What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

redpilot37 said:So I’m crossing the street in town yesterday and this idiot just doesn't stop. He keeps rolling along like I'm invisible or he expects me to just freeze in his path... wtf?😕😂
Then he starts honking at me and shouting profanities. Just typical Smithsonian Institution behavior right there...😬

Ha, ha... I had a city bus driver slam on his brakes just so he could hop out and lecture me about "taking his right of way." Meanwhile, I’m walking out there with a massive belly and shouting "wtf?!" Seriously, man, get a grip.

Edward Williams8 said:It’s honestly wild how my husband still hasn't caught on that I'm pregnant... I can't stand out in the sun for three hours, I can't wait around for two hours at a time, we aren't hiking the Rockies this weekend, I definitely can't lug thirty grocery bags around, I'm paranoid someone might bump into me, I have to pee constantly, I need a nap... just leave me alone...

I'm with her on this one. 😵
What didn't you cook? Is the house a disaster zone? Meanwhile, I'm lying here with blood pressure at 80/40, basically hovering on the edge of passing out...

spitfire said:Honestly? I’d rather have a son who’s gay than one who turns out to be some street thug.
If he isn't gay, at least let him be a decent, well-mannered guy—someone who doesn't mind wearing slippers, thinks purple is a top-tier color, and happily follows his mom to ballet and music lessons at four in the afternoon.

And what does my dear partner think about all that? Look, I was just poking fun at the "thug" thing. Besides, you learn from your own mistakes, right? Hopefully, I'll be able to steer him in the right direction when the time comes. By the way, we won't actually find out the gender until Thursday night... fingers crossed it's something visible.

rustyrider20 said:I’ve gotta point out—even in this thread about surviving the heatwave, everyone keeps bringing up snoring husbands... seriously, does anyone actually have a partner who doesn't sound like a chainsaw?
Ever since I started working from home full-time, his snoring has become a total nightmare. It used to be fine—I'd just record him on my phone and laugh about it later, or honestly, I barely even noticed because he’d go to bed right when I was heading out to campus or running errands. But now that I'm stuck at home all day? It’s not funny anymore. It's just exhausting. 🙂

Not that I'm bragging,
but my man doesn't snore.😁
In three years of living together, he's only snored twice, and even then, it was only because he was sick and woke me up in the middle of the night—which is a problem since I'm such a light sleeper.

frozenpanther18 said:Ha, ha... I had a city bus driver slam on his brakes just so he could hop out and lecture me about "taking his right of way." Meanwhile, I’m walking out there with a massive belly and shouting "wtf?!" Seriously, man, get a grip.

I don't even bother arguing with idiots. You can't reason with someone who isn't sane.
If he had actually done something wrong or stepped out of his vehicle, then I would have asked if he was looking for a ticket...
Clearly, he hasn't had one in a long time...☕

Believe it or not, I just experienced my very FIRST instance of being overlooked while pregnant today (and I still have three weeks to go!)—someone actually missed me at the checkout line!

It happened at a local Safeway, and the cashier was a younger woman. 🙏 🙏
At first, I wasn't even going to say anything because there wasn't much of a line, but she just rushed up to me and said, "Don't worry, nobody ever skipped over me when I was pregnant either—I know exactly how it feels..."
Honestly, I have nothing but respect for her. 🙂

Here we go again today:
"How big is your belly?? It’s huge!! You must be having twins! But you aren't even seven months along yet, you look nine months pregnant!!!" etc.

Next scenario: I'm just chilling at home with my husband, enjoying some peace, but the only thing that could actually drag me out of the house is a doctor's appointment because I've had absolutely enough of all these comments...

I found today's blood draw quite aggravating when a few pregnant women were allowed to cut ahead of us in line. 😠

I completely lost my cool yesterday. I was sitting on the bus, riding from the Potomac area toward downtown, when this guy—couldn't have been more than 50—marches right up to me and shoves an ID in my face.
My first instinct was to reach for my purse, thinking it was some transit officer, but then I saw it: a disability card.
I told him, "Sorry, I've got an ID too." He goes, "Oh yeah? Where is it?" So I just pointed to my stomach.
The woman sitting next to me bolts upright, and this guy just sits there and starts yelling, "Since when aren't pregnant women allowed to sit?!" 🙄
I told him to go screw himself.
It was a massive crowd, mostly women around me, and they immediately started tearing him apart for being such a jerk to a pregnant lady. He just kept arguing with them. 🤣

Look, I don't mind standing up. A blind person boarded a few stops back and I was ready to give up my seat immediately, though his companion told me not to bother since we were only one stop away.

I would've stood up for him too, if he hadn't shoved that pathetic little cardboard card without even a photo right under my nose. Honestly, once I heard him insulting everyone around him, I was actually glad I stayed seated. What an idiot.

Ethan King75 said:I completely lost my cool yesterday. I was sitting on the bus, riding from the Potomac area toward downtown, when this guy—couldn't have been more than 50—marches right up to me and shoves an ID in my face.
My first instinct was to reach for my purse, thinking it was some transit officer, but then I saw it: a disability card.
I told him, "Sorry, I've got an ID too." He goes, "Oh yeah? Where is it?" So I just pointed to my stomach.
The woman sitting next to me bolts upright, and this guy just sits there and starts yelling, "Since when aren't pregnant women allowed to sit?!" 🙄
I told him to go screw himself.
It was a massive crowd, mostly women around me, and they immediately started tearing him apart for being such a jerk to a pregnant lady. He just kept arguing with them. 🤣

Look, I don't mind standing up. A blind person boarded a few stops back and I was ready to give up my seat immediately, though his companion told me not to bother since we were only one stop away.

I would've stood up for him too, if he hadn't shoved that pathetic little cardboard card without even a photo right under my nose. Honestly, once I heard him insulting everyone around him, I was actually glad I stayed seated. What an idiot.

It really just shows how some people have zero shame and absolutely no respect left. 👎

Like, out of all the people sitting there, why did he have to target you specifically??? 😲

Honestly, with an attitude like that, I wouldn't have stood up for him even if he had the most legitimate reason in the world.
Having an invalid status doesn't give you a pass to be a complete moron. 🙄

Benjamin Roberts5 said:It really just shows how some people have zero shame and absolutely no respect left. 👎

Like, out of all the people sitting there, why did he have to target you specifically??? 😲

Honestly, with an attitude like that, I wouldn't have stood up for him even if he had the most legitimate reason in the world.
Having an invalid status doesn't give you a pass to be a complete moron. 🙄

The only thing invalid here is his mindset.
Look, I've helped people before, whether they needed it or not—I don't mind standing up—but yesterday was just a disaster. The guy was a total wreck, a complete hillbilly with zero respect, acting like he owned the entire subway car.

Ethan King75 said:The only thing invalid here is his mindset.
Look, I've helped people before, whether they needed it or not—I don't mind standing up—but yesterday was just a disaster. The guy was a total wreck, a complete hillbilly with zero respect, acting like he owned the entire subway car.

Honestly, you have a point about not minding standing, but those subways can jerk stop so fast, or some idiot might accidentally slam into your stomach... better safe than sorry. Some huge guy with a backpack smacked me right in the gut the other day, so if you can grab a seat, just do it...☕

hollowmarlin49 said:Honestly, you have a point about not minding standing, but those subways can jerk stop so fast, or some idiot might accidentally slam into your stomach... better safe than sorry. Some huge guy with a backpack smacked me right in the gut the other day, so if you can grab a seat, just do it...☕

I'm with you on this. 👍
If a pregnant woman can't find a single seat on an entire subway or bus, then the whole system is broken...
I've got that same fear too—getting shoved, bumped, or just wiped out when the driver hits the brakes suddenly. 😲

Benjamin Roberts5 said:It really just shows how some people have zero shame and absolutely no respect left. 👎

Like, out of all the people sitting there, why did he have to target you specifically??? 😲

Honestly, with an attitude like that, I wouldn't have stood up for him even if he had the most legitimate reason in the world.
Having an invalid status doesn't give you a pass to be a complete moron. 🙄

I had a similar experience during my second month of pregnancy. I didn't even have a bump yet, just pure exhaustion. I could barely keep my eyes open, let alone lug two heavy bags of supplies to the hospital for my husband (who always seems to pick the worst times to get sick...). Naturally, I sat down on the subway.
Then this lady on crutches gets on. I stand up for her, and some other jerk starts snapping at me, asking how I could possibly have the nerve to sit during rush hour when there are elderly people around.
Since I was getting off at the next stop, I didn't bother arguing, though honestly, she really deserved a slap across the face.

I'm much further along now, but I don't see anyone—from toddlers to guys who look like they belong in a gym—getting a pass to sit while I’m stuck standing.

Olivia Brown7 said:I had a similar experience during my second month of pregnancy. I didn't even have a bump yet, just pure exhaustion. I could barely keep my eyes open, let alone lug two heavy bags of supplies to the hospital for my husband (who always seems to pick the worst times to get sick...). Naturally, I sat down on the subway.
Then this lady on crutches gets on. I stand up for her, and some other jerk starts snapping at me, asking how I could possibly have the nerve to sit during rush hour when there are elderly people around.
Since I was getting off at the next stop, I didn't bother arguing, though honestly, she really deserved a slap across the face.

I'm much further along now, but I don't see anyone—from toddlers to guys who look like they belong in a gym—getting a pass to sit while I’m stuck standing.

Honestly, those first few weeks are the absolute worst (at least they were for me).
The hardest part is that nobody can tell you're pregnant, so people just don't get it. They act like you're fine when you're clearly struggling. And if you actually try to sit down, you'll get those judgmental looks from people who think you're just being lazy. 🙄

One time, around three months in, I got so dizzy and lightheaded I actually had to step outside just to catch my breath and clear my head. I genuinely thought I was going to pass out right there.

My husband left me at the maternity ward over at Mount Sinai today for a checkup, thinking I’d just grab an Uber on my way out. Honestly, I wasn't really in the mood to drop $20 on a ride, and since it wasn't exactly scorching outside, I decided to just hop on the light rail and a bus instead. I have to say, it was actually quite a rare thing for someone to actually stand up for me on both the train and the bus 🙏, which is saying something considering I'm already in my third trimester... I think that speaks for itself.
And let's be real, those fifty-something-year-old ladies can be pretty ruthless toward pregnant women; honestly, men would probably offer their seats before they do.

I’ve basically hacked the public transit system—I just make sure to walk to a bus stop where either nobody gets on, nobody gets off, or it’s the very first stop on the line. That way, I can actually snag a seat. 😁 (I wouldn't even dream of trying that at the stop near the downtown farmer's market—the seniors there are way too aggressive; I didn't try it before the pandemic, and I'm certainly not starting now) ...but honestly, I'd much rather trek through the blistering heat than spend my time crammed into a stinking, suffocating, shoulder-to-shoulder metal box known as a bus.

vividhawk87 said:I’m thinking about printing this on a T-shirt: "Touch my stomach and you get a slap!"
Honestly, I feel like I’ve already earned a PhD in backward dodging whenever someone reaches out toward me. So far, it’s only worked against one person—someone I least expected it from... and even then, things got pretty heated quite quickly.

I just don't get it. Seriously, 🤷 why do people feel this desperate need to touch a pregnant woman's stomach? 😕 For me, that belly belongs to my husband and absolutely nobody else. 😠

The idea of touching a pregnant woman's belly never even crosses my mind. It feels way too intimate. Honestly, it’s kind of gross—like reaching out and grabbing someone's private parts without asking.🙄

I don't mind people touching my stomach since it’s always just people I love—my girlfriends, cousins, aunts, and honestly, no guy has ever touched me besides my husband, dad, and obviously my dog 😁

Anyway, back to the snoring... that wasn't our only issue. My husband used to talk in his sleep and grind his teeth constantly (which is a total nightmare when you're trying to pass out), so I finally sent him to the dentist to get one of those night guards made. It worked wonders... we actually got lucky because his bleeding gums stopped too

What irritates me most is this constant stream of unsolicited advice... everyone suddenly becomes an expert on what you should or shouldn't be doing. "Watch out for this," "be careful of that"... if you listen to enough of them, you’d honestly start believing you were suffering from some terminal illness rather than just being pregnant. It’s maddening. And don't even get me started on the total lack of basic decency toward pregnant women lately. Back in my parents' day, 🙂 there was actually a sense of respect for the elderly, the disabled, and expectant mothers. Nowadays, it's like common courtesy has vanished entirely. I was at the local precinct recently to handle some paperwork for my ID, and the man in front of me actually stepped aside to let me go first. People around us actually started protesting against him! Even the clerk looked shocked; she told me that in all her years working there, she had never seen such blatant respect shown to someone. That man who let me pass? He gave everyone a piece of his mind, telling them they should be ashamed of themselves for not letting a pregnant woman go ahead in line...