Posts by Nathan Lee

Roger Rodriguez said:It’s so frustrating being absolutely exhausted but unable to catch a single wink of sleep.😢
I feel completely stuck. Usually, I’d just reach for some warm milk, but since I can't touch dairy right now, that's totally off the table.
Chamomile tea with honey? Zero help. I have some anxiety medication on hand from a while back, but since my doctor didn't prescribe it specifically for this, I'm not touching it without medical advice. I'm at my wits' end—last night I finally drifted off around 5:00 AM only to be jolted awake at 6:00. I've been walking around like a zombie all day; the dizziness from exhaustion is setting in, yet sleep feels impossible. Honestly, would one of you just come over and knock me unconscious so I could get at least six hours of peace?🙂
And don't even get me started on how I look. My skin is breaking out, I've got this flaky dermatitis flare-up around my nose and scalp, and the dark circles under my eyes are deep enough to hide things in. I honestly look like I survived a shipwreck.😢

Oh, honey, pregnancy only looks wonderful in the commercials. In those ads, the babies are always cute and smelling sweet, but in reality, they just burp, fart, and smell.🙂 )
From what I've heard, hormones can cause insomnia. That hit me toward the end of my pregnancy, and I was running to the bathroom every five minutes because I was so restless. Maybe try not to drink too much if you don't have to, or perhaps try a herbal tea? Or just the classic move: take a walk before bed.
Just hang in there until your hormones level out. You're still in your first trimester, so once you pass that 12-week mark, things might start feeling much smoother.🙂

Alexander Garcia35 said:That sounds awful!
I have my anatomy scan in two days, and I'm really hoping we find out the sex. We are crossing our fingers for a girl, but everyone keeps insisting it's definitely going to be a boy (?). It’s so irritating.

Well, honestly—I hope it's a girl too, but if it turns out to be a boy, maybe it’s actually a better setup to have an older brother and a little sister, right?
The worst part is when people try to "comfort" you by saying, "Oh, it'll be a boy..."
And I guess that's just how some older women talk, though younger moms 🙂
usually feel differently.

Jose Anderson3 said:It honestly drives me crazy listening to some of the women at the office—who all seem to have gained about ten pounds during pregnancy and then walked out of the hospital looking like they just stepped off a runway in NYC.

Because comments like "you're getting chunky" or "look at those curves!" basically imply it's totally normal, while my—get this, listen to me!—STOMACH HAS LITERALLY GROWN AN ENTIRE SIZE.🤷

With those types of women—who might gain a standard 20 or even 30 pounds and constantly harp on about it, asking me how much weight I've put on—I always used to tell them I gained less than I actually did (even though I definitely didn't look like I had gained 50 lbs). Once the weight came off quickly for me, I'd just tell those same women that I actually gained 60, mostly because it seems to bother them that they still can't lose their own 20 pounds..
Now that I'm on my second pregnancy, they're telling me, "You won't lose it as easily this time!!" Honestly, they should worry about their own figures instead of obsessing over mine... I guess it doesn't bother me as much anymore, but I do feel bad for other girls who they end up giving complexes to..

It also drives me crazy day after day, hearing people comment on the fact that I'm having ANOTHER GIRL (Oh, my Bog, imagine the tragedy—I'll actually have two girls!!!). One of my godmothers even remarked when she heard the second one was a girl that my husband just isn't very lucky. And my neighbor made such a face when I told her, like she'd smelled something terrible, acting all shocked and saying, "Oh, honey..."
But we've always wanted two girls—two sisters close in age 😍😍😍
As long as the kids are healthy and happy, it doesn't matter what they are. My Bog, people can be so incredibly tactless and foolish..

Roger Rodriguez said:I’ve been dealing with constant nausea from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. I’m hungry like I haven't eaten in five years, yet there isn't a single thing that sounds good; if I actually manage to eat anything, I feel sick immediately.
Then there's the fact that I have to hold off on sex, which will probably be off the table for months.
On top of that, I feel like I'm stuck in a permanent state of PMS—just constantly starving, irritable, moody, and looking for any excuse to start an argument.
The endless list of restrictions is driving me crazy. I can't eat this or that, I can't smoke, I can't go out, I can't hit a concert, I can't deal with the cold, and I can't even take a bath. It's exhausting when my doctor tells me one thing, then I read something completely different online, and when I call a friend for advice, she suggests a third option. To make matters worse, my boyfriend just adds insult to injury by telling me not to worry because everything will just work itself out 😕 though I honestly feel like he doesn't even grasp what I'm going through; he's just babbling so he can say something.
But what really gets under my skin are certain people who don't see anything wrong with my (unexpected) pregnancy. They expect me to just flip a switch, drop everything—college, my hobbies, my social life—and focus solely on the baby. When I express how terrified I am about balancing my exams and finishing my degree, they act like I'm being irrational for worrying about things that aren't "important" compared to the baby.
It shouldn't be this hard to understand that this was unplanned and it has completely disrupted my life. I'm not trying to abandon my goals; I need support so I can actually achieve them while pregnant. Instead, I mostly get told that once the baby arrives, nothing else will matter anyway.
Is it really that difficult to realize that I DON'T want to give up on the life I've built just because of a pregnancy?
Jesus, when I had some spotting at six weeks and was told to just rest until my next appointment, I was panicking because I have two midterms coming up. And of course, I'm told I shouldn't stress about school because I should just "enjoy myself" and gain weight. It feels impossible to prove I'm not just a mindless eating machine; apparently, I'm supposed to keep snacking constantly since I can't diet, but then if I develop gestational diabetes or the baby is born underweight because I overindulged, I'll just get more judgment.
When I mentioned needing prenatal vitamins, the response was, "Why bother? Just wait for fresh veggies from the garden; those pills never did anyone any good, I had a perfectly healthy baby."
And my favorite piece of logic: "Don't get stressed," because apparently, that's incredibly easy to control! I'll just tell myself to stop being stressed and problem solved, right? They claim the baby feels and hears everything. The baby doesn't even have ears yet—it's just a head, arms, and legs with a heart that only recently started beating—but sure, it's listening to every word I say.
I know they mean well, and maybe this unsolicited advice is just their clumsy way of trying to comfort me, but honestly, it isn't helping.
Now they're already guessing the gender. 🤦 Since I haven't broken out in acne, they're convinced it's a boy. Seriously? Not every pregnant woman has been covered in blemishes and felt like they were losing their looks.

First off—this is my second pregnancy, and it's a girl again, but my symptoms are completely different from the first time. So, there's no rule or connection between symptoms and gender.
Secondly—this pregnancy wasn't exactly part of the master plan, which doesn't mean you didn't want it, but OF COURSE you need some time to process everything and wrap your head around the idea. All those immediate plans and your vision for the near future are shifting right now, and that’s a massive shock to the system. Plus, I bet just two months ago, you wouldn't have dreamed that you wouldn't be able to hit up a concert this summer or go rafting with friends. It makes total sense that you feel lost right now, unsure of where you stand or what comes next. I ended up pregnant at 26; I was already married, and we had planned for it to happen maybe in six months to a year, but when it happened, everything got thrown out of whack. I was incredibly anxious, so I can only imagine how you're feeling...
I really believe things will eventually settle for you. With a little bit of distance, you'll probably look back one day and realize the people around you were actually right with their advice. But honestly, none of us have an "off" switch for being stressed. These are just phases you have to move through. The main thing is that your guy is by your side and supporting you, along with everyone else telling you, "Hey, don't worry, it'll all work out." That's a million times better than having people ask, "How did you let this happen?" or "What are you going to do about college?"
There's one rule: if three different people tell a pregnant woman the exact same thing, that thing becomes extremely irritating

Gary James17 said:...it drives me insane when people act like my entire existence has shrunk down to nothing more than their own unsolicited opinions on pregnancy, labor, and kids, especially when they aren't just offering advice, but are basically weaponizing these patronizing warnings like:
"Oh, just wait until you see how it is, you won't want to go anywhere anymore" (as if I have a social life to begin with), "you won't be able to sleep in until 9" (as if I’m currently sleeping in), "you'll never be alone again," hahaha, "enjoy your solitude while it lasts," or even things like, "better swap out that carpet because once the baby arrives..." or "buy a dishwasher because you won't have time for dishes" (like that's the crisis here), or "you'll be too busy gardening and baking cookies to deal with a baby" (as if dreaming of a garden or having a little organic vegetable patch is some kind of sin, or like feeding a child from your own garden is some impossible Herculean task), "don't bother with cloth diapers because you won't have time to wash them every three days" (implying anyone who does is clearly incompetent), "cut your hair short because you won't be able to manage long hair during labor," and then all the horror stories about birth and breastfeeding... blablablabla....

The reality is I’m practically living in hospitals; I’ve been on bed rest since week 7 (and it’s already been four full months!) and it’s going to stay this way—bleeding, contractions, cervical issues, the whole bit. Most days I am completely alone, constantly in pain and gripped by anxiety, feeling so stiff that my only exercise is rolling from my right side to my left, and honestly, I don't know how life could possibly get any worse than this, yet people still feel the need to explain to me how much more miserable things will be once I actually go into labor. I just don't get it!
And it particularly irritates me how some people think it’s great that I can spend my days reading or watching TV, or how everyone treats me like some pampered guest being served. Please, don't lecture me on how easy I have it unless you've actually lived it!
And yeah, I become the black sheep every time I snap at someone or push back, and nobody seems to grasp why I’m actually so irritable and moody most of the time! Helloooo, even the most perfectly healthy pregnant woman finds things difficult sometimes! Right?

And why on earth do people feel the need to drag up stories about the neighbor, a relative, or an acquaintance who had various miscarriages, lost a baby during delivery, or lost one in the second trimester... and they choose to tell these stories to a pregnant woman who has been explicitly diagnosed with a threatened miscarriage...

Don't even get me started on the doctors! One tells me to take certain pills, another looks at me like I'm crazy and says don't take them. Then there's the bureaucracy—faulty referrals, or "No ma'am, we don't run blood tests for that specific diagnosis, go get a new referral first..." And then there's that condescending attitude where they say, "Don't worry about your cervix, that's our job" (when I was simply asking if it was still dilated like last time—my cervix is part of my body, of course I want to know what's happening with it!)
...I don't trust anyone anymore and, frankly, I'd almost rather just give birth at home!
Sometimes I genuinely wish I had been born five hundred years ago, when nobody knew anything about modern pregnancy complications, when doctors didn't exist, so I could just give birth in the middle of tilling a field, wrap the baby up, and get right back to digging!

It also really gets to me that I am craving sweets so badly... I'm dreaming of cheesecake... but I can't have any because of gestational diabetes. It's infuriating how everyone keeps pushing sweets and treats on me that I shouldn't touch, acting as if a tiny indulgence won't hurt. Well, sure, maybe one bite won't kill me, but doing it every day leads to new complications, and I really don't need those! It's hard enough for me to control myself and stick to this stupid diet, and I'm being incredibly disciplined... but it certainly isn't helping that the people around me won't stop trying to tempt me.

And then there are the comments like—"Wait, you haven't gained any weight???" implying that's a bad thing, or "What about the baby?" The baby is exactly the size it needs to be, healthy and active, whereas I have no legs or glutes left from being immobile, just a stomach and constant nausea... so naturally, I haven't put on much weight yet... but I don't care, because the baby is fine.
But people just won't stop planting seeds of doubt in my head...

I could keep going, but I'm already exhausted! 🙂

p.s. Yep, I totally snapped. 🙂 You don't need to comment on any of this.

The worst part is how much the repetitive stuff gets under my skin. I’m pregnant right now, and since I already have a 15-month-old daughter, I find myself scrolling through the same endless threads on parenting forums—it's always the same loop. People debating whether you should breastfeed, why you are or aren't breastfeeding, or arguing about whether a toddler should sleep in a crib versus a bed. And don't even get me started on the old wives' tales and superstitions. Honestly, I think you just have to laugh at it all. I suppose some people mean well when they give unsolicited advice—like telling you to go buy a high-end dishwasher because you won't get any sleep otherwise—but most people can be pretty tactless. After everything I went through with my own postpartum experience and that constant barrage of unwanted advice, I try really hard to be mindful of how I phrase things. I aim to speak like this: I guess I'm just here. Honestly, that dryer was a total lifesaver. I guess I am ready. I didn't get any sleep last night...I guess I'll just stick to myself for now. I’ve pretty much kept my hair tied up constantly ever since I had my baby. I only really bring it up if the topic comes up naturally or if someone asks me directly. I might share a bit of helpful advice with a few close friends, but for most people, I'd rather just keep it to myself.

Jerry Williams38 said:It seriously bugs me when people who’ve never even been pregnant try to lecture everyone on how to raise kids. I have this one aunt—never married, never pregnant, never had a baby—but she acts like she’s some kind of expert on everything. Like, girl, please.

And then you’ve got those people acting all shocked that I was totally fine just a few weeks ago... like, excuse me? What was I supposed to do, just drop everything and go straight to bed immediately? lol

Honestly, I just don't get people who feel the need to pry into my business. Like, unless you're my husband, why do you even care? It's none of your business.
Man, people who act like they aren't even in the room... or like they're suddenly deaf, blind, and basically a five-year-old? So annoying.

So, we went over to my husband’s aunt’s place for lunch, right? Well, I totally messed up because I was starving before we even got there. I couldn't exactly wait around for her main course, so I grabbed a quick snack beforehand. Naturally, when the actual meal finally hit the table, I barely touched anything. And then the comments started rolling in—you know how it is. "Oh, you aren't eating anything?" "The baby won't grow if you don't eat!" Just endless, mindless chatter. Honestly, I'll eat when I'm hungry, and I'll eat as much as I need. It's not about whether it's enough for two people or six... it's about what *we* need. We're a team, so it's one big appetite for us.

And then there’s those guys who constantly try to tell me I shouldn't be driving. It’s always men, too—whenever they catch a glimpse of my stomach, they suddenly decide to step aside and let me go first at the checkout line or jump ahead of me at the doctor's office window... women almost never do that.

And for those people stuck on whether it’s a boy first... seriously? Does anyone else still ask me if it's a dude before asking if it's healthy? (If they even bother to ask that much). If you do, you're getting a slap in the face.
If I’m asking someone about a baby, I’m asking if they’re healthy—not trying to play gender detective or figure out if it’s a boy or a girl. And honestly, every single time I just shrug and say "I don't know" (which is my polite way of saying *mind your business*), these people just jump to conclusions like, "Oh, it's definitely a girl!" Then they follow it up with some unsolicited advice like, "Doesn't matter anyway, you can always have another one later." Like, excuse me? WFT???

My husband and our whole family were actually leaning more toward a girl. Now that I've mentioned it's probably another girl (and we are honestly so happy about that), they say, "Well, it'll be the third boy" or "It doesn't matter, as long as the baby is okay."
Even my own mom said, "It doesn't matter," even though she knew I wanted two girls before I even got pregnant with the first one...
I guess I just don't understand why everyone feels like they have to have a boy first. I wouldn't be disappointed if it were a boy, but I suppose I'd just prefer two girls... it seems sweeter.🙂

gentlesailor2 said:How much weight did you gain? 🙂 ENOUGH!

I guess I could ask one of my girlfriends, but then I’d just have to tell them I put on 25 pounds during my first pregnancy, and honestly, anyone can catch up to me at this point.😁🍿

Alex Roberts4 said:I’ve dealt with those exact same reactions. It's totally pointless. My husband and I can handle things perfectly well on our own, and if we ever actually need a hand, we'll be the first to ask. Why does everyone act like having a baby is the literal apocalypse? They love the drama: "Oh, you'll see, it's impossible, your life is over, you'll never sleep again"...blah, blah, blah. Like, sorry, but the world isn't going to stop spinning and my life isn't ending. I made my boundaries very clear and then, ciao. I refuse to let anyone mess with my peace, especially not older relatives with their constant complaining. One lady even went around the neighborhood telling people I got pregnant because of some "herbal remedy" she gave me! Then another neighbor comes up to me asking if I'm looking for a daughter-in-law for her son... I mean, seriously? Herbs?? What kind of nonsense is that?😂>

Haha, herbs? Who knows! 🙂
Regarding getting help, though, reading this feels like looking back at myself before my first baby. I also really wanted my husband and me to handle everything ourselves to learn from the start. But once I actually got home with the newborn, I hadn't considered that things might not go according to plan. I ran into breastfeeding issues—first, the baby didn't know how to latch, and second, I just wasn't producing enough milk. I had to feed the baby every two hours, and pumping sessions would take me up to an hour and a half. My breasts were incredibly sore, and I was terrified of getting mastitis. For about ten days, I only had 15 min every 2 hours to eat or sleep, regardless of whether it was day or night. I told my husband today that my labor (which averaged about 9 hours without an epidural) was actually easier than the transition of coming home. That taught me to never say "never." Luckily, I have an amazing mother-in-law who isn't pushy with her "old school" ways, so she helped us immensely. She would bring us breakfast, lunch, and dinner on a plate since I was busy pumping and my husband was handling bottle feeding, changing, and soothing the baby... I honestly couldn't do anything else. This time around, I'm hoping it goes smoother, but I know having my mother-in-law there to cook or do laundry will be such a blessing. If the help weren't actually useful, I wouldn't ask for it, and I make sure to help her out whenever I can, too. I'll accept help (just not from everyone!) and I'll give it back where I can.

It really gets under my skin when people use that phrase "when the baby comes to life" in any context. Usually, older women seem to believe that a baby "comes to life" once the mother or someone else can actually feel them moving. I’m currently at 12 weeks, and I can honestly say I already feel those little tickling sensations. Since this is my second pregnancy in a short span of time, I remember the feeling pretty clearly. Yet, my mom and a few others keep telling me I shouldn't feel anything yet because the baby hasn't even "come to life" yet.

driftingcrane83 said:Who cares what he thinks? He isn't an inspector from Medicare; you don't owe him an explanation of your medical status. 🤣
Even students get sick.
I used to feel nauseous on the bus all the time back in high school. I actually fainted a few times.

Exactly... 🙂 I mean, luckily I don't ride the subway all that much anyway...

I felt pretty bad about walking out, because it made me feel like I was actually lying about being a college student. I just told him, "Thanks, sir, you really made my day." He made me feel at least ten years younger. But honestly, I was feeling so sick on the subway that I wasn't exactly being super polite. I get the feeling some people make it their hobby to hit on young girls on the train or bother older women. And the best ones are definitely those who sprint after the subway car like Usain Bolt, only to realize they can't even make it two stops without feeling it.

driftingcrane83 said:Yeah, typical.

Generally, nobody dares to sigh like that at the lazy people who sit there perfectly content, completely ignoring the elderly or other women around them.
Luckily, nobody bothers me, but if someone does have the nerve, I'll give them a piece of my mind. Why should anyone care why I'm sitting, as long as there are plenty of entitled youngsters sitting there too?

Honestly, this irritates me just as much when I'm not even pregnant.😁

Man, I actually got into a huge argument recently with this "veteran" type. He hit me with his bag first, then told me to get up for some old lady. Even though I don't have a baby bump, I was feeling really nauseous at the time, and I had just stepped away from a woman wearing a super irritating perfume. It was such a mess... I told him there are plenty of younger women who aren't pregnant either, so he actually demanded proof that I was pregnant and called me a liar. I felt so bad because I had to transfer to another bus right at that stop near Target, and he was shouting after me, saying, "See? She's lying—she's just a college student!" He basically made the whole bus look at me... it was so embarrassing.

Amy Nelson132 said:Honestly, it’s more funny than frustrating at this point. People keep asking when I’m finally heading back to work after maternity leave, and instead of giving them the usual answer, I just want to tell them: "I'm actually starting a whole new maternity leave." I don't feel like explaining everything to every stranger who asks—like how I got pregnant again just five months after the first one, or how it wasn't even planned because my husband is constantly away on business trips... am I forgetting anything else? 🤣 And then there are those people who genuinely think my new bump is just leftover weight from the first pregnancy. 🙂

Haha, people think the same thing about me—that I just haven't lost the baby weight yet, even though I've actually gotten thinner. Except in my case, I got pregnant right after my daughter's first birthday, and now I'm facing going back to work all over again..

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..

crimsoncobra96 said:Maybe she thought it was some old-school clinic where grandmas just sit around gossiping...😂
But honestly, she wasn't even that far off. They still have to deal with newborns there, after all. 😂

Since things got a little heated here on the forum, my wife actually sent me a private message. She explained that since she doesn't live in the States, she didn't really know what kind of department we were talking about. Plus, for her own reasons, she gets sensitive about the smoking thing. At the end of the day, we all have bad days and our own stuff going on. So, I suspect she might not be the "freak" the original post made her out to be.

James Martinez3 said:My apologies, I'll make sure to ask your permission next time before I decide which topics are okay to discuss.
😂

As for everything else—no comment. If you ever seriously considered psychoanalysis as a career path, you might want to rethink those plans immediately. I spoke up because nothing irritates me more during pregnancy than women who smoke and then expect everyone to be understanding about it. And just as I called this person out virtually, I’ve done the exact same thing to people I know in real life. I don't feel even a shred of guilt about it. Luckily, there was only one instance, and she stopped after we had our talk. And I'm not getting involved for the sake of those pregnant women—I don't really care about them, I just feel bad for their unborn children.

That’s one thing. Secondly, I don't frequent places that actually have something resembling a "maternity ward," so you don't have to worry about running into me there. But if life somehow led me to one of those units and someone decided to smoke right next to me—yeah, they would have had the worst night of their lives. And frankly, I think I'd be completely justified in feeling that way.

I'm done debating this topic; I've said what I needed to say.

Okay, but since I know you'll be reading this: the postpartum ward is the unit in a hospital where mothers stay after giving birth. So, if you aren't going there, and you'd only end up there by some "unfortunate twist of fate," then what are we even talking about? Who is a mother and who isn't, then?

Amy Walker4 said:I'm with you on this one.

I don't usually jump into debates like this, but I actually DISAGREE. Personally, I haven't smoked in years, but I used to, so I know how tough quitting can be. It’s definitely uncomfortable seeing a pregnant woman smoking heavily, especially out in public, but I know plenty of women who just cut down to a few cigarettes a day rather than quitting the whole pack they were smoking before pregnancy. I've even heard in several places that the stress of quitting can sometimes be harder on the baby than just having a few—and I mean just a FEW (maybe 3 or 4) a day.

On the other hand, the woman stated clearly that she isn't looking for judgment, which means she's aware of the situation and doesn't want to dwell on it. It really gets under my skin when anonymous people on a forum act like self-appointed moral authorities. Would you honestly walk up to a neighbor or an acquaintance and tell them they don't care about their child and need medical help? Come on, please...

P.S. Sometimes it’s incredibly hard to explain a situation perfectly, and sometimes a long post can be interpreted a hundred different ways. However, in most cases, you can usually figure out what the writer actually meant. I really dislike it when people on a forum just look for any excuse to lecture others or be contrarian.

Roger Grant84 said:That used to drive me crazy during my pregnancy too. Even now that I've had my little one, it's one of those pieces of advice I constantly think about giving to new moms, though I usually bite my tongue. 🤣 What we actually mean is—no matter how much sleep you manage to grab right now, things are only going to get more intense later. 😂
For instance, right now, even if you can't sleep, you can at least lounge around, watch Netflix, snack, or just wander to the bathroom whenever you want. Once that tiny baby arrives... none of that is an option. We aren't telling you to "bank" sleep; we're trying to say enjoy the freedom of being able to hit the restroom or eat a snack whenever you feel like it while you still can. 😁

It's a whole different story once you're pregnant and then dealing with a newborn...

It’s honestly getting pretty irritating. Now that I’m pregnant with my second, people keep making comments about how we might finally have a little brother this time, since I already have a daughter. They say it like they're trying to comfort me or something, as if having a boy is some kind of prize. Microsoft! First off, we actually wanted another girl (obviously, as long as the baby is healthy and happy!). I think I can more easily picture our family with two girls. I haven't been sharing my actual wishes lately, though, just because I don't want anyone thinking I'll be disappointed if it turns out to be a boy—which wouldn't happen, but it would feel a bit strange. I guess I’ve even developed this weird resistance toward the idea of a boy; part of me almost wants a girl just out of pure spite. I'm not sure why it's hitting me so hard right now. It really started when my mom made that comment, and then a few other people followed suit. Maybe it's because I was the third girl in my family and everyone seemed a bit let down back then... Ugh, it feels silly to admit, but it’s really bothering me.

I think the reason most guys don't offer their seats to pregnant women on the bus or subway isn't because they're being rude—it's honestly just because they're afraid of accidentally bumping into someone's stomach. I've actually had that happen before. On the flip side, women are usually pretty quick to offer me a seat; I guess they just know what it feels like, maybe. I even saw this one elderly man nearly get jumped because he asked a guy in his 40s to give up his seat on a packed bus. It got so intense the driver actually had to pull the bus over.
Plus, private doctor visits are getting ridiculously expensive... and even at the local clinic, they used to charge extra fees, which was a bit much back when I was younger.