What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

Look, there's no need to shove your way through the crowd. Once you drop your insurance card in the maternity ward intake bin, they’ll grab it and call you right away.

I mean, I knew what was coming, but I still found myself bracing for the inevitable commentary from those old-timers who act like they’re on duty, always looking for something to nitpick or meddle with anyway.

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cosmicpanther71 said:I went in for blood work this morning, and a pregnant woman arrived to take her glucose test.
She walked up to the counter with this ice-cold attitude and just asked, "I'm pregnant, do I get priority?" The clerk froze, and the rest of the patients were just stunned.
I suppose I should give her credit, though—she’s certainly given me some inspiration for how to skip the line next time.😉

I actually do something very similar quite regularly at the hospital where I work. I make sure to claim my priority so I don't have to rely on—well, usually rather rude—other people.

Today, though, I got totally torn apart by my own mother. She doesn't have even an ounce of tact; she dismisses every single thing I say or any opinion I hold as just being "hormones" because she doesn't agree with me. She’s turned into one of those awful people who acts like you won't see them again once you actually give birth.
Right now, I am so incredibly angry that I don't even want to see her until the baby arrives, and maybe even longer after that. If she keeps trying to lecture me, she seriously might not see her grandchild until they are walking.😠

Oof.🙂

Jesse Johnson15 said:Look, I do that kind of thing all the time. 🤷 If there’s an opportunity to jump ahead because I have an advantage, I’m taking it. Between dealing with nausea on an empty stomach and the fact that I really don't want to be breathing in everyone else's germs—especially since I can't take about 95% of standard medications—it's just practical. Plus, being able to skip the wait means I don't have to burn through my sick leave at work.

If the option is there, I'm going for it. 😳

OF COURSE!!! I push whenever I can; if the rules say I have priority, I’m using it.
The other day I was at the DMV. I'm standing there in line waiting for the clerk, minding my own business, when this aggressive cow just barges in, claiming her car is "next" and she should go before me. 🙄
I wasn't having it. I told her I wasn't moving because I was in line, and since we're on the subject, I mentioned I'm pregnant and should be prioritized—even though I wasn't actually cutting, I was waiting my turn properly, and there wasn't even a crowd. Then this bitch actually backs down and goes, "Oh, if you're pregnant, then you go ahead" (except I wasn't cutting, *she* was), and then she has the nerve to snap that she never used pregnancy to CUT in line. 😲😲😲😲 CUTTING???? I gave her the craziest look, shouted "CUTTING????" back at her, and gave her death stares for what felt like an eternity. Seriously, people are animals. Women can be such wolves to one another. One second she's trying to shove me, the next she's acting like a bitter hag. I LOST IT.
People are trash. Use every advantage you have to get ahead of the line, because if you have the right, use it.

What a complete load of garbage 🤣 did you even bother telling her that you’ve never once cut in line, especially not right in front of a pregnant woman?

Jesse Johnson15 said:What a complete load of garbage 🤣 did you even bother telling her that you’ve never once cut in line, especially not right in front of a pregnant woman?

I just froze up. I really should have told that total bitch exactly what I thought of her.

I feel like I’m losing my mind lately, and honestly, I can’t stand being in my own skin anymore. 🙂

I can't even tell what's driving me crazy—is it the pregnancy itself, the medical complications, or just this hyperactive baby constantly kicking me?
The hardest part is the crushing guilt; it seems like everyone around me is absolutely loving every second of their pregnancy and the lead-up to birth, celebrating the arrival of their little ones, while I’m just sitting here feeling miserable and wishing someone would just knock me unconscious so I could get some peace. 🤦

I’ve grown to despise those random women at the grocery store or the park who feel entitled to interrogate me about my due date, only to pivot into unsolicited stories about their own stitches, stretch marks, or tragic losses. Even worse are the ones who have never even been pregnant, yet they act like experts, lecturing me on how "blessed" pregnancy and motherhood are supposed to be.

It’s easy to preach about blessings when you aren't the one spending the entire night in agony because the baby is kicking so hard you're practically wetting yourself, all while you're hunched over a sink trying to stop your stomach from turning inside out from the constant nausea.

Is there anyone else out there who will be honest enough to admit that pregnancy can be absolutely horrific, and that you're just counting down the days until it's finally over, without being judged as a terrible person for feeling that way?

Amy Green4 said:I feel like I’m losing my mind lately, and honestly, I can’t stand being in my own skin anymore. 🙂

I can't even tell what's driving me crazy—is it the pregnancy itself, the medical complications, or just this hyperactive baby constantly kicking me?
The hardest part is the crushing guilt; it seems like everyone around me is absolutely loving every second of their pregnancy and the lead-up to birth, celebrating the arrival of their little ones, while I’m just sitting here feeling miserable and wishing someone would just knock me unconscious so I could get some peace. 🤦

I’ve grown to despise those random women at the grocery store or the park who feel entitled to interrogate me about my due date, only to pivot into unsolicited stories about their own stitches, stretch marks, or tragic losses. Even worse are the ones who have never even been pregnant, yet they act like experts, lecturing me on how "blessed" pregnancy and motherhood are supposed to be.

It’s easy to preach about blessings when you aren't the one spending the entire night in agony because the baby is kicking so hard you're practically wetting yourself, all while you're hunched over a sink trying to stop your stomach from turning inside out from the constant nausea.

Is there anyone else out there who will be honest enough to admit that pregnancy can be absolutely horrific, and that you're just counting down the days until it's finally over, without being judged as a terrible person for feeling that way?

Me too! Reading your words actually makes me feel a bit ashamed, because my issues are probably much smaller than yours, yet I am still desperately waiting for this to be over. I've even seriously considered the idea of having only one child.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say that pregnancy is this "wonderful, blissful state" that "completes them as a woman," or that they're "enjoying every single minute because it goes by so fast." Well, if only it actually went that fast!
And then I read all these articles about childbirth and the postpartum period, and I honestly wish Mother Nature had designed the whole thing to be a little more elegant and dignified.
Don't get me wrong, the baby is very much wanted, but everything leading up to it (aside from the sex, obviously) doesn't feel remotely fulfilling, beautiful, or sublime like everyone likes to claim.

So, let people type away or judge me if they want to; I can't change my actual experience, and I'm certainly not going to apologize for how I truly feel.

So my close friend just had her baby three months ago, and now she’s suddenly acting like some kind of pregnancy guru, lecturing me on how I should be "enjoying" this stage. She keeps going on and on about sleepless nights and all the other horrors waiting for me. Like, excuse me? I’ve already got a six-year-old at home dealing with his own health struggles, so trust me, I know what I'm doing—I haven't died yet! Honestly, she hasn't even hit the three-month mark and she can't even manage to whip up dinner for her little one without struggling.

Austin Sanders36 said:So my close friend just had her baby three months ago, and now she’s suddenly acting like some kind of pregnancy guru, lecturing me on how I should be "enjoying" this stage. She keeps going on and on about sleepless nights and all the other horrors waiting for me. Like, excuse me? I’ve already got a six-year-old at home dealing with his own health struggles, so trust me, I know what I'm doing—I haven't died yet! Honestly, she hasn't even hit the three-month mark and she can't even manage to whip up dinner for her little one without struggling.

Do some people truly lack any sense of shame, or are they just naturally delusional?
Forgive me for being so blunt about a friend, but I honestly don't get it.

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John Fisher7 said:Do some people truly lack any sense of shame, or are they just naturally delusional?
Forgive me for being so blunt about a friend, but I honestly don't get it.

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Oh, come on. Look, I love her, but she is as dim as a broken lightbulb. She tries to lecture me like, "Oh, I didn't realize babies cry," 🙂 and then she goes on and on about her kid, making it sound like he was being tortured or something, screaming and all that chaos. Meanwhile, my boy is such a sweetheart (well, except for the doctors). I went through so much pain during delivery, but I was just like, "Yeah, whatever, let's get this over with."

Amy Green4 said:I feel like I’m losing my mind lately, and honestly, I can’t stand being in my own skin anymore. 🙂

I can't even tell what's driving me crazy—is it the pregnancy itself, the medical complications, or just this hyperactive baby constantly kicking me?
The hardest part is the crushing guilt; it seems like everyone around me is absolutely loving every second of their pregnancy and the lead-up to birth, celebrating the arrival of their little ones, while I’m just sitting here feeling miserable and wishing someone would just knock me unconscious so I could get some peace. 🤦

I’ve grown to despise those random women at the grocery store or the park who feel entitled to interrogate me about my due date, only to pivot into unsolicited stories about their own stitches, stretch marks, or tragic losses. Even worse are the ones who have never even been pregnant, yet they act like experts, lecturing me on how "blessed" pregnancy and motherhood are supposed to be.

It’s easy to preach about blessings when you aren't the one spending the entire night in agony because the baby is kicking so hard you're practically wetting yourself, all while you're hunched over a sink trying to stop your stomach from turning inside out from the constant nausea.

Is there anyone else out there who will be honest enough to admit that pregnancy can be absolutely horrific, and that you're just counting down the days until it's finally over, without being judged as a terrible person for feeling that way?

🙂
Seriously, people—especially other women and pregnant women—act like they can't grasp that we don't all experience this the same way. Every single pregnancy is different. Instead of showing a little solidarity, they just love to lecture you.
"Oh, I worked right up until the delivery, I was out digging trenches in the backyard, climbing mountains, wrestling lightning bolts..." Yeah, wow. You're just incredible. Truly amazing. You're a hero. :kozjak:
Just shut up already.

Maybe people just don't know what to say, so they end up talking absolute nonsense.

copperdrifter5 said:🙂
Seriously, people—especially other women and pregnant women—act like they can't grasp that we don't all experience this the same way. Every single pregnancy is different. Instead of showing a little solidarity, they just love to lecture you.
"Oh, I worked right up until the delivery, I was out digging trenches in the backyard, climbing mountains, wrestling lightning bolts..." Yeah, wow. You're just incredible. Truly amazing. You're a hero. :kozjak:
Just shut up already.

Maybe people just don't know what to say, so they end up talking absolute nonsense.

Man, reminds me of this one time at a local festival. This old lady starts tearing into a pregnant woman like that, acting all tough, but then the woman's mother-in-law—who happened to be the old lady's next-door neighbor—totally shuts her down. She just reminded her that after seven pregnancies, she only actually made it to full term twice. After that, the lady went dead silent about her "wise" advice.

Rebecca White said:Man, reminds me of this one time at a local festival. This old lady starts tearing into a pregnant woman like that, acting all tough, but then the woman's mother-in-law—who happened to be the old lady's next-door neighbor—totally shuts her down. She just reminded her that after seven pregnancies, she only actually made it to full term twice. After that, the lady went dead silent about her "wise" advice.

Talk about a total reality check! 🙏

I honestly don't know. I can't quite wrap my head around why people feel they have the right to say such nonsense to pregnant women, or even what could possibly motivate them to do it. 🤷
Is there truly someone out there so misguided that they believe they're actually helping with comments like that? Because if it isn't pure ignorance, I guess it might just be plain old malice.

Rebecca White said:Man, reminds me of this one time at a local festival. This old lady starts tearing into a pregnant woman like that, acting all tough, but then the woman's mother-in-law—who happened to be the old lady's next-door neighbor—totally shuts her down. She just reminded her that after seven pregnancies, she only actually made it to full term twice. After that, the lady went dead silent about her "wise" advice.

🙏
Look, I am seriously not being lazy here. My plan is to keep working, at least part-time, through the end. I have a toddler running around the house, so there's no way in hell I can juggle four things at once even if I wanted to.

My first pregnancy was honestly a total breeze, but this second one? It's been pretty miserable. I am counting down the days until my due date. I won't go on a whole rant about every single discomfort, because at the end of the day, both the doctor and I say we're healthy, so we're just pushing through.

But honestly, I am just so over this "blissful" vibe people expect, especially those absolute heroines who feel the need to shove their perfect, glowing physiques in our faces while the rest of us exhausted, feeling-wrecked pregnant women are just trying to survive.

Ronald Lopez10 said:Talk about a total reality check! 🙏

I honestly don't know. I can't quite wrap my head around why people feel they have the right to say such nonsense to pregnant women, or even what could possibly motivate them to do it. 🤷
Is there truly someone out there so misguided that they believe they're actually helping with comments like that? Because if it isn't pure ignorance, I guess it might just be plain old malice.

I think part of the older generation of women is just jealous and bitter. When they were pregnant, nobody showed them any respect, and they probably couldn't even afford to take a break. They likely had mothers-in-law acting the exact same way, forcing them to work through a high-risk pregnancy. So they figure if they didn't have it easy, no one else should either. Like, "if I survived that, what right does she have to complain about how easy her life is now?"
I'm not making excuses for them. It's still pure spite. I'm just saying I get where they're coming from.

silentnomad8 said:I think part of the older generation of women is just jealous and bitter. When they were pregnant, nobody showed them any respect, and they probably couldn't even afford to take a break. They likely had mothers-in-law acting the exact same way, forcing them to work through a high-risk pregnancy. So they figure if they didn't have it easy, no one else should either. Like, "if I survived that, what right does she have to complain about how easy her life is now?"
I'm not making excuses for them. It's still pure spite. I'm just saying I get where they're coming from.

Well, I can see where those older women are coming from, I guess. Maybe acting this way serves as a sort of therapy for them.
However, I absolutely do not understand or condone it. I have no excuses or positive feelings toward older women who have NEVER even given birth but feel entitled to lecture others, nor do I have patience for the younger crowd who make comments like, "Oh, pregnancy was never that hard for me." That goes for anyone making inappropriate remarks about weight (regardless of whether they think it's too much or too little), belly size, childbirth horrors, or any other kind of verbal diarrhea.

Whether it's malice or just plain stupidity, when I tell you 😉 🤷

Ronald Lopez10 said:Well, I can see where those older women are coming from, I guess. Maybe acting this way serves as a sort of therapy for them.
However, I absolutely do not understand or condone it. I have no excuses or positive feelings toward older women who have NEVER even given birth but feel entitled to lecture others, nor do I have patience for the younger crowd who make comments like, "Oh, pregnancy was never that hard for me." That goes for anyone making inappropriate remarks about weight (regardless of whether they think it's too much or too little), belly size, childbirth horrors, or any other kind of verbal diarrhea.

Whether it's malice or just plain stupidity, when I tell you 😉 🤷

Yeah, I agree there. There's always a group of women trying to act superior, smarter, or tougher than everyone else. They put others down just to lift themselves up, acting like they're somehow the perfect pregnant women or mothers. Honestly, people like that are just impossible to deal with.

Right now, nothing gets under my skin quite like when someone starts lecturing me with that smug, "know-it-all" attitude, acting like my heartburn is some huge medical crisis just because the baby’s ribs are expanding.
I mean, seriously, what are they even talking about? Is the baby growing in my stomach or my uterus? 😨

And then, God forbid you try to explain that you actually deal with heartburn almost every single day—like, for the last decade—because you’ve been struggling with chronic gastritis and a stomach ulcer... oh, nooo, apparently that's impossible! According to them, I can't possibly have that; it must be some "different kind" of heartburn. 😁

fadedcrane19 said:Right now, nothing gets under my skin quite like when someone starts lecturing me with that smug, "know-it-all" attitude, acting like my heartburn is some huge medical crisis just because the baby’s ribs are expanding.
I mean, seriously, what are they even talking about? Is the baby growing in my stomach or my uterus? 😨

And then, God forbid you try to explain that you actually deal with heartburn almost every single day—like, for the last decade—because you’ve been struggling with chronic gastritis and a stomach ulcer... oh, nooo, apparently that's impossible! According to them, I can't possibly have that; it must be some "different kind" of heartburn. 😁

I guess SHE knows best. Like you could possibly have any clue about your OWN health problems.