and I'm bringing it over." It takes her an hour and a half to drive from the other side of town, and she ends up making me feel incredibly guilty—even though I know she doesn't mean to. I hadn't planned on anyone visiting at all, so maybe ask for my opinion first?
It gets even worse when she says, "I'll just leave it there so we aren't bothering you."🙄 Yeah, right! Just leave it on the porch and don't bother stepping foot inside the house.

Then she starts getting all intense about what I need. I was like, "What could I possibly need?" and she jumps straight to baby bedding.
😠😠
Seriously, who needs fancy bedding? I already told her I want high-quality stuff, and it's not like I want to spend my life ironing sheets. When she suggested, "Well, I can come over and iron them for you,"😠 😠...can you imagine? Calling my own mother to come over and iron my sheets? No way. I told her quite firmly that it wasn't going to happen—though sometimes she actually hits the mark.
It's the exact same thing with my grandma from the Midwest; she keeps insisting on making these feather pillows for the twins. I'm like, "No thanks, but absolutely NOT!"

Also... I've gained two pounds in just one week.😲😢
And I haven't been overeating! My stomach has definitely popped out, but I'm only 19 weeks along.
Is that normal? I'm still technically two pounds under my starting weight, but this feels totally weird.
I'd love to believe it's all just going straight to my belly!😛

Jesse Evans85 said:Right now, it feels like my husband's life hasn't changed one bit because of this pregnancy, while mine has been completely turned upside down. I spend about 90% of my day stuck at home. For instance, he finished work today, grabbed dinner, and headed straight out to a concert with his buddies. Meanwhile, I can’t even step foot outside because a simple walk leaves me totally winded. I can't grab a drink at a bar, I can't go to concerts without worrying about someone bumping into me, and so on. It’s hard knowing that this is just how it is for a while—no matter how supportive he tries to be, he’ll always have a level of freedom that I simply don't have right now.
God, I would give anything to just get outnnnnnnn, dress up, have some fun... aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—total crisis mode.😢

😢 🙂 🙂
I've been feeling something very similar lately..
And then everyone tells you, "Oh, come on, having a baby is such a blessing, it's worth every single sacrifice."
Maybe I'm just being cynical, but honestly, I don't think it's worth every sacrifice. 😢 😢

Jeremy Thomas5 said:😢 🙂 🙂
I've been feeling something very similar lately..
And then everyone tells you, "Oh, come on, having a baby is such a blessing, it's worth every single sacrifice."
Maybe I'm just being cynical, but honestly, I don't think it's worth every sacrifice. 😢 😢

I think it's totally normal to stop and wonder if we actually get what's coming to us, how much our entire lives are about to flip upside down.
Having kids is a massive sacrifice and a huge responsibility,
nothing is ever going to be the same again.
I'll never be my own number one priority anymore.

But on the flip side, those little tiny humans growing inside you—they become your whole world. You end up living for them.

I absolutely hate being pregnant, but I seriously can't wait to meet my little angel.

I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate pregnancy, but yeah, I definitely feel like I’m getting the short end of the stick compared to my wife, and honestly, it's starting to get under my skin.

Jeremy Thomas5 said:I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate pregnancy, but yeah, I definitely feel like I’m getting the short end of the stick compared to my wife, and honestly, it's starting to get under my skin.

The reality is they only get to experience that sweet, easy part right at the start—you know, the conception phase.🙂
Then the heavy lifting for the rest of the pregnancy falls squarely on us.
It sucks, but that's just how it goes. There's nothing we can do to change it.
But hey, look at the bright side: we get the incredible privilege of literally growing these little angels inside us.

Jeremy Thomas5 said:I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate pregnancy, but yeah, I definitely feel like I’m getting the short end of the stick compared to my wife, and honestly, it's starting to get under my skin.

That is exactly it! It feels silly to say I hate that he’s going out while I’m stuck here—I want him to enjoy himself—but there are moments where I just feel left behind. For instance, Guns was the very first band I ever listened to, and seeing them live has been a lifelong dream. Then, naturally, a few days before the concert, I start bleeding, end up staying home, and my husband goes without me. 😢 I spent the entire evening crying my eyes out, ordered a pizza and some pancakes, and basically just ate my feelings while weeping. At the same time, it would have been ridiculous for him to skip it and waste the tickets; I was actually the one who told him to go, but... well, I wanted to be there too. *Sniff.*
I trust that eventually, this won't feel like such a big deal, but in that moment, it really stung. It felt a lot like what happened last Friday when I wrote that other post.

Ultimately, I just want to say that even though this baby was deeply wanted (it really was!) and I am genuinely happy about it—I still have interests and a life outside of being a mother and everything revolving around a newborn. Because of those things, I’m being sidelined quite a bit, and I know that’s going to continue for a while. Sometimes I don't even think twice about it, but other times, it really gets to me.

Jesse Evans85 said:That is exactly it! It feels silly to say I hate that he’s going out while I’m stuck here—I want him to enjoy himself—but there are moments where I just feel left behind. For instance, Guns was the very first band I ever listened to, and seeing them live has been a lifelong dream. Then, naturally, a few days before the concert, I start bleeding, end up staying home, and my husband goes without me. 😢 I spent the entire evening crying my eyes out, ordered a pizza and some pancakes, and basically just ate my feelings while weeping. At the same time, it would have been ridiculous for him to skip it and waste the tickets; I was actually the one who told him to go, but... well, I wanted to be there too. *Sniff.*
I trust that eventually, this won't feel like such a big deal, but in that moment, it really stung. It felt a lot like what happened last Friday when I wrote that other post.

Ultimately, I just want to say that even though this baby was deeply wanted (it really was!) and I am genuinely happy about it—I still have interests and a life outside of being a mother and everything revolving around a newborn. Because of those things, I’m being sidelined quite a bit, and I know that’s going to continue for a while. Sometimes I don't even think twice about it, but other times, it really gets to me.

God, I miss just going out! My husband and I used to be such a social duo, but now? He refuses to step foot out the door without me. Aaaaaaaah, it drives me insane! I’ll try to push him to go, and he digs his heels in—and half the time I think, "How can he be so stubborn?" and the next, "He's actually wonderful for being so supportive." 😁
It’s a lose-lose situation, really. If he stayed home, I'd be furious; if he went out alone, I'd be pissed too. 😁😁

I have to brag for a second—my husband is the only one who isn't driving me absolutely crazy right now!
When he’s off the clock, he’s glued to my side 😍. He’s constantly checking in, worried about whether there are any complications, even though we've been dealing with little hiccups from the very start. On the days when he’s at work, I’m mostly flying solo, just waiting for him to walk through the door
. Honestly, you get what you teach them, right? 🥳
Now that my bump has really started showing over the last week, he’s become totally obsessed with it. It’s like he’s fascinated by it! He follows me around the house, staring from every possible angle. I feel like I have to pace around the living room or lift up my shirt just to give him a better view—it’s as if he’s only just realized that I’m actually pregnant! 😁