Posts by Douglas Baker2

Austin Long51 said:My experience has been the exact opposite. Everywhere I look online, I’m reading about every possible struggle—breastfeeding issues, sleep deprivation, exhaustion, you name it. Yet, everyone in my actual life just brushes it off with things like "it's no big deal," "it'll be fine," or "the baby will sleep through the night." It actually scares me because I want to be as prepared as humanly possible. I would love to hear some real experiences, something more grounded in reality... but people either hide the truth (those who just became parents) or they've simply forgotten how hard it was (the veteran parents). I just don't believe for a second that everything is as easy as they claim it is. 🕺

Honestly, I can't decide which group bugs me more right now: the people who dismiss everything with a "you'll see..." or the ones who mock my worries and act like I'm overreacting to every little thing. I'm basically mentally preparing for an apocalypse during those first few weeks, 😁 though I mostly just picture myself wandering around the house in my underwear for 24 hours straight with a baby attached to my chest.

Everyone is just getting on my nerves, 😁

Not to mention those girls at the Target in Times Square who have been trying to sign me up for their rewards program for two months straight. They write you down in some notebook that nobody ever looks at again, I bet, and then you wait for them to call you—except they never do—so you end up trekking halfway across the city just to have them sign you up all over again. 😠

Nicholas Carter6 said:Honestly, my husband is being the exact same way... :-) But there's one other thing that’s been driving me absolutely nuts lately. For the last month, it feels like EVERYONE suddenly wants to drop by for a visit! Even people who haven't stepped foot in my house in years! They’re all like, "Oh, we just want to come see you!" Meanwhile, I am sitting here dreading the guests because it just means more cooking and endless cleaning :-( It’s like they don't get it—I'm in my final stretch of pregnancy and all I want is to stay home in a quiet, tidy little sanctuary. I just need some peace and quiet before the baby arrives! :-(

I just tell everyone straight up, no way 🙂 Only the inner circle is getting through my door—you know, the ones I'm so tight with that they can basically raid my fridge themselves and I wouldn't mind if they saw me lounging around in my underwear if I felt like it.

Paul Campbell8 said:Alright moms, here's a little something to brighten your day...

The unsolicited advice just doesn't stop once you're pregnant. Honestly, by the time my baby arrived, I'd reached my limit. It got to the point where I couldn't play nice anymore. I eventually had to tell everyone straight up to back off—that I know what's best for my kid, how I’m going to handle things, and if I actually needed a second opinion, I’d ask for one. Until then, they could leave me alone.

And then comes that look. That patronizing stare. Like, oh, she's just being hormonal. "She'll come to her senses. She doesn't really mean that." Hell yeah, I do.

That’s exactly how you gotta handle it! 💪

Daniel Miller4 said:I found myself weeping quite uncontrollably yesterday, much like a heavy summer thunderstorm rolling through the Midwest...😢 It appears my hormones have finally hit that magic 100 mark and decided to start working... finally...
So, we have a friend visiting us at the house, and I’m just sitting here listening to him tell my dear partner that everything is changing now... he’s basically telling him that he’s going to lose his edge, that things will never be the same again, and that he needs to just forget about how things used to be because, apparently, his vision is just set in stone like that... honestly, good grief, we aren't all programmed the exact same way!
I find myself wondering, quite honestly, which specific type of individual seems destined to drift through my life... I truly have to ask myself if I am simply prone to stumbling headlong into such absolute nonsense at every single turn...

Ugh, seriously 😵 there are definitely women out there who are just counting down the days until they get pregnant so they can eat everything in sight and then use the baby as a permanent excuse to just check out and stay lazy forever.

I have zero intention of putting my entire life on hold once our little lady arrives. We'll just pop her into the world and go. Obviously, things won't be exactly the same as they were before, but you'd probably realize that when you decide to have a kid in the first place. It’s gonna be great! 🙂

Nicholas Carter6 said:As for me, I'm just waiting on my trail runners...

😁
I think I'll probably go for one last run this Friday before I officially hang up the sneakers until spring 🙂

Honestly, those guys in their 30s who hit you with that "just you wait..." line when they have zero intention of actually having kids really get under my skin, though I used to let it bother me way more—now I just kind of zone out and move on.

It’s also super annoying that even at 28 weeks, I’m still dealing with morning sickness and feeling stuck eating the same ten bland foods that don't trigger my heartburn, because man, I am seriously craving real flavors right now.

But hey, at least my hair has been looking absolutely gorgeous since I became pregnant, so I guess there's a silver lining! 🙂

restlesssailor90 said:I’ve been through the absolute wringer during this pregnancy—dealing with everything from gestational diabetes to those annoying varicose veins—and honestly, I am just counting down the days until I can have my old body back. It’s incredibly frustrating when none of my clothes fit anymore; I feel like a total elephant, which is especially annoying since I actually gained about half as much weight as I did with my first child. All in all, I don't exactly feel like I'm at my most attractive right now... 🕺

Total mood! I am so ready to get back into my high-waisted jeans🎉

nimbleotter4 said:Sometimes it’s actually more irritating when people assume you’re somehow overqualified for what you're going through. 😬 It’s like there’s never any winning for those of us trying to conceive.

If I'm being completely honest, what gets under my skin the most is having to drag my life down to such a snail's pace; it feels like someone just went ahead and amputated a part of my identity without asking, and now I'm just left sitting here trying to figure out how to live with this missing piece.

I suppose I'm mostly just my own worst enemy at this point. 🤦

Exactly, it’s just that I can't keep up with everything like I used to, and it sucks because back home I was never the one asking to slow down or stay in, but now I'm totally that person. 😁
Even if I just hit up three shops around the neighborhood, I have to go lie down for a bit, and some days I'm totally wiped before I even finish breakfast at 10 AM.
I seriously can't wait until I feel like my old self again. 🙂

Ugh, honestly, just everything 🙂

Everyone’s suddenly an expert on nutrition. I bet you’re feeling gross because people act like you need "real" proteins for the baby, and then they tell me I haven't gained weight and should probably just snack on more cookies and chocolate.
Then there’s everyone constantly poking at my belly.
And don't even get me started on free time. Like, maybe I should just sell my bike now that the little one is coming—why did I even bother buying it? Or maybe find a way easier job. Or, my absolute favorite idea, just chop all my hair off short since I won't have any time to wash it anyway. Plus, there's all this judging from my aunt's housekeeper about whether I actually consider myself a homemaker or what.
People also give me such looks whenever I mention using cloth diapers, babywearing, or breastfeeding.
Apparently, I'm not supposed to buy anything for the baby until they actually arrive, and even then, we shouldn't because we'll "definitely" get everything as gifts.
And then there's the classic, "Wait, you're still working?!" nonsense.

Everything is just getting on my nerves 🙂