What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

I must admit, I have never once been cut in line. In fact, if anyone noticed me struggling toward the checkout, they would likely hasten their pace to make room. One individual even ran to get out of my way.🤣
I suspect I am the only one who consistently fails to yield to pregnant women ahead of me.
Even when I was five months pregnant myself, my bump was virtually undetectable, which led me to overlook a pregnant woman with a child directly in front of me.

I don't know, I always let pregnant women, elderly folks with canes, or even just some random grandma or grandpa go ahead of me if they're right behind me. If someone's got just two or three things and I've got a full cart, I’ll step aside too. It just feels right to me.

I'm probably not far enough along in my pregnancy for anyone to even notice, especially in these heavy winter clothes, so I haven't really had the chance to test out getting priority in line yet.

I guess I should finally jump on this bandwagon too. Honestly, the weirdest part is how people just stare—you know, that awkward glance where they look you dead in the eyes and then immediately drop their gaze to your stomach? It’s like they’re genuinely confused about what a pregnant woman is even doing out in public, as if we aren't supposed to leave our houses or work at a grocery store or anything! One lady at the farmer's market actually went out of her way to ask if she could help me carry my bags.
Also, massive shoutout to the cashier over at H&M; she was so sweet and spoke up clearly, saying, "Oh, excuse me, I didn't see you there! I'd be happy to help you right up next!" And don't even get me started on the ladies at Douglas MacArthur—they are absolute gems and so incredibly kind.
It only took me "just" eight months of waiting to finally experience all this! :-)

I’m signing off on the scale too, and honestly, I’m shocked they aren't checking for the cross symbol and are instead nitpicking over pennies... but what really floored me was when this lady at the grocery store—while I was staring intensely at the fish counter trying to figure out if the salmon was actually fresh—just looked at me and goes, "It didn't just get here today, you'll be buying 👍
next time."

The only people who actually see me as a human being are the ladies working at the local 7-Eleven. I was stuck in a waiting room the other day for about thirty minutes—just sitting there like a statue—and not a single soul had the decency to stand up or even offer me a seat. It was just me and an elderly woman. Honestly, the level of courtesy out there is just... wow.

Ugh, tell me about it... I was actually just venting the other day about how I feel like the only complete idiot left who actually knows how to give up their seat to seniors or pregnant women.
It’s a total disaster.

The only thing that actually caught me off guard—in a good way!—was this local celebrity I recognize. He’s got a little kid at home, and while I was waiting in line at Chase Bank, he was on the phone with his wife, who was already there with the baby. He was explaining how she’d been waiting for over half an hour and he’d be right there soon. Then, when it was finally his turn, he actually offered to let me go ahead of him! And get this—he was clearly in a rush too. I’m only about six months along, so my bump isn't even that huge yet.
But the other ten people in line? They totally ignored me and gave him the dirtiest looks ever because he was letting me cut in front...

Douglas Baker2 said: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 🙂

To top it all off:

What are you going to do about the dogs now?
How much longer do you plan on working?
Just wait until you give birth; your whole perspective will change...
That's nothing; back in my day, we didn't even go to the doctor.
Good grief, why are you buying things already? Don't you think it's too early?? (I'm at 29 weeks plus 4 days right now).

It is absolutely exhausting dealing with all this unsolicited advice. Everyone acts as if I am completely incompetent.

Sent from my LG-D855 using Reddit

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...

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! 🙂

Douglas Baker2 said: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! 🙂

I am 100% with you on this!

Douglas Baker2 said: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! 🙂

😁👍🎉
That is pretty much exactly it, and I couldn't agree more!

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.

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! 💪

👍

Douglas Baker2 said:That’s exactly how you gotta handle it! 💪

Ugh, and every single time they look at me—it’s like, "Oh wow, looks like that belly is really starting to pop."
For real though? It’s just a tiny little human in there, so I can't help but wonder what exactly is fueling all this growth. But hey, thanks for the reminder that I'm getting bigger by the second. Love that for me, truly.
I mean, isn't that basically every girl's dream, right?

Nicholas Carter6 said:Ugh, and every single time they look at me—it’s like, "Oh wow, looks like that belly is really starting to pop."
For real though? It’s just a tiny little human in there, so I can't help but wonder what exactly is fueling all this growth. But hey, thanks for the reminder that I'm getting bigger by the second. Love that for me, truly.
I mean, isn't that basically every girl's dream, right?

Personally, it doesn't bother me one bit... if anything, I actually find him even more adorable now that he's getting bigger! 🙂
Now that I'm pregnant, I finally feel like I love my body exactly the way it is!

Honestly, I couldn't care less about my stomach or whatever.
But man, those comments? They really get under my skin.
Especially the ones coming from the 30+ crowd on TikTok.
I mean, what are you even supposed to say when someone hits you with some "you're getting bigger and bigger" nonsense?

Nicholas Carter6 said:Honestly, I couldn't care less about my stomach or whatever.
But man, those comments? They really get under my skin.
Especially the ones coming from the 30+ crowd on TikTok.
I mean, what are you even supposed to say when someone hits you with some "you're getting bigger and bigger" nonsense?

Okay, fair enough—you definitely have a right to feel that way.
Me? I once had this girl—who was being seriously obnoxious, by the way—tell me I had a huge stomach, and I just looked her dead in the eye and told her there was a baby growing in there because the food I ate earlier was so good it was basically pushing its way out! 😁 Anyway, at least I managed to shut her up for a second. 😉

The unsolicited advice from family isn't going to stop; if anything, they’re just getting more specialized in their nonsense. I have a seven-month-old, and honestly, I’m already losing my mind from all the "helpful" tips. Once we hit ten months, it becomes a daily ritual. Every time my husband or I step outside with the baby, some random lady starts shouting at us because the kid's nose looks slightly pink. They scream that she's freezing and we need to sprint home before she catches a deathly chill—meanwhile, it’s a gorgeous, sunny 60 degrees out.

Every single time Sveki starts up with that "well, I didn't have it like this when I had..." routine—honestly, girl, you had kids over thirty years ago! Like, thanks for the unsolicited life lessons, really. It’s great, truly. This isn't my first rodeo, obviously; I know how to handle a baby. At the end of the day, this is my kid, and I know what's best for her. Yesterday she was acting all shocked that I’m using nursing pads... I mean, why aren't we all just going back to cloth diapers and calling it a day? And then the absolute kicker: she actually offered to move in with us to "help out." Yeah, right. She lives ten minutes away in a suburb, let's not get carried away.

I'll just deal with it and try not to lose my mind too much. 🙂