Posts by boldotter47

Greetings! Can anyone shed some light on what this test interpretation actually means?

Varicella-Zoster virus IgM antibodies: negative
Varicella-Zoster virus IgG antibodies: 3.7 index positive

Honestly, I’m not sure if anyone else has run into this particular phenomenon, but it’s maddening. When I actually take the time to groom myself—you know, put on some makeup and wear something that isn't just a baggy sweatshirt—it’s like people couldn't care less about my presence. In fact, I get these glares from older women that feel downright malicious, like they're judging me for thinking I have the right to walk around looking decent when I should just be staying home because I'm pregnant. It’s absurd. Then, if I show up looking completely disheveled with greasy hair tied back in a messy ponytail, suddenly everyone acts all sympathetic and the atmosphere softens. It’s bizarre. I truly get the impression that once you become pregnant, society expects you to shrink down into nothing more than a biological incubator—just walking around like livestock. God forbid you actually give a damn about your appearance or maintain any sense of self-respect 🙄

As I get closer to my due date, my tolerance for absolute nonsense is plummeting toward zero. 😁

Yesterday’s debacle: I went in for a medical appointment—nothing related to the pregnancy, just a routine checkup. After sitting in a packed waiting room for ages, I finally get called back, only to find the exam room is sweltering, like a literal furnace. It’s like they haven't opened a window in three days. There were two doctors, a nurse, and some elderly lady in there. Right in the middle of the exam, because of the heat, my head starts spinning, I feel nauseous, and I'm on the verge of passing out. So, being the fool that I am, I try to apologize, explaining that this isn't typical for me, only for the nurse to snap at me with the most condescending tone imaginable: "Maybe it's because you're pregnant. Tee-hee, ha-ha!" And then the whole room erupts in laughter. 🤔

Another incident from yesterday: I'm standing in a damn line to get blood work done, everyone from teenagers to seniors ahead of me. Now, I don't have an ego, and I wasn't expecting anyone to cut, but suddenly a group of five older women—not even that old, maybe in their 60s—starts lecturing the air about how today's youth have zero manners. They're going on and on about how nobody respects etiquette anymore, and how back in their day, everyone stood up and let their elders go first. 😁 Meanwhile, I'm standing there, practically ready to pop right then and there. 😁 But I won't make a scene; we can skip the part about manners. 😁

And one more situation, which seems to happen to me constantly and is truly the peak of human audacity. 😁 At the checkout in the grocery store, lines everywhere, and this guy walks right up to me and asks, "Can I jump ahead? I only have a few things." 😁 <3

Carol Palmer90 said:I honestly cannot wrap my head around the sheer nonsense some people spout. What hurts the most is that I actually had to listen to this kind of garbage while I was pregnant from people who already have toddlers themselves.🙄

And you know what? It is absolute stupidity.

The truth is, it all comes down to your own mindset. If your life feels chaotic before pregnancy, things might feel even more complicated afterward—but that's just how life works.

Sure, the beginning can be a struggle because of breastfeeding or sleep deprivation. But even those babies eventually sleep through the night. And look, you can still take a full bath instead of just a quick shower. Even with my little one, from day one up until now three months later, I manage to tidy the house every single day (I have a long-haired cat, so the shedding means I have to clean more often), cook lunch, do laundry every third day, and iron every fourth day. Not to mention I’m constantly out and about running errands with the baby. Somehow, I still find time to shower! xD

So, ladies, just tune out that negativity and don't let them get to you. Everything is going to be just fine.👍

Thanks for this. That’s exactly how I saw it—it really comes down to your mindset and your baseline personality. There are women who, the moment they give birth, completely reduce themselves to the role of the "martyr mother" (think: "Oh, I shouldn't go out to dinner with my friends while my poor baby is at home") and then end up frustrated later on. I truly believe life can be much easier and much better than that.😁

And yeah, here's another one that I find baffling, yet I hear it constantly: "I miss having time to read or watch TV"—said by a woman with a two-month-old. What on earth are you doing during those first two months when you're with the baby 24/7 and nursing?

Henry Brown2 said:I second this.
I get those same comments with nothing but sour expressions on their faces... all of them saying, "Just wait until you see what's coming." It's incredibly irritating, though lately, I've just started tuning it out. It goes in one ear and out the other.

I've heard that shower comment too... or the classic, "I didn't even have time to use the bathroom!"
Maybe I'm being naive, but where is the father in all this? He should be helping with the child and covering those 10 minutes I need just to shower and wash my hair.

Even if there isn't a father around, I refuse to believe there is a single baby out there who never sleeps for more than ten minutes at a time. Look, I realize every child is different, and yes, some are absolute nightmares that wake up constantly crying, but at the end of the day, newborns sleep a massive amount. That is an objective fact. They don't do anything else besides sleep, eat, poop, and cry.

Honestly, the absolute worst part about this whole pregnancy thing is that people won't shut up. They just keep telling me I have no idea what’s coming. "Enjoy it while you can," they say. "Once the baby arrives, say goodbye to your life, goodbye to your freedom, and goodbye to you and your boyfriend as a couple." Like, give me a break. Kids are an overwhelming responsibility. You can kiss sleep and sanity goodbye, not to mention sex and actually going out on a Friday night. You won't have a single second to yourself. And when the baby finally sleeps? You'll want to sleep too, but that’s a luxury you simply won't be able to afford—because who’s going to handle the cleaning and the cooking? Then there's the physical stuff. Your breasts will sag, your nipples will be constantly sore. It's all just grim.

Seriously, I haven't heard one single positive thing about motherhood since I found out I was pregnant. Every time I scroll through Facebook, some article pops up about parenting—and it's always the same. Everyone is complaining, everyone is frustrated, everyone was completely unprepared for such an exhausting job...
So now I'm left wondering—do all these people think I'm an idiot? Do they think I'm expecting a newborn to be some precious little ball of fluff that just sleeps all day while I cuddle and feed it? Or is motherhood truly this brutal (and am I genuinely clueless about the nightmare ahead)?

I am looking forward to my baby, I really am, but it is incredibly difficult to stay upbeat when you're being bombarded by negativity and fear-mongering from every direction.

And another thing—can someone please explain to me (and I have read and heard this a thousand times already)—how exactly does taking a shower or washing your hair become a "luxury" once a baby is born?? It takes me exactly fifteen minutes to shower and wash my hair. 🤷

Look, I know they don't mean any harm, truly, but it’s absolutely grating. Every single time someone spots me, it’s the same tired interrogation: "How are you feeling?" I swear, I have to field that exact question at least ten times a day. And let's be honest—nobody actually cares about the answer. It's just some mindless social script people run because, apparently, that's what you're supposed to ask an expectant mother when you see her out in public. 😁

"I'm fine, I guess, but I haven't been able to use the restroom in three days, I'm completely bloated, and the gas is unbearable."