What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

Olivia Newman3 said:The first four months of pregnancy: you don’t even have a bump yet, so everyone keeps asking, "Wait, are you actually pregnant?"
By the sixth month: suddenly, it's all, "Oh wow, look at that belly! Are you about to pop any day now?"
🤦🤦🤦🙂

Man, this started getting under my skin too. Next week I hit 24 weeks, and every single person who knows I'm expecting has the exact same line: "I can't even tell."
It drives me absolutely insane.
And then there's that other one: "You haven't even gained any weight."

So, pregnant women get priority at the clinic, right? Does that actually mean my wait time for a specialist drops from about three hours down to just one? 😝😨😩

I’ve been scrolling through some comments, and one thing that really caught my eye was that whole debate about borrowing old baby gear—it honestly gets under my skin because I constantly have people showing up at my door offering hand-me-downs for me or the little one.

The other thing that is driving me absolutely crazy? Dealing with this phase where I'm still dealing with constant nausea... and right when I'm finally sitting down to try and eat something, my mother-in-law pops in to vent about her recent surgeries and hospital stays. It’s awful—like, how am I supposed to keep food down when she starts talking about medical trauma? She's actually a perfectly fine woman, normally, but those hospital stories just make me feel sick to my stomach.

Is it spinning? Is there kicking? And how often are we talking?

Man, I absolutely hated this first one, and I seriously despise this second pregnancy even more. It’s not even about the people or the doctors asking a million questions—it’s just the sheer stress of the whole thing. I’m 6 months along now, and I feel like I’ve been able to sense the baby moving for a few weeks already. Everything seems pretty textbook so far, a really smooth pregnancy.
But... much like his brother, this little guy clearly isn't interested in playing soccer with my kidneys. I only feel him once or twice a day at most.

And of course, because life loves to throw curveballs, I always seem to run into those women carrying literal aliens who are trying to force their way out, or the ones who had to be hospitalized because their babies weren't moving nearly enough.

I’m honestly tempted to go out and buy a pair of medical stethoscopes just to check.

frozenangler87 said:My sister-in-law and her endless advice (honestly, she gets on my nerves even when I'm not pregnant, so I don't know if that even counts)😬

this is top tier🤣🤣

So, I ran into this former classmate at the local pub today—and man, she absolutely grilled me with every question imaginable! To make matters even more awkward, there was this group of local women sitting nearby, just hovering and eavesdropping on our entire conversation 😵

Sleep. I honestly hate sleeping. More like I’m terrified of sleep—mostly because of the struggle of actually getting up.

I’ve been doing yoga, my sciatica is finally under control, we even dropped some serious cash on this new ultra-firm mattress that’s supposed to be "heavenly," plus an ergonomic pillow and everything... but whatever. No matter how I set myself up, I wake up feeling like I just went ten rounds in a boxing ring.

I’ll spend all night positioning myself just so my spine doesn't seize up, but then the second I try to stand, I can't even catch my breath for half an hour because my ribs are killing me right under my chest. At this rate, I’ll be sleeping in that weird half-propped-up position like those characters you see in old movies.

This stupid thought keeps nagging at me—that maybe we should have more kids—but then the feeling just vanishes every single morning.

I’m starting to get really annoyed by people constantly touching my belly—and I don't even know them! Yesterday, some woman I see at the daycare drop-off point just went ahead and rubbed my stomach. It totally caught me off guard, so I didn't even know how to react. Our kids aren't even in the same class, so we barely even know each other; we just kind of nod at each other in passing. No one has ever done this before. Honestly, I didn't deal with any of this during my first pregnancy either. To make matters worse, I stopped by my office that morning to visit some coworkers, and they all started poking me too, even the ones who aren't exactly my best friends. I thought I wouldn't mind it so much, but I was wrong.
The leg cramps are also driving me crazy. They leave me limping around for two days straight because that muscle just stays partially cramped up.
But honestly? The heat is what’s getting to me most. I feel trapped inside under the AC, which isn't even helping that much. Usually, I'm someone who hates the cold and lives for summer and the beach, but right now, I can't even get to the coast whenever I want. By the time I'm actually feeling okay enough to head down to the beach, I have to worry about making dinner, showering, and getting my oldest settled for bed.
This will be my first and hopefully my last post on this thread.

The constant swelling in my legs is honestly driving me insane and weighing me down emotionally 😲😲
It’s reached a point where I can’t fit into any of my shoes; even my favorite cotton flip-flops provide some relief because they don't squeeze, but even my go-to Crocs at home won't slide on anymore
What really gets under my skin, though, is the actual pain caused by this swelling, which means I can't get out for walks like I used to... although, to be fair, the constant pressure on my bladder makes long strolls pretty much impossible anyway
This past month has been an absolute struggle
And don't even get me started on the transition from lying down to standing up—it feels like I'm attempting to scale a mountain every single time
On top of all that, there's this persistent exhaustion, which I’m pretty sure is being fueled by this brutal American summer heat
I know I'm probably just venting and getting on my own nerves by complaining, but it's hard to help myself when things feel this heavy 🤦

Sarah Hernandez87 said:The constant swelling in my legs is honestly driving me insane and weighing me down emotionally 😲😲
It’s reached a point where I can’t fit into any of my shoes; even my favorite cotton flip-flops provide some relief because they don't squeeze, but even my go-to Crocs at home won't slide on anymore
What really gets under my skin, though, is the actual pain caused by this swelling, which means I can't get out for walks like I used to... although, to be fair, the constant pressure on my bladder makes long strolls pretty much impossible anyway
This past month has been an absolute struggle
And don't even get me started on the transition from lying down to standing up—it feels like I'm attempting to scale a mountain every single time
On top of all that, there's this persistent exhaustion, which I’m pretty sure is being fueled by this brutal American summer heat
I know I'm probably just venting and getting on my own nerves by complaining, but it's hard to help myself when things feel this heavy 🤦

I'm right there with you. And let's not even count the other eight hundred and sixty problems on top of it.

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."

boldotter47 said: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."

You hit the nail on the head... I hadn't even realized it until now, yet here I am, answering that same question on a daily basis... yeah... and then everyone follows it up with those patronizing comments like, "Oh, hang in there, just a little longer!"

Ugh, tell me about it. Every single time someone asks how I’m doing... I just end up sounding like a broken record. It’s honestly easier to just say "everything's fine," because if you dare to mention you're feeling even slightly off, people immediately spiral into total panic mode or start dumping a thousand unsolicited pieces of advice on you.

I’m just sitting here waiting for that final month to hit, so then the floodgates can open with everyone blowing up my phone asking if I've had the baby yet or when I'm finally going to deliver...🙄

Right now, though, it's just pure irritability and insomnia. I can't sleep for anything—nothing feels comfortable. When I try to lie on my back, it feels like someone placed an anvil right on my chest. And if I flip onto my side? It feels like I'm crushing the little one because they start kicking like crazy. Honestly, there's just this constant, pounding pressure... and I feel like I'm running to the bathroom ten times in half an hour.

Just a little while longer...😁

Death-of-Art said:You know what gets under my skin most during pregnancy? It’s not even about other people. It’s this:

-THE PARANOIA:
It’s everything. Every possible ailment, real or imagined. Honestly, over the last four months, I’ve convinced myself I have everything from the flu to a brain tumor.
And don't even get me started on sitting down. Like, if I sit on a park bench, I immediately start itching. I find myself spiraling, wondering if the fabric of my coat or skirt is too thin. Could some bacteria or virus just pass right through my clothes and reach my lady parts, all the way to the uterus?

Don't even get me started on medication.
I deal with headaches that drive me absolutely insane. So, I actually came up with this trick where I drink a glass of water and just *pretend* I took a pill.
And you know what? It actually worked.
Then, after a while, it hit me—if autosuggestion can kill a headache... could I maybe trick my body into producing its own version of Advil or something similar?
Now, I’ve become paranoid about the suggestion itself. I stopped trying to "think" my headaches away because now I’m worried that if my brain is powerful enough to create medicine, who knows what else it's doing?

Right now, I’m obsessing over HPV. I’m convinced I caught it maybe two months ago. My Pap smear three months ago was totally fine.
But now I’m thinking I picked up HPV at the OBGYN's office right after that test. I’m going to get a DNA PCR test just to be sure. See, I sat there on the exam table with my bare backside, and then realized the paper covering wasn't even fresh! Someone had been sitting there before me, and they definitely had HPV, and I just sat right in it.
God, give me a break... now I have to worry about HPV too. It makes me wonder if I should even bother going back for pelvic exams anymore. I just can't trust anything.

And then there's the herpes paranoia.
The other day, I was trying on a new top in a store... and suddenly my stomach just turned. I thought I was going to faint when I realized I was trying on an unworn garment that hundreds of people had likely tried on before me. Now, I'm just sitting here waiting for shingles or herpes to show up.

And towels? Forget it. I won't even wipe my lady parts with a towel anymore—may Saint Anthony of Padua forgive me. Even if the towel is clean, who knows whose hands were on it? Where were those hands before?
I’d much rather just use those disposable paper towels that are slightly thicker than toilet paper.

And it goes on and on...

🤣🤣🤣 Oh man, I'm actually tearing up reading this!

It’s the exact same thing for me as it is for so many of you... just constant questions about how I'm feeling, or "how much longer?" or "just a little bit more to go," and so on and so forth.🙄

I was at a wedding this past Saturday, and honestly, I don't think there was a single person there who didn't hit me with one of those questions. It was just... ugh, such a nightmare.

I don't know about all of you, but personally, I'm not out here interrogating every pregnant woman I pass on the street. I mean, I didn't even know about 80% of the people at that wedding... it's funny how people are. How should I put this? Just... well, mostly just boring.😉

Anyway... all that questioning is really starting to get under my skin.😁

Hey, slyscout3, how much more do you have left? 😁

I honestly can't say—this whole investigation hasn't even once rubbed me the wrong way... I mean, what exactly are they supposed to be asking people?
It’s likely that most people don't care at all, but perhaps there was some moment in their lives where they crossed paths with a pregnant woman and failed to acknowledge her or ask anything about the pregnancy—resulting in them getting snapped at for their silence—and now, poor souls, they have absolutely no clue how to behave properly.

"How are you doing?" and "how much longer?" are incredibly harmless questions—in fact, they're perfectly neutral.

I’m still just so incredibly frustrated by all of this. Right now, the worst part is being trapped inside my own house—if I try to step out, I just collapse, and then I’m forced to sit down every ten feet or so.

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What really gets under my skin, both back then and even more so now, is when people just reach out and touch my belly. I don't mind if someone does it once if it’s absolutely necessary—especially once the bump is more prominent—but during my first pregnancy, having people poking at my stomach before it had even begun to show was honestly such an uncomfortable experience...

And now, with this second pregnancy, what’s really getting to me is how incredibly sensitive I’ve become; I feel like I’m constantly on the verge of tears over everything, which definitely wasn't the case during my first one.

casualowl33 said:What really gets under my skin, both back then and even more so now, is when people just reach out and touch my belly. I don't mind if someone does it once if it’s absolutely necessary—especially once the bump is more prominent—but during my first pregnancy, having people poking at my stomach before it had even begun to show was honestly such an uncomfortable experience...

And now, with this second pregnancy, what’s really getting to me is how incredibly sensitive I’ve become; I feel like I’m constantly on the verge of tears over everything, which definitely wasn't the case during my first one.

The constant belly-poking still drives me nuts. It feels rude and totally unnecessary. Just yesterday, someone did it twice, even though I kept trying to move away.🙂