What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

Oh, I get it 😁
And honestly, they probably judge everything—what kind of pregnant woman you are, what kind of mother you'll be, even how big the baby will be...
I guess you already know that everyone else always thinks they know better than you
😂
Then there's all that advice like "sleep while you can," "eat for two," or "you really have to watch out for this or that" 🙂🙂🙂
It makes you want to pull your hair out, whether it's yours or theirs 😂

My aunt—my uncle's wife—is driving me absolutely insane. She’s constantly dropping these unsolicited, nonsensical nuggets of wisdom, but I can't exactly shut her down since she’s a nurse at a major maternity ward and I might actually need her expertise later. What really gets under my skin is the constant lecturing about my diet—and let's be clear, I don't touch junk food; I eat balanced, home-cooked meals every single day, maybe just eating a bit more now that I'm not obsessing over calories like I used to. Still, it's always, "don't overdo it on the food," or if we go to the mall, "why would you go somewhere that crowded? You should be out getting fresh air instead." Then there's the interrogation: "Have you decided how you're going to deliver? Natural, water birth, or...?" I'm only five months along and haven't even attended a prenatal class yet🙄. Honestly, it's enough to make anyone lose their mind🙂

😂
She’s basically driving me crazy right now. We talk every few days, and she lives over in Switzerland—she's actually expecting two babies soon, just after mine 🙂. She already has a little girl, and she’s constantly checking in like, "Are you eating enough?" Ugh, seriously? Just leave me alone, please. 😠 🙂
There are all these little things... you'll see how it goes. I've been through this exact same thing, and it's like she's never seen a baby before in her life. (Sorry if I'm being a bit blunt here, I'm just feeling pretty worked up.) 🙂
Man, I didn't realize quite how frustrated I was until just now. 🙂

Honestly, my selfish husband is driving me absolutely insane 😢
It’s like he’s suddenly terrified that his entire life is going to flip upside down in two months, so now he’s acting like a total teenager... Every single second he isn't working, he's out hitting the bars with some group of guys, and every weekend is just one long booze fest—actually, forget the weekend, he’s out drinking on Wednesdays or Thursdays or whenever the hell he feels like it! Meanwhile, I’m just sitting here at home, constantly alone, alone, and more alone... When I try to call him out on it, he just snaps that he doesn't owe me any explanations and that the real issue is me being "unable to handle" him having fun. Oh yeah, sure, that's definitely the problem! And what about our kid having an alcoholic father? That doesn't even cross his mind! Total idiot!!!!!!!!! This whole thing has been going on for months now, and I honestly have no clue how to fix this mess. Talking to him is basically useless because somehow, by the end of the conversation, everything is always somehow my fault. Apparently, I’m not allowed to get pissed off just because he started acting like he's twenty years old again. I'm supposed to just be happy and cheerful while he lives it up with his social life. His big excuse is that work is stressing him out and he needs an "outlet"... what a perfect little marriage we have! If I wasn't expecting a baby... man... Why do people change so drastically overnight? And why do they become so incredibly selfish and irresponsible? 😢

My little guy is honestly just vibing right now—he's being super chill, kind of lazy, and honestly, he’s making me feel even more out of shape than I already am, because 🙂

At first, I was just surprised—and then honestly, pretty annoyed—to see that every single book on pregnancy and childcare in the local bookstores is written by foreign authors.
Why don't we have any smart experts here who could write a guide where everything is explained through the lens of life in America?
I don't really care what women are doing over in France or even how things work in other parts of the States; I want to know which vaccinations are mandatory here in the US, and what the standard prenatal checkups look like according to our healthcare system...

I did pick up a pregnancy guide by Dr. Matvejevic once, but honestly, it was a bit of a snooze. That was the only American author I could actually track down. If anyone knows of a good book—please, let me know!

Hey jadejackal... I just picked up this incredible book by some local authors here in the States. It hasn't officially hit the shelves yet, but since the copyright says 2012, it’ll probably be available everywhere pretty soon. It’s written like a manual—super practical stuff you'd actually want sitting on your coffee table. It covers everything from developmental stages and early intervention to various illnesses, plus the whole parent-child dynamic... honestly, it's got it all.
Here’s the info:
Bralić I. et al. (2012). Healthy Growth. A Parent's Guide to Child Health and Illness from Infancy through Puberty. Washington, D.C.: Medical Press

My husband is driving me absolutely insane with his total lack of maturity. He isn’t out partying or anything—he stays home—but he’s just so incredibly childish about everything. Honestly, he’s always been this way, but I think it’s only hitting me now because I’ve actually grown up and expect him to do the same—though I’m starting to fear he hasn't even realized what's actually happening. It’s like he thinks we're getting a puppy instead of a baby. 🤷

The birthing stool is absolutely driving me insane. I honestly don't understand why we aren't allowed to give birth in any other way besides lying flat on our backs 🤷
It’s almost as if they expect me to just teleport the baby straight out of my womb... it isn't some vague, revolutionary concept either (
I suspect it’s mostly because the supine position is just easier for the doctors, which feels pretty crappy when you consider that the mother should probably be the priority, right?
It's just so frustrating.
My husband happens to be an MD, and even he gave me this look like I was some kind of alien when I started bringing up alternative birthing positions. Honestly, there were moments where I just wanted to whack him over the head with a heavy frying pan...

Tyler Ramos said:The birthing stool is absolutely driving me insane. I honestly don't understand why we aren't allowed to give birth in any other way besides lying flat on our backs 🤷
It’s almost as if they expect me to just teleport the baby straight out of my womb... it isn't some vague, revolutionary concept either (
I suspect it’s mostly because the supine position is just easier for the doctors, which feels pretty crappy when you consider that the mother should probably be the priority, right?
It's just so frustrating.
My husband happens to be an MD, and even he gave me this look like I was some kind of alien when I started bringing up alternative birthing positions. Honestly, there were moments where I just wanted to whack him over the head with a heavy frying pan...

🤣 So, even during pregnancy, your husband is getting on your nerves. 😂 😘

Of course 🥳
The Boogeyman, if nothing works—I lose my mind,
but if he actually tries to step up and make things easier—I still lose it, because of course everything ends up being done wrong anyway 😬

I know it isn't easy for him, but I’m honestly at my breaking point here... he ends up getting the brunt of it quite often, probably just because he's always right there in front of me 😬

Tyler Ramos said:Of course 🥳
The Boogeyman, if nothing works—I lose my mind,
but if he actually tries to step up and make things easier—I still lose it, because of course everything ends up being done wrong anyway 😬

I know it isn't easy for him, but I’m honestly at my breaking point here... he ends up getting the brunt of it quite often, probably just because he's always right there in front of me 😬

I second that. Same here. 😂

I am seriously losing my mind over these stretch marks on my legs! 🙂
Honestly, when I strip down, it looks like I’m wearing patterned leggings instead of bare skin!🙄
It's everywhere—my thighs, my calves, even the outer sides of my legs... and I’ve been slathering on lotion morning, noon, and night...
I can't help but wonder what’s going to happen once my belly starts really popping out... 😢
Other than that, everything else is fine, and I’m mostly just soaking up this pregnancy. 😍

I’ve started getting these nagging pains in my ribs on the left side—especially just below the breast—and my pelvis is acting up too. Even if I only sit for five minutes, getting back up is a struggle, and walking? Well, let’s just say I’m moving more like an old cowboy in a Western than I’d like.

Dealing with a mother-in-law who insists on calling after 10:00 PM.
It’s just common courtesy not to ring anyone that late, especially since we have a little one at home trying to sleep.
And she knows this perfectly well. We’ve asked her countless times to please stop calling so late because it wakes the baby up.

Well, we finally picked up a new phone with a "Do Not Disturb" mode, and we specifically set it to silence all calls after 10:00 PM—strictly for her sake.
So, naturally, can you guess who left us a string of missed calls around 10:20 PM?
🙂

She calls us at these ridiculous hours just so she can hear whatever is going on in our lives... 🙂
If it were my own mother on the other end, she’d definitely be hearing a piece of my mind; I don't want to get on his bad side quite yet, but I am finding it harder and harder to stay quiet about it. 🙂

It honestly gets under my skin how people can still be such jerks, even now that I’m carrying a bit of extra weight and it’s pretty obvious. I walked into a packed waiting room at the local clinic today just to get some blood work done, and I could feel everyone staring, yet not a single soul thought to stand up or offer a seat. Not one person.

Now, look, I don't even expect much from the elderly crowd—we all know how they can be, and some folks in their 70s are more spry than people half their age, but they rarely move an inch if they don't have to.
But seeing these grown men, maybe 30 or 40 years old, sitting there acting like they own the damn place? They’ll stare you right in the eye without a hint of empathy. It’s honestly pathetic.😠

It’s the exact same lack of spatial awareness you see on the light rail. I actually get "nudged" out of the way when people are exiting because they can’t seem to navigate around my baby bump. :/
How do these people live with themselves?

And while we're talking about priority, like at the clinic when you're getting blood drawn—pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities are supposed to have precedence. When I went in for my first appointment, I wasn't even showing yet,
but the second I dropped my referral and insurance card into the priority bin for expectant mothers and seniors, it was like a signal went off; suddenly, about six hundred women jumped out of their seats just to let me know I didn't belong there!
Give me a break.

Tyler Ramos said:It’s the exact same lack of spatial awareness you see on the light rail. I actually get "nudged" out of the way when people are exiting because they can’t seem to navigate around my baby bump. :/
How do these people live with themselves?

And while we're talking about priority, like at the clinic when you're getting blood drawn—pregnant women, seniors, and people with disabilities are supposed to have precedence. When I went in for my first appointment, I wasn't even showing yet,
but the second I dropped my referral and insurance card into the priority bin for expectant mothers and seniors, it was like a signal went off; suddenly, about six hundred women jumped out of their seats just to let me know I didn't belong there!
Give me a break.

I experience this quite frequently myself—I truly cannot fathom what goes through their minds. Do they honestly believe I am wearing some sort of backpack that I am simply refusing to take off just to spitefully laugh at their attempts to push through? 🙄

Just yesterday, a young woman tried to cut in front of me in line at a local bakery. I was so stunned by the audacity that all I could manage was a quick shake of my head to indicate it wasn't necessary (though it really wasn't, as there were only three people ahead of us), yet I felt an almost overwhelming urge to just give her a hug instead. 🤣

Ultimately, it all comes down to how one was raised at home. 🥳

So, I’m officially 35 now, and I am getting seriously tired of people asking if I'm "counting down."

I honestly feel like a ticking time bomb with those big green digital numbers flashing ominously...

And don't even get me started on the endless stream of "just wait until you have kids" comments. It makes me want to lose my mind...

Justin Baker3 said:So, I’m officially 35 now, and I am getting seriously tired of people asking if I'm "counting down."

I honestly feel like a ticking time bomb with those big green digital numbers flashing ominously...

And don't even get me started on the endless stream of "just wait until you have kids" comments. It makes me want to lose my mind...

Ugh, seriously 🙂 🙂that whole "you'll see" line gives me such an allergic reaction!!
Like, what exactly are we supposed to "see"?!?.. I mean... we all wanted to get pregnant... we all wanted to be parents... and yeah, I guess we prepared ourselves for it 🤷
Sure, true, our lives are going to flip upside down in an instant... but this is the life we chose and planned out ourselves!! I can't stand that kind of unsolicited wisdom... once I actually give birth, it'll probably just be, "Oh, just wait until you have TWO kids"🙂🙂