What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

What surprised me most was just how drastically this pregnancy differs from my first two. It’s night and day. I can't tell if it's simply a matter of age, given how young I was during the first two, or if it's something else entirely, but the difference is striking.

In what sense? Is it getting harder for you now, I guess?

redtiger53 said:In what sense? Is it getting harder for you now, I guess?

It is significantly more challenging. I didn't feel much during my first two pregnancies—it was almost as if I weren't even pregnant. Now, however, I feel something nearly every other day, despite everything being perfectly normal so far. I suppose I am simply more mindful of the process now, which changes how I experience it.

Since everyone’s wondering about my name and gender—I’m a guy. Though, if I’m being honest, we aren't exactly best friends just yet. 😵

It just hit me!! The sheer nerve of everyone thinking they have the right to comment on whether my belly has dropped enough—basically if I’m "ready" to go into labor. They all take turns telling me "No way," even though I keep trying to explain that it *has* definitely shifted lower compared to how it was before. And then, because my due date is only four days away, they just stare at my stomach and try to second-guess my doctor! Like, "I don't know, I don't think your OBGYN is right... it looks like a boy to me." As if they have some kind of medical-grade ultrasound built into their eyes or something.

Look, I've always heard the horror stories about getting the gender wrong during pregnancy, but if my doctor has been telling me it's a boy at every single checkup since my fourth or fifth month, I'm going to trust the professional. I mean, the guy actually uses an ultrasound machine—he probably sees a hell of a lot more than some random person just glancing at my bump and guessing based on a vibe.

Are you constantly being interrogated about when you're due?😁
My family calls incessantly, and even the neighbors are asking when I plan to deliver.
I have 25 days left. At this rate, I'll be ignoring my phone and avoiding the neighbors entirely.😵

Steven Walker3, how do you not get that no ultrasound can touch a maternity scan? That thing sees everything—hair, anatomy, size, even the due date. 😂

darkjackal4 said:Since everyone’s wondering about my name and gender—I’m a guy. Though, if I’m being honest, we aren't exactly best friends just yet. 😵

It’s funny how people react when you mention gender. If I say we don't want to know yet because it isn't important to us, the interrogation begins: "Why not? How will you buy baby clothes or strollers?" Then they start guessing the gender and spinning entire theories. It doesn't annoy me as much as it amuses me—the sheer level of human curiosity is quite something.

Patrick Brown3 said:Are you constantly being interrogated about when you're due?😁
My family calls incessantly, and even the neighbors are asking when I plan to deliver.
I have 25 days left. At this rate, I'll be ignoring my phone and avoiding the neighbors entirely.😵

Just four days left and I'm getting hit with like 100 messages a day asking "Is it happening yet?" or "When are you doing it?" or "Why hasn't the baby arrived?" It's driving me crazy. 🤦🤦🤦🤦

That’s exactly why I haven't told anyone the actual date except for my inner circle. They know the general timeframe... but honestly? I can't risk it. If word got out, people would be suffocating me with "congrats" and endless questions before I'm even ready!

Nicholas Carter6 said:That’s exactly why I haven't told anyone the actual date except for my inner circle. They know the general timeframe... but honestly? I can't risk it. If word got out, people would be suffocating me with "congrats" and endless questions before I'm even ready!

Smart move!
I was so certain I’d deliver early, but now I’m five days past my date with absolutely no signs that anything is happening (baby is high, cervix is still closed).
The craziest part is when some friend of my mom's from her old college days calls her up—someone I don't even know. I honestly don't get why people feel entitled to pry into my business like that. 🤔 🤦

Patrick Brown3 said:Are you constantly being interrogated about when you're due?😁
My family calls incessantly, and even the neighbors are asking when I plan to deliver.
I have 25 days left. At this rate, I'll be ignoring my phone and avoiding the neighbors entirely.😵

I was thinking about setting an outgoing voicemail message saying, "Nothing to report yet! If you're calling for anything else, please leave a message."
🤣

Even in my circle, most people asking about it don't even have a clue when it actually happens—they just know it’s sometime late January and leave it at that. Maybe ten people total actually know the specific date, and that's just my immediate family and a few close friends or best men.

Nicholas Carter6 said:That’s exactly why I haven't told anyone the actual date except for my inner circle. They know the general timeframe... but honestly? I can't risk it. If word got out, people would be suffocating me with "congrats" and endless questions before I'm even ready!

If I ever find myself pregnant again, I will simply tell them the date is two weeks later than it actually is.
Currently, only my husband, my mother, my brother, and his family know the actual date.
My husband's side of the family is incredibly laid back, yet they still check in every single week to ask about the due date and if anything has changed.

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! :-(

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.

Pregnancy brain... 🙂 I honestly, for the last few days, I’ve been constantly starting things only to stop mid-way because I completely forgot why I even started 🤦
Then there's this endless nighttime peeing that makes zero sense to me. I read all over the internet that these are just "phases" of pregnancy, but for me, it's constant. I'm hitting 20 weeks soon, and in that entire time, I've maybe had three nights where I slept through without needing to pee. Every other night, I'm up at least 3 or 4 times. Last night was probably a new record.

Yes, everyone would love to visit.
I'll pass. I can't manage it; I'm exhausted.

And then there is the nighttime bathroom trips. Every time I turn over in bed, I have to go—seven or eight times.
It is always an emergency; the pressure is intense. Then I get there, and only a few drops come out. 🤦
If I don't go when the urge hits, I won't be able to go at all. Tell me if you agree.🙏

Douglas Baker2 said: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.

If only you guys were invited!

And man, even typing this... it's such a struggle with every little movement (which, honestly, feels like a massive effort right now).

I had an intercostal nerve pinch today and it was brutal... I could barely catch my breath. Then the panic started setting in—like, what if I have to go into labor early? What if this doesn't clear up? How am I even going to be able to breathe once I'm in the delivery room?🤦

Patrick Brown3 said:Yes, everyone would love to visit.
I'll pass. I can't manage it; I'm exhausted.

And then there is the nighttime bathroom trips. Every time I turn over in bed, I have to go—seven or eight times.
It is always an emergency; the pressure is intense. Then I get there, and only a few drops come out. 🤦
If I don't go when the urge hits, I won't be able to go at all. Tell me if you agree.🙏

Exactly! That's it. It feels like my bladder is about to burst with three liters, but then it's just three drops. And once you finally go, you're fine for a bit until those next three drops start building up again. It isn't quite the same discomfort or pain you get with a UTI 🤷 at least not for me. During the day, I can mostly manage without issues unless my bladder is completely full.