What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

Honestly, everything just feels incredibly grating lately, to put it bluntly.🙂
As for all that advice people try to throw my way, I’m neither taking any of it nor bothering to offer any myself.

Honestly, my mother-in-law is driving me up the wall. As soon as she found out I have a negative blood type, she completely lost it, acting like if my husband happens to be negative too, then we’re basically doomed 🙂 because there might be some huge issue with future pregnancies, like birth defects or something along those lines 😠

I can't even tell you how much of a meltdown I had while spiraling through Google searches 🙂

wanderingharbor61 said:Man, you ladies really cracked me up...🤣

People are just wired this way and they aren't going to change--period..

I'm currently pregnant with my third, so I've been doing a deep dive into all the crap online...

I don't even bother snapping back at them anymore; instead, I just drop some "smart" remark and while they're standing there with their mouths hanging open 😕, I just breeze out of there 😉

We decided on a third because we wanted three kids total—gender didn't matter to us or anything...

Our second girl was a real struggle—spent a month in the NICU, terrible prognosis, three years of constant doctor visits and therapies... but if you saw her now, she’s a little powerhouse...😍
My husband used to drive to the hospital every single day—and I mean every day—to visit the 4th floor neonatal unit (back when they had the old maternity ward in Chicago), just staring through the glass for his allotted thirty minutes...

And then you get these old-school busybodies coming around acting like they're experts, saying stuff like, "Don't worry, the third one will be a boy," and my husband just bolts out of the house. Later he told me he can't deal with those crazy women anymore and he's about ready to lose it on them

Anyway, I could go on forever... the point is, God gave you two ears for a reason—one to let it in and the other to let it right back out...

Hold on a second, it’s actually the women themselves who hold these views about having girls😲. If this were some old-school, patriarchal sexist guy that nobody could stand, you might almost understand why a little girl would listen to him, but for women to be saying this to other women... specifically about having daughters...😲.

I mean, if they have daughters themselves, what kind of mothers were they to those little girls?
The whole thing is just incredibly sad, truly depressing😢.

Anyway, your husband sounds great; I really dig his way of thinking🤣. And honestly, that advice about the two ears? Absolutely golden😁.

Just thought I’d share my experience from yesterday... We were at the dentist, and since I was feeling a bit out of it, I popped over to Chase Bank just to drop some cash into my account (took maybe three minutes). Well, the place was absolutely packed—total chaos. I guess it was pension day or something, which totally slipped my mind. Anyway, I grab a number and wait in line like everyone else, when this lady walks right up to me and cuts in front. She wanted to let this older gentleman go ahead because he was there with his wife, daughter, and two kids, and he started lecturing everyone about how "disrespectful" the bank was for making him wait in line with children. Honestly, thank God I had just had a tooth pulled, otherwise I might have lost my cool and yelled at him! And then she actually says that if you aren't pregnant, you don't get a say in things. Ha! I couldn't help but laugh. Big thanks to the ladies at the Chicago branch 😘

I wouldn’t say I’m an easygoing person by nature... but it honestly drives me absolutely crazy being on strict bed rest due to my shortened cervix. There are certain people—and thank goodness for the exceptions who help me out every single day and actually understand how serious this is—who think they can lecture me. They’ll ask things like, "Well, are you dilated?" and when I explain that no, I'm not dilated, they just snap back with, "But so-and-so was dilated the whole pregnancy and didn't have to stay in bed, and she delivered right on schedule." Sneeze, as if lying around for four months while constantly worrying about my baby during my second pregnancy is some kind of dream life! 🙄 🙄

Joseph Richardson2 said:Hold on a second, it’s actually the women themselves who hold these views about having girls😲. If this were some old-school, patriarchal sexist guy that nobody could stand, you might almost understand why a little girl would listen to him, but for women to be saying this to other women... specifically about having daughters...😲.

I mean, if they have daughters themselves, what kind of mothers were they to those little girls?
The whole thing is just incredibly sad, truly depressing😢.

Anyway, your husband sounds great; I really dig his way of thinking🤣. And honestly, that advice about the two ears? Absolutely golden😁.

I remember when my sister had her second son, my incredibly dim-witted aunt looked at my five-year-old nephew and said, "Well, you got a brother! Now you'll both have to split the inheritance."

We all just stared at each other in total disbelief... we were completely speechless...

Mind you, this was back in a small rural town in the South, and it was an elderly woman saying it...
Back then, it was probably considered ideal to only have one son and a bunch of daughters, since the girls wouldn't be fighting over the estate—they'd just get a little something for a dowry or whatever... I think that's how things worked back in our grandparents' day...

First off, I was honestly surprised by how much my chest 🙂 can swell up—it’s gotten so sensitive. A good bra is basically my best friend 24/7 right now 😁
Second, digestion. Basically, dealing with being backed up for days at a time 🙂, so I'm currently messing around with all sorts of different supplements to fix it.

But what really got under my skin was how I handled this one unprofessional, totally messy situation at work. I spoke up about it, and instead of addressing the actual issue, two of my male coworkers chimed in with comments like, "Oh, you're just extra sensitive because you're pregnant," which was just total hysterical nonsense. It’s so annoying that people try to undermine my professional competence just because I'm expecting; there's zero connection between the two, and my performance hasn't changed at all. Honestly, if anything, those comments are what actually made me lose my cool 😂

It honestly drives me nuts how everyone around me—and I mean *everyone*, except for maybe one or two people—is treating me like I’m some kind of helpless invalid just because I'm pregnant. Like, I get it, maybe some people find the attention sweet, but for me, it’s just weird. It’s not normal to have people stop me from doing something as basic as loading the dishwasher after a family dinner. I’m only 11 weeks along, and I’m low-key terrified of what this is going to be like for the rest of the pregnancy. Don't get me wrong, I'm obviously not trying to lug heavy cabinets up the stairs or anything, but I'm not incapacitated either.🙂
And don't even get me started on my mother-in-law. Every time I try to voice an actual opinion or complain about something, she gives me this look... like she isn't even listening. It's always the same thing: "Oh, it's just your hormones talking because you're pregnant." Seriously?🙂🙂🙂

I found myself somewhat taken aback by the reaction—or rather, the complete lack thereof—from certain "friends" when I shared the news about my pregnancy. It wasn't exactly the joyful reception one might expect, which led me to the realization that I was likely facing nothing more than envy and resentment. Honestly, it’s quite a distasteful way to behave.

So, I spent my day standing in line again just to pick up my lab results 😳
—and it wasn't even with other pregnant women, but a bunch of old retirees instead.

Some lady actually had the nerve to call me out on the bus today—I was on the 34th Street line with my five-year-old, and there was a perfectly good empty seat right behind me, but no, she just *had* to insist on sitting right next to us instead.🙂

Noah Wells2 said:I found myself somewhat taken aback by the reaction—or rather, the complete lack thereof—from certain "friends" when I shared the news about my pregnancy. It wasn't exactly the joyful reception one might expect, which led me to the realization that I was likely facing nothing more than envy and resentment. Honestly, it’s quite a distasteful way to behave.

I told one of my friends I was pregnant, and she didn't even blink. She just gave this little smirk and let out a half-hearted, "Oh, really?" It was honestly kind of underwhelming, I guess.🙄

Andrew Martin89 said:Some lady actually had the nerve to call me out on the bus today—I was on the 34th Street line with my five-year-old, and there was a perfectly good empty seat right behind me, but no, she just *had* to insist on sitting right next to us instead.🙂

🙂
I honestly don't get it... I mean, how does someone even think they can lift a pregnant woman who also has a toddler in tow? I guess I just can't wrap my head around that kind of mindset.😕 I guess I’ve never actually had anyone cut in front of me at the grocery store, nor have I ever been able to skip ahead in line anywhere else. But on the bus? People just stare right through me like I don't exist. It's honestly a disaster.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve wanted to say something, only to just bite my tongue because, honestly... I don't even know.

Yeah, I was just stunned too—this guy actually tells her there’s plenty of room behind her, and she’s like, "I can't get back there," so he goes, "Are you crazy? Just sit in my spot!" (even though I’d already moved myself). Honestly, he probably drove her nuts. It's rare for anyone to let me sit anywhere, so every time I hop on a bus in Chicago, I'm just bracing myself for some psycho to fly at me like that.

🙂
I honestly don't get it... how can someone just push past a pregnant woman who’s also struggling with a toddler??? What kind of mindset is that???😕 Personally, I haven't had anyone cut in front of me at the grocery store or let me go ahead in line once, but on the bus, people constantly stare right through me like I'm invisible. It's an absolute disaster!!!!
And there have been so many times I wanted to say something but just didn't because, I don't know... I just couldn't bring myself to it...

I completely agree,
Even this morning, for the umpteenth time, I was left standing on both the bus and the subway. It's not that I'm being overly sensitive or acting like I'm incapable just because I'm pregnant—quite the opposite—but lately, I just feel so pathetic in these situations. I'm 36 weeks and 5 days along, with a bump so big people actually ask if I'm having twins, yet I'm standing there in the middle of the rush hour crowd and not a single soul offers me a seat.🤷🤷🤷
And don't even get me started on two months ago when I waited in line for 45 minutes at the local DMV, only for the lady behind the counter to tell me she couldn't finalize my paperwork there and that I had to go to the main regional office instead. I think that was the first time I finally decided to stand up for myself; I refused to leave until she settled the matter right then and there.😁😁😁
Since I'm already venting, I have to mention the time a woman in her 60s practically hoisted me up from a table at the cafe across from Home Depot😢. My family went inside, leaving me in the car because I just couldn't face any more walking, and since it was sweltering out, I decided to head to the cafe to grab a soda while they finished their errands. But the place was packed, so I stood there waiting for a spot to open up. Finally, I spotted an empty seat, sat down, and just as I was about to set my bag on the chair, here comes this lady. She snaps at me, "This seat is taken! Can't you see the papers on the table? I went inside to order and you just sat down!" I was stunned. All I could do was stand up, grab my bag, mutter "sorry," and stand there like a total loser on the sidelines. Then, to top it all off, her husband starts badgering me for daring to sit there! I was in such shock I just stood there in disbelief... obviously, I never even got to drink my soda; my family arrived before a table even became available.🙂

Andrew Martin89 said:Some lady actually had the nerve to call me out on the bus today—I was on the 34th Street line with my five-year-old, and there was a perfectly good empty seat right behind me, but no, she just *had* to insist on sitting right next to us instead.🙂

Wait, excuse me—what exactly did you mean when you said I "could have said" that?

I don't quite follow, but if I were in your shoes, you’d practically need to bring in a construction crew with an excavator just to get me off the floor. Honestly, there is simply no force on earth that would compel me to stand up for some elderly ladies when I'm feeling this way—and frankly, there is no force at all that would make me rise in any situation if I were being met with such arrogance.

Seriously, this pregnancy has me totally floored all over again by how much of a klutz I can actually be 🤷—honestly, I’m just counting down the days until I give birth so I can finally stop being a walking hazard to myself and everyone else 🙄

It’s incredibly frustrating how forgetful I’ve become lately. It feels like my brain has completely checked out. I am honestly just counting down the days until I give birth and finally get my mental clarity and memory back 🙂

Justin Baker3 said:It’s incredibly frustrating how forgetful I’ve become lately. It feels like my brain has completely checked out. I am honestly just counting down the days until I give birth and finally get my mental clarity and memory back 🙂

Haha. I went through the exact same thing. I was incredibly forgetful, and honestly, just kind of "spacey" for about six months after having my baby... someone would be talking directly to me, and I'd just drift off mid-sentence... I wouldn't even hear what was happening around me. The brain fog was just unreal.

Honestly, I’ve got every single one of those symptoms myself🙂

copperheron18 said:Wait, excuse me—what exactly did you mean when you said I "could have said" that?

I don't quite follow, but if I were in your shoes, you’d practically need to bring in a construction crew with an excavator just to get me off the floor. Honestly, there is simply no force on earth that would compel me to stand up for some elderly ladies when I'm feeling this way—and frankly, there is no force at all that would make me rise in any situation if I were being met with such arrogance.

Man, my mom just gave birth to this clumsy creature who acts before they even think—it was the same way back then, and honestly, it’s the same now. When I moved, I had to tell her she should have left some space behind me.