What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

vividhawk87 said:And honestly, it just bugs me when people act like being pregnant is some kind of illness!

Exactly. And then when I order takeout, I get the whole "WHAT ARE YOU EATING?!" reaction. Like, you're pregnant, you can't have 😲 (like a Starbucks latte)

Especially coming from women who haven't even been pregnant themselves. 🙄

I mean, everyone knows their own body—if a terrified pregnant woman decides not to eat half of that, she clearly knows what's best for her pregnancy. But seriously, back off if I choose to handle my pregnancy however I see fit. 😍

...I'm walking like a newborn fawn because the pain in my left foot is absolutely brutal. I’ve been trying walnuts, milk, yogurt—you name it—but nothing touches this ache.
...Honestly, I feel like I could feed a small army. I’m actually terrified to step on the scale at my OBGYN's office because I know I won't have the courage to face myself once I get home.😠, not to mention how I seem to jump into every single discussion thread here, except for the ones about weight gain, prenatal workouts, or belly size...

Are you seriously riding a scooter? A SCOOTER?!?
Oh, great. Just what I needed—trekking all the way across town on foot just to pay some bills.

And yeah, sure... I’ve been living off nothing but chocolate the last few days because honestly, it works for me, it works for the baby, and it works for the scale (which isn't budging an inch). Besides, I have to eat through all this birthday loot I got, because once the baby arrives, there's no more treats—we're hitting the gym! Meanwhile, my husband keeps telling me I shouldn't be eating anything at all!!!! And by the way, who finished those three Reese's Cups today? I see the wrappers in the trash.

It’s also starting to get on my nerves how he checks in on me every single time I let out a heavy sigh while bending over to pick something up or just shifting positions. "Are you okay?" he asks. Look, if I wasn't okay, I'd tell him!

analognomad59 said:I personally tossed out everything on that list just out of pure fear 😢 alcohol, coffee, Red Bull, Burn, black tea, Coke, all the carbonated stuff, anything made from cured meats (like prosciutto, bacon, sausage...), meat and dairy products that aren't packaged with a label and an expiration date, tuna, salmon, cod, even shark (not that I’ve ever eaten shark, but man, I wish I had the option 😳 ), and basically any deep-fried food unless I whip it up myself...

I just realized I probably need to ditch mozzarella and gorgonzola and all those soft cheeses too, plus any fresh fruit or veggies in sandwiches or salads bought out since I can't be sure they actually washed them 👎 but look, I am a total germaphobe, and even if there isn't some bacteria lurking around to catch, stressing myself out over "what ifs" isn't exactly great for the baby either.. 👎🙄

Oh man... seriously... you've left me speechless 😁 and actually gave me an idea for lunch—Gorgonzola sauce! I haven't had that in ages and I really need something quick 👍

Anyway, things like Burn, Red Bull, fast food... none of that was ever really on my menu to begin with. As for booze, that's strictly reserved for celebrations when I'm not pregnant, and carbonated drinks are extremely, extremely rare for me...

But here’s what bugs me: nobody seems able to explain why I shouldn't drink soda. A few times now—at lunches or dinners where I reached for some sparkling water or a Coke—people have just told me, "Oh, you shouldn't be drinking carbonated stuff." If I actually ask, "Wait, why exactly?" no one has a clue 😂

I mean, for crying out loud, if I want to grab a small Bitter Lemon once in a blue moon, why the hell not? 🤷

Tell me about it... I grab a little Coke and suddenly everyone's breathing down my neck like I just committed some kind of felony 😛
And you should see the group of pregnant women smoking right next to me—nobody says a single word to them 🤷

Honestly, I haven't really given up much lately 🤔

Except for that one time I had some sage honey and then read later that it wasn't great for pregnant women. I was low-key freaking out for a minute there 😢

Lately, the only thing truly getting under my skin is insomnia. 🙄

It’s honestly getting on my nerves, how much my body has decided to slow down lately 😁
What used to take me maybe an hour to knock out now takes me nearly the entire day just to finish 🙄

vividhawk87 said:analognomad59, I honestly think you’re overreacting just a little bit here. 😁

Look, some of us didn't follow any of those strict rules to a T. We ate whatever we wanted and drank whatever we felt like, and we didn't run into any issues at all.
If you try to keep yourself or your baby under a literal glass bell jar, neither of you is going to develop any actual immunity!!
Besides, these food products are vetted so many times nowadays that there really isn't a health risk involved. I find it hard to believe that any major corporation would ever allow spoiled food to hit their shelves—they wouldn't risk their entire reputation like that!

And yeah, if I can be a bit sarcastic, why don't you just wear a mask whenever you go outside? People out there are consuming the very ingredients you're avoiding and then breathing them in, so you might accidentally pick something up...

I mean... this is just getting to be way too much.

At this rate, it makes it seem like PREGNANCY IS SOME KIND OF DISEASE!!!

(Just as a side note, during my last pregnancy, I cut out cappuccino because people claimed it caused miscarriages, yet the pregnancy still didn't work out. This time around, I've been drinking it whenever I feel like it—along with alcohol, Coke, and energy drinks—and look at me... I can barely walk, and I'm due in about 10 days.)

Me, exaggerating a LITTLE? 😂 I know, I know, I exaggerate waaaaaaay too much, but I just can't help myself... 🤷

My mom tells me the exact same thing. She had zero clue about all these "don't eat this" lists when she was pregnant, and she ended up having two perfectly healthy kids. On the flip side, though, I keep thinking... they probably don't issue these warnings for no reason, which just makes me freak out even more and I don't know what's worse... 🤷

The time I actually panicked was when I ended up on bed rest. Before that, I was so sure—I mean, hey, I'm 20 and perfectly healthy. If anyone shouldn't have problems, it's me. And then they found Ureaplasma and Gardnerella, things that apparently don't show up on a standard exam or a Pap smear. A lot of pregnant women have them and usually pass through without an issue, but I ended up with spotting and was put on strict bed rest 👎 and now I'm struggling to convince myself everything will be fine, since so many others deal with the same stuff and turn out okay... 👎

Look... I'm around your age, and trust me, I was bleeding at the start too and had to take it easy.
But believe me when I say, whether you're eating unwashed lettuce or some deli meat doesn't change the fact that those bacteria exist. 😉
Honestly, you’re doing more harm to the baby by stressing out over every little thing than you would by having a basic sandwich. 🙂
Kudos to you for trying to eat healthy, really, but there's such a thing as going overboard.

Oh, and one more thing... my mom says the exact same stuff yours does.
Back when she was pregnant, you could practically eat anything—as long as it wasn't booze or cigarettes—and she ended up having two perfectly healthy kids. Nowadays, everyone acts like you can't touch this or that. 🙂

analognomad59 said:I personally tossed out everything on that list just out of pure fear 😢 alcohol, coffee, Red Bull, Burn, black tea, Coke, all the carbonated stuff, anything made from cured meats (like prosciutto, bacon, sausage...), meat and dairy products that aren't packaged with a label and an expiration date, tuna, salmon, cod, even shark (not that I’ve ever eaten shark, but man, I wish I had the option 😳 ), and basically any deep-fried food unless I whip it up myself...

I just realized I probably need to ditch mozzarella and gorgonzola and all those soft cheeses too, plus any fresh fruit or veggies in sandwiches or salads bought out since I can't be sure they actually washed them 👎 but look, I am a total germaphobe, and even if there isn't some bacteria lurking around to catch, stressing myself out over "what ifs" isn't exactly great for the baby either.. 👎🙄

Salmon is definitely okay to eat; in fact, it's actually really good for you during pregnancy. You just shouldn't go for smoked salmon or anything that hasn't been cooked enough.😉

I honestly worry that in twenty years, our daughters will be getting through pregnancy relying on nothing but crackers, tea, and vitamin supplements... it actually scares me a little bit.

vividhawk87 said:I honestly worry that in twenty years, our daughters will be getting through pregnancy relying on nothing but crackers, tea, and vitamin supplements... it actually scares me a little bit.

It’s pretty much like that.🙄
All those endless "tips" about what you aren't allowed to do while pregnant really get under my skin, mostly because it feels like the list of forbidden things is basically everything.
It’s almost as if we should all just seal ourselves away in some sterile, climate-controlled bubble where no one else can enter—especially not pets—and then just avoid breathing any outside air, eat maybe three or four approved foods, stick strictly to bottled spring water, and just lie there for nine months straight.🙄

Alright, here’s a little something to brighten your day (I’m an ex-mom who barely gave up anything during pregnancy, and hey, I have a perfect, gorgeous 2-month-old now):
I was digging through some old stuff at my parents' place and found this book from the 60s called *Pregnancy and Family* or something like that. I’m flipping through it and it actually says pregnant women shouldn't smoke more than two cigarettes a day. 😂 😂
So if that was considered "healthy" fifty years ago, and if women back then stuck to that and still had healthy kids, I'm pretty sure a little Coca-Cola, coffee, or bacon isn't going to kill anyone.

urbantinker8 said:Salmon is definitely okay to eat; in fact, it's actually really good for you during pregnancy. You just shouldn't go for smoked salmon or anything that hasn't been cooked enough.😉

Are you serious? Man, that would be awesome if they actually let us... 🙂 I was reading somewhere that you probably shouldn't go eating much cod or its close relatives... they even mentioned salmon being on that list too. Honestly, I don't know the first thing about fish or how to cook them properly... even though I grew up right by the coast... 🙈 You really have to watch out with sharks, stingrays, and tuna... mostly because of that whole mercury thing. It builds up in them over time, and while having tiny amounts in your system isn't exactly a crisis for most people, things change when you're pregnant. You don't want that stuff messing with the baby's development, so it's probably better to just play it safe and skip those for a bit... 🤷

Jesse Evans85 said:I’ve started to feel a bit irritated lately—though most people don't even know I'm pregnant yet since I'm not showing—by the fact that absolutely everyone who *does* know seems to have some horror story about childbirth ready to go. Or they pivot immediately to how exhausting life with a newborn is, offering those unsolicited "helpful" tips like, "Oh, you better get all the sleep you can now, because you won't see it again," and so on. It’s just constant. 🙂
Not a single soul has thought to share a beautiful story or a positive perspective with me. Honestly, I can't quite wrap my head around why there's such an overwhelming urge to focus on the negatives!

And this part right here is what really gets under my skin 😠! Honestly, it's only because it's coming from people I actually respect. I don't usually expect these kinds of outbursts from them. If it were just those busybody neighbors who are constantly meddling anyway, I wouldn't even bother listening. 😁

vividhawk87 said:Are you seriously riding a scooter? A SCOOTER?!?
Oh, great. Just what I needed—trekking all the way across town on foot just to pay some bills.

And yeah, sure... I’ve been living off nothing but chocolate the last few days because honestly, it works for me, it works for the baby, and it works for the scale (which isn't budging an inch). Besides, I have to eat through all this birthday loot I got, because once the baby arrives, there's no more treats—we're hitting the gym! Meanwhile, my husband keeps telling me I shouldn't be eating anything at all!!!! And by the way, who finished those three Reese's Cups today? I see the wrappers in the trash.

It’s also starting to get on my nerves how he checks in on me every single time I let out a heavy sigh while bending over to pick something up or just shifting positions. "Are you okay?" he asks. Look, if I wasn't okay, I'd tell him!

Has anyone else found that question getting incredibly annoying over the last few days? 😉?

Douglas Booth22 said:Lately, the only thing truly getting under my skin is insomnia. 🙄

I'll admit, I'm a bit of a rebel here. 😁
I only manage to get decent sleep every other day... 😂... But I am being dead serious.

Sarah Johnson7 said:Alright, here’s a little something to brighten your day (I’m an ex-mom who barely gave up anything during pregnancy, and hey, I have a perfect, gorgeous 2-month-old now):
I was digging through some old stuff at my parents' place and found this book from the 60s called *Pregnancy and Family* or something like that. I’m flipping through it and it actually says pregnant women shouldn't smoke more than two cigarettes a day. 😂 😂
So if that was considered "healthy" fifty years ago, and if women back then stuck to that and still had healthy kids, I'm pretty sure a little Coca-Cola, coffee, or bacon isn't going to kill anyone.

😂 😂

analognomad59 said:Are you serious? Man, that would be awesome if they actually let us... 🙂 I was reading somewhere that you probably shouldn't go eating much cod or its close relatives... they even mentioned salmon being on that list too. Honestly, I don't know the first thing about fish or how to cook them properly... even though I grew up right by the coast... 🙈 You really have to watch out with sharks, stingrays, and tuna... mostly because of that whole mercury thing. It builds up in them over time, and while having tiny amounts in your system isn't exactly a crisis for most people, things change when you're pregnant. You don't want that stuff messing with the baby's development, so it's probably better to just play it safe and skip those for a bit... 🤷

Those other types you listed tend to have higher mercury levels, so they aren't usually recommended. Besides tuna and shark, swordfish falls into that category too. But salmon should be perfectly fine, provided you aren't eating it smoked or raw.👍
I've spent quite a bit of time looking into salmon from just about every angle since it's pretty much the only fish I eat😁. It’s packed with omega fatty acids, and it doesn't fall into that group of fish you're supposed to avoid. Of course, I suppose you wouldn't want to eat it three or four times a week either.
So, honestly, just go for it!😉

urbantinker8 said:Those other types you listed tend to have higher mercury levels, so they aren't usually recommended. Besides tuna and shark, swordfish falls into that category too. But salmon should be perfectly fine, provided you aren't eating it smoked or raw.👍
I've spent quite a bit of time looking into salmon from just about every angle since it's pretty much the only fish I eat😁. It’s packed with omega fatty acids, and it doesn't fall into that group of fish you're supposed to avoid. Of course, I suppose you wouldn't want to eat it three or four times a week either.
So, honestly, just go for it!😉

hehehe honestly, I eat fish, but ever since I moved out of my parents' place about two years ago, I tend to skip the whole cooking process just to avoid the massive headache of making a full meal... unless I grab a salmon or tuna steak, or maybe some cod fillets where I don't have to mess around with guts and tiny bones, 😬 canned tuna 😬 or even smoked salmon—but man, that stuff is pricey, so I can't really splurge on it very often 😳

On a different note: I'm super bummed that I can't head out for Halloween tomorrow because I still need to take it easy and rest as much as I have been... plus, it sucks that my favorite local pub is closing down😢

It’s the supposed "bans" that really get under my skin—all this talk without a shred of actual evidence to back it up. I mean, realistically, shouldn't every single OB-GYN clinic in the country have a standard pamphlet sitting on the desk? Something a doctor hands you that clearly outlines the do's and don'ts—what you can actually eat, drink, or do during pregnancy. Beyond that, we all know the drill: smoking, drinking, soda, even coloring your hair, or living off greasy fast food and a repetitive diet... none of that is healthy for anyone, period. Even something as innocent as eating a pound of tangerines every single day would probably wreck your system.
As urbantinker8 so brilliantly pointed out, the best move is clearly just to seal yourself in a vault and stay completely isolated for nine months...

Honestly, ladies, let’s stop with the nonsense. The best approach is just a balanced diet—and obviously, cutting out the booze and cigarettes.
And can we talk about how much it gets on my nerves? For four or five months now, everyone has been breathing down my neck asking when I'm due or if they can be the godparents!!!
WTF. I didn't even realize I was pregnant at first, so why on earth would I be stressing over baptism details and stuff before I've even had a chance to recover from the birth?!!

Sarah Johnson7 said:Alright, here’s a little something to brighten your day (I’m an ex-mom who barely gave up anything during pregnancy, and hey, I have a perfect, gorgeous 2-month-old now):
I was digging through some old stuff at my parents' place and found this book from the 60s called *Pregnancy and Family* or something like that. I’m flipping through it and it actually says pregnant women shouldn't smoke more than two cigarettes a day. 😂 😂
So if that was considered "healthy" fifty years ago, and if women back then stuck to that and still had healthy kids, I'm pretty sure a little Coca-Cola, coffee, or bacon isn't going to kill anyone.

Honestly, I’m not even shocked by that... especially since if you talk to regular smokers—the ones who are truly hooked—they’re usually told not to quit cold turkey because the shock to the system is just too much... it's better to taper off slowly. And logically, if you're tapering down, you're eventually going to end up at just one or two a day anyway. I have a friend who used to smoke well over a pack and a half before she got pregnant, and during her pregnancy, she tried her best to keep it under five... sometimes it was just one or two, sometimes three or four, occasionally six... you know how it goes. And, of course, she had her doctor's blessing along the way.