Posts by Dana Brown8

Hannah Lewis2 said:And don't even get me started on the local fish market... You really have to experience it to believe it. It’s like watching a bunch of old-timers bickering and lunging at each other like rabid dogs. Then you’ve got these women—I’m talking heavy-set ladies in bright red coats, easily 5'9" and pushing 180 pounds—acting like walking scales, cutting right to the front of the line because "oh, I didn't see you there..." Give me a break! 🙂 I actually laid into one lady like that once. It wasn't even a rush, so I had all the time in the world to deal with her, but she wasn't about to play me for a fool!

And then they wonder why "young people have no respect," right? 😁

wanderinghawk said:Well, at least your lady felt some shame. Mine just stared at my midsection and made a comment so blunt I nearly fell over. Then she got mad at the cashier, dropped her basket right on the floor, and stormed out of the store... 🤷

I push them back. Why do people even have elbows? My favorites are the ones who ram into me with their carts while standing right behind me... and then act shocked when those carts slam back into them. It wasn't you she was targeting... even if you were twice her age. Some things should be common sense.
I do this even when I'm not pregnant. I can't stand it when people invade my personal space. 😁

wanderinghawk said:Those women drive me crazy too. 😉
One actually pushed past me once. She only had a basket, while I was holding two things in my hands... 🙂🙂 ...but her cashier finished scanning everything before I could even get close. 🤣🤷

The other day at the grocery store, some woman asked if she could cut ahead of me. I only had bread and milk, and she was in the same boat. When she turned around and saw my stomach, she just blushed, looked down, and muttered, "Never mind." 😁
I used to be the type who couldn't say "no" to save my life. Now? I've learned how to put myself first. 😁

Jacob Phillips4 said:To defend your mother’s position, I actually had no idea that infants were supposed to be in rear-facing seats either. I am expecting my own little one in just a few months, so I feel quite fortunate to have learned the truth here through this community. It seems prudent to bundle the car seat purchase with the crib and stroller. Just to clarify, is the seat designed specifically for infants different from the ones purchased later, or is it the same model with more adjustable positions?

The first one is the "infant carrier" meant for 0-20 lbs, and they usually come bundled with those travel system strollers... though you don't necessarily need the bundle. You can find them sold separately too.

Susan Martin4 said:My mom thought it was pretty weird too, the idea of taking a newborn on a road trip. She had her doubts, but I think it’s just because she isn't really up to speed on how things work nowadays. Once I explained that it's basically standard practice and everyone does it, she calmed down. I don't think she's exactly thrilled about it, but she knows baby safety comes first. Still, we're sticking to the major interstates on our way home—you can never be too careful when you're out on the road.

A friend of mine had some guy fly right into her car while she was just stepping out of her driveway... she hadn't even made it five feet. If that can happen in a driveway, imagine the chaos on a highway. My rule is simple: never go anywhere without an appropriate car seat.

Kimberly Phillips6 said:Oh, absolutely—a pillow is a wonderful thing, 😁 provided the child is lying on a flat surface 😉
But I am not hearing this sentiment just from my own mother or mother-in-law; I hear it from people my own age too—women who are pregnant or have toddlers.
My mother even called me just to tell me that she spoke with my niece—who has three kids herself—to ask her about car seats, because she finds it unbelievable that you put a newborn in one! She told her there is no point in even buying a car seat until the baby is six months old, since they should just stay in the stroller bassinet until then.

How old is your cousin?

Jacob Phillips4 said:He could have just lived life at a faster pace, died young, and left behind a handsome corpse instead of waiting around to reach old age. Truly, there are certain individuals who seem to have dropped straight from outer space; they possess a complete lack of basic social awareness.

Brilliant. 😁

Jeremy Morris2 said:Listen, those comments from others are just plain stupid, but now that I'm nearing the end of this pregnancy, I find myself constantly wondering how women who already have a little one at home manage to pull it all off while constantly chasing them around and looking after them 😲 seriously, massive props to all you repeat moms out there 😍

My situation: I got pregnant again when my little one was 15 months old 😁 so there'll be about a two-year gap. My due date is just a week before her second birthday. It’s quite a whirlwind... though luckily, she's an easy baby, so I'm managing 😁

Jeremy Morris2 said:you're totally right, you basically need to slap one of those YouTube videos in front of her to get her to snap out of it 🙄 I really thought I could just count on her common sense and stuff, but nope, no luck there...

I made the same assumption, but it didn't pan out. Once she heard we spent $600 on a Ford F-150....it was just unbelievable...
But like I said...a few crash tests and she might actually settle down. She turned pale watching how at even low speeds, you can't hold a baby in your arms—they just launch like a catapult. Brutal footage, but effective.

Jeremy Morris2 said:Ugh, so my mom 🙄 is basically asking how we're supposed to put a newborn in a car seat when she used to just carry us in those little infant pillows when leaving the hospital. And when it's the grandmother of your baby telling you this—someone who's going to be watching them and responsible for them most of the time—you can't just brush it off, right? 😲

I don't think you're wrong at all—some days I think to myself that it would be totally fine to lend out stuff that's brand new—like, unused items from my daughter—but once I realize I'm passing on things that my own little girl actually wore and filled with that sweet baby smell, well, I just can't do it. 🤣 Lester, am I crazy? 🤷

Look, isn't it kind of your own fault that you're pregnant, though? It's almost like that attitude of "well, I did it, so now I'll just sit here, blame's on someone else." It sounds super primitive, but man, how many times have I heard that exact thing while riding the subway or buses in NYC... 😢 🙄

The other day, some self-righteous mom at the American Red Cross asked me to stand up for her daughter, who was struggling to stand because she’s morbidly obese (literally, BMI > 40). I'm sitting there 33 weeks pregnant, she's overweight, and she's trying to lecture me about how hard it is for her little girl... 🙂

I actually had a standoff with mine about the car seat (she thinks holding the baby in her lap 🙂 is fine), but then I showed her some crash test videos on YouTube and printed out those safety pamphlets from the hospital. Now there's peace. 😁
It was simpler back when we were kids and there were only two beat-up old Ford Pintos or Chevy Novas on the road... times have changed.

Sam Baker6 said:I honestly haven’t encountered anything truly obnoxious or overtly hostile quite yet...
But then, I’ll run into a neighbor, and just as I’ve made my way down the stairs, she starts shouting after me: "Who is that heavy one? Who is that heavy one!?" I was completely caught off guard—what on earth is happening? I was wearing a jacket, so my midsection wasn't even visible, but clearly, the old ladies in the building have started gossiping about me. I can handle a little neighborhood chatter, but there is absolutely nothing okay about having someone scream at you through an entire apartment complex instead of just speaking to you directly. 🙄

You could have just turned around and said, "Excuse me," or maybe realized I’m pregnant and not just gaining weight. Is that too much to ask?

mellowranger16 said:I why is it that most people you meet when you're pregnant can't seem to stick to a normal conversation? Instead, it’s always some unsolicited commentary about whether you'll be able to breastfeed because of your chest size, or warnings about how you shouldn't bend over, or don't do this, or don't do that—it’s relentless 🙂 honestly, I might as well just tape myself to a piece of plywood and walk around like a rigid board, and as for the whole situation with my breasts, it’s just 😂

- Don't lift your arms above your head or the umbilical cord will wrap around the baby's neck.
- Don't cross your legs or... well, same thing with the cord.
- If you have small breasts (mine are a pathetic B-cup), you won't be able to nurse.

God, I've heard it all. At this point, I've just tuned it all out.

What really gets to me is how much my back—which was already an issue—is absolutely killing me during this pregnancy. Then there's the heartburn every single night. Everything feels heavier this time around. 😢
Don't get me wrong, feeling the baby kick is great, but while I was so energetic during my first pregnancy, right now I just want to lie down and sleep until the sixth month when it's finally time to deliver.

Susan Martin4 said:They do. 🤷
I was following Joe Biden through Beverly Hills earlier, and I saw babies in car seats, babies in strollers, and even babies sitting in those soft fabric baskets—the kind I’d never dream of carrying a kid in.

Back in Chicago, they told us we had to bring an American Standard car seat to the hospital when we were discharged, and the nurse even made sure it was installed perfectly.😁

Taylor Swift regarding what your coworker said about the belly... whenever people ask me how big I am, I just tell them, "Exactly as big as my baby needs to be." End of discussion.
It’s exhausting how some people just open their mouths to speak without a single thought behind it.

wanderinghawk said:I second that.🙂

The comments from people are what get to me... My neighbor asked me today how I was doing and if everything was fine. When I told her things were okay, she snapped back with: "An acquaintance, another acquaintance, another acquaintance... they all said everything was perfect too, right up until the next day when they started bleeding and had a miscarriage." It made my blood boil...🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Yeah, I've been there too. Some people truly just "speak nonsense and somehow survive." What did you say back? Lately, I've started cutting those conversations off immediately. I tell them, "Please, I don't want to hear stories like that." And then I get the typical response: "Why are you getting so angry?"
🙂🙂🙂Makes you even angrier.

Hannah Lewis2 said:Same here... I'm two months out from my due date now and it seems to have dialed back a bit. 🤷But during my last one... You hit the nail on the head; it disappeared the moment I delivered. That last month was absolutely brutal.
And don't even get me started on store mirrors. They drive me crazy. I catch a glimpse of myself looking all "radiant" and I swear, I have a mini heart attack every single time because of how huge I look. 😲

I'm right there with you. And I've barely even started.

wanderinghawk said:My doctor actually told me to stop taking Gastal.🤷
Then today, some old lady on the bus told me she couldn't stand up and basically demanded I move... "Ma'am, please get up, I can't stay standing." I practically sent her back to the Midwest...☕ 🙂

Good for you. How did she react? 😁

By the way, regarding Gastal and heartburn—it seems I have some incredibly resilient acid reflux because nothing helped me during my first pregnancy, either. Back then, the heartburn vanished the exact moment I gave birth. I suffered through it starting around week 20.
I really thought I might be spared this time around.

I'm 25 now, and the acid reflux has officially arrived. Every single day. Great.
If I eat even a little too much for dinner, I can’t sleep because everything feels stuck in my throat, like I’m about to throw up. But if I don't eat enough, I still can't get any rest; I'll drift off only to wake up at 3:00 AM for a bathroom break, and then I'm just staring at the ceiling until 5:00.
Just wonderful. Ha!

wanderinghawk said:- People commenting on ☕'s name... why does anyone care how I choose to name my child?
- When checking for a pulse, I put my hand on their abdomen and they just stare at me like I'm being weird 😉
- It’s exhausting having to run to the restroom constantly because the baby is pressing on my bladder 🙂
- Then there are the endless questions about what I'll do with the dog...
- And whether I should pull my older kid out of preschool since I'll be home, supposedly "freeing up a spot" for someone more needy 🙂🙂🙂 - Honestly, I don't get it... I won't be on maternity leave forever 🤷

I'm not even on maternity leave yet; I'm dealing with pregnancy complications, and the idea of pulling my older child out of daycare just because I'm physically at home hasn't even crossed my mind. She already has her friends there, she loves it, and she’s actually happy to go.
In my case, people were already judging me before I even got pregnant because I put my child in daycare while staying home just to cover potential sick days—which, by the way, happened quite a bit—since I know my employer won't tolerate constant absences. It's like, why does it matter if I'm home while my kid is in daycare? What's it to them? I'm just taking a little time for myself.
People are never satisfied.

Jeremy Morris2 said:Oh man, tell me about it! I have become so incredibly blunt lately, it’s actually kind of wild... 😲 though, if I’m being honest, before I was pregnant, I used to just let people boss me around or be rude because I couldn't even be bothered to argue with idiots, you know? But now? Man, I am just shutting people down left and right whenever they deserve it. 🙄

Even when you try to be civil, people still find a way to ask if you’re just having a hormonal moment. Is anyone actually listening anymore?
🙂🙂🙂

brighttiger6 said:I would likely lose my mind too if someone said something like that to me. 🙂

However, I frequently find myself being subjected to those "oh-so-well-meaning" suggestions, only to eventually snap and give everyone the "get out of my house" look because people insist I shouldn't get angry or stressed—which is apparently bad for the baby. aaaaaaa! 🙂

I forgot to mention that the mass reaction from most people was that it was too early and we should have waited. Thank you, but the baby is healthy, I am healthy, we aren't teenagers, and we aren't living under a bridge, so please continue lecturing me on how we could have waited for the stars to align differently...

Pete, what’s the age gap usually like where you are? Around here, it’s barely two years. (My due date is actually a week before my daughter’s second birthday)

OFF-TOPIC: A prime example of how you can never win with people: you know those standard questions when you already have one kid? "So, when are you having the next one?"
Well, I used to answer, "We're working on it..." only to get comments like, "Isn't that a bit too early? Won't the age gap be too small?"
Some people are just impossible to satisfy...
And since we wanted a small gap, it took us nine months to conceive this little one, whereas it took nearly two years for our first daughter... so if I had actually listened to those critics, I would have been stuck waiting forever.