What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

Sarah Adams3 said:You poor things...
I haven't even been asked what I need to bring the baby home in yet...
My mother-in-law hasn't once checked if we need anything, since we supposedly have everything ready... My husband told them he'd buy the stroller, probably just because he said we should ask for one,
but honestly, money is tight right now...
As long as he keeps making me that salad every third day... I guess that’s the most important thing.

My parents didn't buy us a single thing either. Not even a pair of socks. But you know what doesn't bother me? It's not the lack of gifts—it's the fact that for months they kept repeating themselves like broken records about how they were gonna buy this, and that, and everything else... then when it actually came time to shop, suddenly they're broke. Look, you don't HAVE to buy anything (actually, I prefer it that way—don't want to feel like I owe anyone anything), fine. Just don't talk a big game if you aren't going to follow through.
Why do people even assume they're entitled to gifts by default?

Anthony Watson35 said:It’ll just be a bunch of hand-me-downs and some old man's legacy—and honestly? They probably won't even hold onto any of it. Realistically? Never. 🙄

But surely a child will be looked after if you actually have some level of trust in them!
If you are constantly worrying that their specific actions might jeopardize a child's safety, health, or general well-being, wouldn't you naturally decide not to leave that child unattended?
Would you really just hand a toddler over to a grandmother who thinks it's perfectly fine to let them wander along a busy street without even holding their hand, simply because she happens to be the grandmother?!

Terry Ramos60 said:But surely a child will be looked after if you actually have some level of trust in them!
If you are constantly worrying that their specific actions might jeopardize a child's safety, health, or general well-being, wouldn't you naturally decide not to leave that child unattended?
Would you really just hand a toddler over to a grandmother who thinks it's perfectly fine to let them wander along a busy street without even holding their hand, simply because she happens to be the grandmother?!

Man, you're getting worked up—we were talking about food in the first place!
We already know everything is just perfect in your little Pink Floyd fantasy land—grandparents included. Whatever.

Oh, come on, I’m definitely not expecting them to go out and buy us anything.
To the grandmas and grandpas out there—hey, grab a little toy when you come visit the kid, but honestly, I don't care. It's not like they're obligated to buy stuff; I don't really see it that way.
But still... it's just that whole thing where people say, "Oh, we'll get this for her" or "we'll do that."
My parents never talked like that, and I certainly don't expect them to go out and buy heaven knows what. As long as they're both amazing grandparents,
and they love the child and everything is great, then that's fine by me.
It just surprises me that they haven't even asked if we've prepared things like this yet... knowing how they usually act.

Anthony Watson35 said:Man, you're getting worked up—we were talking about food in the first place!
We already know everything is just perfect in your little Pink Floyd fantasy land—grandparents included. Whatever.

Well, if you are truly concerned about ensuring your child isn't fed complete junk, then nutrition is clearly important to you, isn't it? Surely you believe it is vital for the baby's overall well-being!
Nothing is ever perfectly ideal, so why make things more complicated than they need to be?

If you leave your child in the care of people who refuse to respect your views, your methods, or your reasoning, aren't you essentially giving them silent permission to shove chocolate into that three-month-old's mouth?
If you absolutely refuse to let anyone feed chocolate to your infant at three months old—why would you ever put them in a situation where someone else even has the opportunity to do so?

Are we really going to leave a baby with grandparents who won't listen to a word you say because they think they know better than you, only to sit around later complaining about how they did this or that against your wishes?!

I honestly refuse to lose any sleep over leaving my child with the grandparents. I mean, really, how else were we raised in this country?!!

Oh, I’m sure they won't cause any harm, at least not intentionally. So the sentiment is basically—just let them go for it!!!

I mostly agree with coastalowl212, because I’ve noticed that either my folks or his parents give the baby something one day,
something we specifically asked them not to do after having a long talk about it,
and if that happens, the babysitting is over. Bye-bye! There are preschools and daycare centers out there, plus work shifts change all the time—people can figure it out.
Then they can wonder why they aren't watching the grandkids anymore. At the end of the day, my child's safety and health come before grandparents.
dustyridge31. I guess some modern grandparents just don't get certain things, even when you explain it clearly...
For instance, don't give the baby any gummy vitamins; the pediatrician told us not to because it might cause an allergic reaction, which might be what those rashes on the body are.
You pick up your kid after work, and the baby is just sitting there enjoying those gummies...
Sure, I ate them when I was little and I was fine, but that doesn't mean it's okay for my child.
But the grandparents will just think, oh, what's the harm in a little gummy?

Terry Ramos60 said:Well, if you are truly concerned about ensuring your child isn't fed complete junk, then nutrition is clearly important to you, isn't it? Surely you believe it is vital for the baby's overall well-being!
Nothing is ever perfectly ideal, so why make things more complicated than they need to be?

If you leave your child in the care of people who refuse to respect your views, your methods, or your reasoning, aren't you essentially giving them silent permission to shove chocolate into that three-month-old's mouth?
If you absolutely refuse to let anyone feed chocolate to your infant at three months old—why would you ever put them in a situation where someone else even has the opportunity to do so?

Are we really going to leave a baby with grandparents who won't listen to a word you say because they think they know better than you, only to sit around later complaining about how they did this or that against your wishes?!

The kid isn't even born yet. I'm not reading tea leaves or staring into a crystal ball here—I can't tell you with 100% certainty how this is going to play out.
From what I've seen, the types who push that "we did it this way and everything was fine" nonsense are usually older and stubborn as hell, convinced they've got all the answers. My plan? I'll try to explain my reasoning. Will they actually listen? No guarantees there. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. Who knows. I'll deal with it when I get there.
I don't think my kid is going to go into a coma if they get a tiny bit of chocolate—but I expect my wishes to be respected. If I say no chocolate, it means no chocolate. How that works in the real world? We'll see.
And yeah, ideally, I wouldn't ever have to use childcare. Not even because of the chocolate thing, honestly—just because I don't really like them. But I'm realistic; I know I don't live in Wonderland and that scenario isn't happening.

It really bugs me when those armchair therapists with over 20,000 posts
show up on threads meant for women to just vent, only to tell us
that we're being too sensitive!!!!🙂

Anthony Watson35 said:Explaining things is great—I'm always all for it. But how much of that actually sticks with the people you're talking to? That's the real question.
You see it all over this forum—people arguing about whether a 7-month-old needs ham; that crazy grandma who made scrambled eggs for a grandson with an egg allergy just "to get him used to it"; or the crowd of idiots who act like allergies are some kind of myth or fake illness... you name it.
There’s a huge difference between something that actually puts a baby's life at risk—like crossing the street without looking or that madness with the egg allergy—and just thinking we shouldn't give them snacks when Grandma and Grandpa decide to sneak some in anyway.
That second part isn't dangerous (assuming there's no allergy, right?), it's just incredibly annoying.
Not every future grandparent is going to be some saint—perfectly reasonable and easy to talk to—so explaining everything won't always be that simple. 🙄

If it's about someone being totally out of line, don't stress—just don't leave your kid with those types, even if they are the grandparents.
But if they're just being "know-it-alls" and doing their own thing without any actual danger involved, then yeah, I agree—that's just a test of patience. 🙄

OT: My own pregnancy paranoia is driving me crazy. 😠

Terry Ramos60 said:So, it really comes down to this: will you develop a thicker skin, or are you prepared to spend the rest of your life feeling frustrated by unasked-for opinions? Is it worth being upset because someone you actually respect doesn't respect you enough as an adult to honor your choices, even after you've laid them out clearly?

I am not trying to lecture anyone here, but there really are only two paths forward: either you stand your ground and refuse to let others interfere, or you will find yourself completely drained by constant explanations if you don't establish firm boundaries from the start.

Look, just because I get pissed off for five minutes at some random comment and then forget about it later... I don't see that as a good enough reason to start drawing hard lines with my mom. God knows I drive her crazy sometimes too with my own comments and just being a bit too stubborn for my own good.😁
To me, it’s just a generational gap. I remember so clearly when my late grandma—who basically raised and fed me—would constantly nag my mom because her skirt was too short or why she wasn't eating enough spinach and should be setting a better example for me. And then what?!

In my book, these are just trivial little things that happen in life and might throw you off balance for a second, but they aren't major dealbreakers that should lead to cutting ties or just being stubborn for the sake of it.

We can say whatever we want now, but anyone who has actually experienced the kind of love grandparents give—and that specific way they let you get away with all the stuff your parents won't allow—knows it's an amazing experience that rarely does any harm in the long run.
Because a kid had a few extra sweets? No way am I going to stop them from hanging out with their grandparents over something like that. 🙂

Charles Miller3 said:Look, just because I get pissed off for five minutes at some random comment and then forget about it later... I don't see that as a good enough reason to start drawing hard lines with my mom. God knows I drive her crazy sometimes too with my own comments and just being a bit too stubborn for my own good.😁
To me, it’s just a generational gap. I remember so clearly when my late grandma—who basically raised and fed me—would constantly nag my mom because her skirt was too short or why she wasn't eating enough spinach and should be setting a better example for me. And then what?!

In my book, these are just trivial little things that happen in life and might throw you off balance for a second, but they aren't major dealbreakers that should lead to cutting ties or just being stubborn for the sake of it.

We can say whatever we want now, but anyone who has actually experienced the kind of love grandparents give—and that specific way they let you get away with all the stuff your parents won't allow—knows it's an amazing experience that rarely does any harm in the long run.
Because a kid had a few extra sweets? No way am I going to stop them from hanging out with their grandparents over something like that. 🙂

I couldn't agree more.

Austin Ramirez3 said:Yeah, you totally are. 😉
Just roll your eyes and be like "sure, whatever" and then top it off by saying you're gonna put your kids to sleep with moonshine and poppy seed tea.
That's exactly how our grandmas and great-grandmas used to handle their kids back in the day 🙏

Bravo! I'll definitely be putting this to good use the next time the opportunity arises. 🙏

Brenda Bishop2 said:Ugh, oh man, I have been exactly where you are...
I once watched a grandmother try to give her three-month-old grandson ice cream, a banana, a Milk Snatch, and even a chunk of meat to suck on...😲😠 😲😠I swear, I nearly lost my mind when I saw that; I just turned around and walked straight out of the room...

I told my mom right away that once we get home, we’re sitting down for a very serious sit-down about how MY baby is going to eat and what they are allowed to drink. And I made it clear she shouldn't even bother coming over unless things with my mother-in-law are perfectly smooth, because honestly, it's better to have her here than dealing with the MIL. I know, I know, I can be a total dragon when it comes to my mom and my in-laws, but I mean it!😍😍

They think it’s all so precious when babies are sucking on potatoes, smearing chocolate everywhere, and devouring mashed bananas—or when they reach that stage where they’re practically weighing a hundred pounds. They see a child trembling with pure joy at the mere sight of chocolate and think it’s just the most wonderful thing in the world. And sure, isn't it just lovely? Isn't it just absolutely beautiful when a little one, not even a year old, starts shaking with excitement the moment they spot some chocolate? 😲 Well, I have to say, I beg to differ!

My mother is absolutely wonderful, but honestly, she always seems to be living in a completely different dimension.

Let’s say... we were given a used crib from one of her friends (🙄 To make things simple, I told everyone that she could have the old bedroom in my husband's place to stay in. That way, when we visit them, the little one will actually have his own corner. Now, the crib needs fixing, there’s no mattress, and suddenly I’m looking at buying bedding and a mattress on top of everything else. So, I tried to politely suggest that she could at least handle setting that up instead of leaving it all to me, and you know what she said? "Oh honey, just let me know if I can swing by and help! You know I'd love to step in so you don't have to do it all..." She went on like that for five minutes straight, but the crib is still sitting there without a mattress, and nothing is getting done.

She makes all these promises, yet delivers absolutely nothing. Honestly, why would I ever set my expectations when I know exactly what her word is worth?

So, you go out and buy two gauze pads from Walmart and then act like they’re pure gold? Now you expect me to get worked up over two pieces of Walmart gauze that—by the way—look used even though they're brand new? 😲

One of these days, she’s going to put her hand on my stomach again and start lecturing my grandson. I am honestly exhausted from constantly having to explain that the baby isn't sitting in my stomach—I can feel him much lower, down on the left side. So there she is, palm pressed against my belly, acting like the Big Bad Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood, telling the baby, "Make sure you say hi to your other grandma... she's going to be the sweet one, while I'll be the one who protects you." She was even implying that my mother won't be the one looking after the little guy, but will always have to step in instead. Honestly, I've had enough.

My stupid new washer/dryer combo!!!
I honestly don't know if I'm just being an idiot or what, but seriously, I’m about two seconds away from taking a sledgehammer to this thing...
Everything is great when I have a huge load of laundry—I'm loving it!
But the second I have just a few items to wash, it refuses to spin...
The other day I did a bathrobe, a baby playpen, and a little pillow. Put them on a standard cycle, and when it finished, I went to pull them out and realized it didn't even drain the water... okay, fine, I tried a dedicated spin cycle and it counts down 7, 6, 5... then immediately jumps to 1 and "End"!! Like, hello? End? It did nothing... so I pulled everything out and ran an empty cycle... that worked. I put the playpen back in and it worked. Same with the pillow and the robe...
But today, I'm trying to wash this tiny bathroom rug and I've been fighting with the spin cycle for over half an hour... I've tried everything, even the quick cycles, it washes perfectly fine, but the spin just won't happen...
Seriously, how much brainpower does it take to turn the dial to spin and hit play?!?!

(Sorry for the rant, but I honestly want to chuck this machine out the window, and my husband is asleep so I can't vent to him)

Olivia Miller2 said:My stupid new washer/dryer combo!!!
I honestly don't know if I'm just being an idiot or what, but seriously, I’m about two seconds away from taking a sledgehammer to this thing...
Everything is great when I have a huge load of laundry—I'm loving it!
But the second I have just a few items to wash, it refuses to spin...
The other day I did a bathrobe, a baby playpen, and a little pillow. Put them on a standard cycle, and when it finished, I went to pull them out and realized it didn't even drain the water... okay, fine, I tried a dedicated spin cycle and it counts down 7, 6, 5... then immediately jumps to 1 and "End"!! Like, hello? End? It did nothing... so I pulled everything out and ran an empty cycle... that worked. I put the playpen back in and it worked. Same with the pillow and the robe...
But today, I'm trying to wash this tiny bathroom rug and I've been fighting with the spin cycle for over half an hour... I've tried everything, even the quick cycles, it washes perfectly fine, but the spin just won't happen...
Seriously, how much brainpower does it take to turn the dial to spin and hit play?!?!

(Sorry for the rant, but I honestly want to chuck this machine out the window, and my husband is asleep so I can't vent to him)

Mine does the exact same thing whenever I wash a single small item, and it only happens with those. It just won't spin. Perhaps it finds the workload too intimidating?!! Yet, strangely enough, I can pack it full of clothes and it runs without a single hiccup; I cannot make head or tail of it either.😕

dustyridge31 said:Mine does the exact same thing whenever I wash a single small item, and it only happens with those. It just won't spin. Perhaps it finds the workload too intimidating?!! Yet, strangely enough, I can pack it full of clothes and it runs without a single hiccup; I cannot make head or tail of it either.😕

So this morning my husband asks if maybe the drain hose is pressed too tight against the wall. I nudge the washer just an inch away and—lo and behold—that was the whole problem... now it's running like a dream... 🙈 I came up with all these wild theories about why the spin cycle wasn't working... but I totally missed the obvious one.

So, I made it to the OBGYN today. Honestly, I almost wiped out hiking near Mount Rainier, but whatever... I'm 36 weeks pregnant, so I guess I still have some mountain left in me.

First off, my sister couldn't even find me among her patients—it was like I didn't exist. Apparently, I had vanished without a trace, and then she realized she’d been entering the wrong name into the system. Typical.

Eventually, I walked into the nurse's station, and naturally, just like every single time, they've wiped all my records. She asks me which week I am, and I say "36." She looks at me and goes, "But you were 36 weeks last time." I just calmly replied, "No, I was 32 weeks last time." Then she tells me, "Before your pregnancy you weighed 135 lbs, now you're 152." I’m just sitting there thinking, "No... those aren't my numbers." Seriously, who is actually crazy here?

She finally tracks down the real Sean Long4. When I ask, "Do I still need to get a shot considering I'm 36 weeks along?" she tells me, "Well, there's a possibility; it really depends on what the doctor says." And I'm just like... are you kidding me? Why on earth would I get poked while trekking toward the hospital? I'm done heading up that way. They can deal with it themselves.

Ugh, this is just awful... my data keeps getting wiped too, though I suppose it’s probably not their fault,
more likely just that glitchy system acting up again, unfortunately.
I actually had a total meltdown myself when I saw my order went through during my 36th week of pregnancy, so I really hope this is the last time!

I am honestly reaching my breaking point with Photobucket... I spend all this time meticulously cropping my photos—really getting the framing just right—and then when I try to upload them here, they look completely uncropped! It’s as if the site just ignores my edits entirely, even though it insists the changes were applied... it is just so incredibly frustrating. 😠

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