What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

Way to go.

So I finally had my first real blowout during this pregnancy 🙂, and now I get why it happened. I held it together for ten whole weeks.
My partner and I agreed we wouldn't tell anyone until there's actually a bump to show. We’ve waited so long for this, and since I had a miscarriage three years ago and this is an IVF pregnancy, I just don't feel the need to share my emotions right now while things feel so fragile. My parents and brother know because we live in the same house, and there's no way they won't notice if I'm stuck in bed for months on end, so I'm struggling with what to say to them. I told my best friend, but she lives halfway across the world.
He insisted we shouldn't tell his mom or sister until I hit the three-month mark, mostly because they'll start all this unnecessary drama that we just can't handle right now. My mother-in-law is already exhausting with her constant questions about when we're having kids and telling stories about everyone she knows who had a miscarriage, even though she never stops pushing. 🙂.
Then... my guy goes over to hang out with his buddy next door, and the local gossip machine—who is basically the biggest chatterbox in town—gets wind of it. It's not that I've lost my mind, I just honestly don't know when I'll be able to talk to him again. He really upset me because I don't think it's okay for people to find out through the grapevine like this. Honestly, my mom is probably going to hear about it at Walmart. I think what he did was incredibly stupid and thoughtless 😢. He shared our news with people he can't trust.
I hope some of you can relate; I just want to keep this private for as long as possible. I'm strong and steady, and I don't need advice or pity for everything I've been through.
Basically, the most stressful part is living in such a small town where everyone knows everything and sticks their nose in everyone else's business. That's just not how I am, and I hate it.
Anyway, IT'S DONE NOW 🙂

ironjackal20 said:So I finally had my first real blowout during this pregnancy 🙂, and now I get why it happened. I held it together for ten whole weeks.
My partner and I agreed we wouldn't tell anyone until there's actually a bump to show. We’ve waited so long for this, and since I had a miscarriage three years ago and this is an IVF pregnancy, I just don't feel the need to share my emotions right now while things feel so fragile. My parents and brother know because we live in the same house, and there's no way they won't notice if I'm stuck in bed for months on end, so I'm struggling with what to say to them. I told my best friend, but she lives halfway across the world.
He insisted we shouldn't tell his mom or sister until I hit the three-month mark, mostly because they'll start all this unnecessary drama that we just can't handle right now. My mother-in-law is already exhausting with her constant questions about when we're having kids and telling stories about everyone she knows who had a miscarriage, even though she never stops pushing. 🙂.
Then... my guy goes over to hang out with his buddy next door, and the local gossip machine—who is basically the biggest chatterbox in town—gets wind of it. It's not that I've lost my mind, I just honestly don't know when I'll be able to talk to him again. He really upset me because I don't think it's okay for people to find out through the grapevine like this. Honestly, my mom is probably going to hear about it at Walmart. I think what he did was incredibly stupid and thoughtless 😢. He shared our news with people he can't trust.
I hope some of you can relate; I just want to keep this private for as long as possible. I'm strong and steady, and I don't need advice or pity for everything I've been through.
Basically, the most stressful part is living in such a small town where everyone knows everything and sticks their nose in everyone else's business. That's just not how I am, and I hate it.
Anyway, IT'S DONE NOW 🙂

I'm so sorry. 😢 I get his side of things—I'm usually the type who can't keep a secret, especially when I'm excited about something—even though I actually kept quiet at first after having those initial issues (the bleeding). But on the flip side, I totally get you, too; given everything you've been through, your privacy should have been respected. Hang in there, 😘

Jerry Bailey47 said:I'm so sorry. 😢 I get his side of things—I'm usually the type who can't keep a secret, especially when I'm excited about something—even though I actually kept quiet at first after having those initial issues (the bleeding). But on the flip side, I totally get you, too; given everything you've been through, your privacy should have been respected. Hang in there, 😘

The worst part is that this was the first time, and it happened specifically because he insisted we shouldn't tell anyone, even though I'm completely on board with keeping things private.
Kudos to everyone who claims they announce it immediately and everything turns out perfect and happy. In my case, I didn't even find out about my first pregnancy until after the miscarriage, and that was only because I ended up in the ER with complications following a D&C, and my ex—who I stayed with for years—ended up calling his mother to tell her. So yeah, I just had terrible luck. 🙂

ironjackal20 said:The worst part is that this was the first time, and it happened specifically because he insisted we shouldn't tell anyone, even though I'm completely on board with keeping things private.
Kudos to everyone who claims they announce it immediately and everything turns out perfect and happy. In my case, I didn't even find out about my first pregnancy until after the miscarriage, and that was only because I ended up in the ER with complications following a D&C, and my ex—who I stayed with for years—ended up calling his mother to tell her. So yeah, I just had terrible luck. 🙂

I totally get you. My partner and I agreed to keep things under wraps for a while, but then he blabbed to his mom, and she told the loudest woman on our block. Before I was even seven weeks along, the whole world knew—even my hair stylist.🙂

Amy Nelson132 said:The thing that gets to me most is people just ignoring the rules... wherever I go, I wait my turn. It never even crosses my mind to cut in line, especially now that I'm pregnant and there are places where expecting moms get priority. I had such an uncomfortable encounter the other day... I walked into a local notary office and saw two people sitting there waiting. I stood there for a minute before deciding to approach the clerk to ask what I needed, but before I could even get a word out, this woman sitting there lunges toward me—almost pushing me aside—and snaps loudly that she's next in line. wtf... I was honestly stunned!! I just wanted to talk to the lady behind the desk, not sit there like an idiot waiting for something to happen... but this woman, seeing my belly, thought I was trying to jump ahead of her..... It's terrible how some women can be.....

Consider yourself lucky she didn't actually strike you. I once had a toll booth attendant in a suburb outside of Chicago shove me when I dared to ask for my correct change. I was seven months pregnant at the time and nearly lost my footing entirely. But as if that weren't enough, the man actually stepped out of his booth and chased after me, screaming threats about how he was going to kill me. I honestly don't know how I managed to sprint fast enough to reach my car.

So, some idiot at Target slammed their shopping cart right into my stomach this morning. Honestly, you wouldn't believe it—she just appeared out of nowhere like some total menace. I ended up snapping at her in front of about fifty people, and I'm sure everyone thought I was being rude, but maybe I was 🙂
I mean, where is the world even heading? 🙂

I was at Walmart earlier today and the line was practically endless—it felt like it stretched for miles. As I’m slowly shuffling my way toward the front, trying to just maintain some sense of order, this guy behind me starts aggressively shoving his way through, acting like he can just bulldoze past me to cut the line.
Honestly, what an absolute jerk... just unbelievable.
It really makes you realize how much some people just lack basic decency.
It isn't even about wanting VIP treatment or anything; I just thought a little bit of common courtesy wouldn't kill anyone.
Disgusting.

Listen, if you don't stand up and fight for yourselves, nobody else is going to step in and do it for you... so you might as well use this pregnancy as your leverage; don't let anyone push you into a wheelchair, shove you aside, or cut right in front of you. (Though, honestly, I wouldn't tolerate that even if I weren't expecting!) I realized this truth a long time ago, and now I look out for myself first—that little life inside me is my absolute priority. These days, I’m not just standing patiently in line at Target; I’ll be the first one through the checkout, and if someone has something to say about it, I truly couldn't care less... I don't pay any attention to the comments, and when I catch people staring at my belly, I feel like I don't owe them a single word of explanation...

Stand up for myself? How am I even supposed to do that given my current situation?
Listen, a man who is capable of shoving a pregnant woman and then chasing after her screaming threats of violence is a deranged lunatic; if he is capable of such a thing, I cannot even begin to fathom what else he might be prone to doing. But in that moment, pure terror and shock took over, and the only logical move was to run and find safety—primarily because the well-being of my unborn child is my absolute priority.

If I weren't pregnant, I wouldn't have let him get away with it; I would have stood my ground and clawed his eyes out if that’s what it took. I have considered going to the police or filing a lawsuit, but to what end? A court date could be scheduled for five days from now or five months from now, and since I am living abroad, traveling with a newborn is simply not an option 311 miles. I would have no problem hiring the most aggressive attorney in the country, and I wouldn't hesitate to spend every cent I own just to ensure that idiot pays for the trauma he inflicted on me. But karma is real, and eventually, his actions will catch up to him.
All I want is to move past this and forget it ever happened. 😢

I guess I’m officially joining that club of pregnant women who feel completely overlooked by their own circle. It’s not even a widespread thing, really... most people are actually interested in the baby, but there’s this one godmother 🤷 who hasn't even bothered to ask how I’m doing once. And I’m already twenty weeks along. She seemed way more preoccupied with whether or not I’ve managed to stay away from cigarettes... just that. I honestly thought when she came home to visit this weekend—she’s studying out of state, you know—that seeing me in person would prompt at least some kind of genuine question about the pregnancy. But nothing. Just silence. It leaves me feeling so incredibly awkward, being pregnant right in her orbit while she acts like it's not happening 🙄 I found myself breaking down into tears this afternoon, just sobbing like a child over it... and now I’m sitting here wondering if I’m just losing my mind, or if I’m totally blowing this out of proportion 🤷

Anthony Hernandez12 said:Stand up for myself? How am I even supposed to do that given my current situation?
Listen, a man who is capable of shoving a pregnant woman and then chasing after her screaming threats of violence is a deranged lunatic; if he is capable of such a thing, I cannot even begin to fathom what else he might be prone to doing. But in that moment, pure terror and shock took over, and the only logical move was to run and find safety—primarily because the well-being of my unborn child is my absolute priority.

If I weren't pregnant, I wouldn't have let him get away with it; I would have stood my ground and clawed his eyes out if that’s what it took. I have considered going to the police or filing a lawsuit, but to what end? A court date could be scheduled for five days from now or five months from now, and since I am living abroad, traveling with a newborn is simply not an option 311 miles. I would have no problem hiring the most aggressive attorney in the country, and I wouldn't hesitate to spend every cent I own just to ensure that idiot pays for the trauma he inflicted on me. But karma is real, and eventually, his actions will catch up to him.
All I want is to move past this and forget it ever happened. 😢

If I were in your shoes, I would get in the car and call 911 immediately!

ironjackal20 said:So I finally had my first real blowout during this pregnancy 🙂, and now I get why it happened. I held it together for ten whole weeks.
My partner and I agreed we wouldn't tell anyone until there's actually a bump to show. We’ve waited so long for this, and since I had a miscarriage three years ago and this is an IVF pregnancy, I just don't feel the need to share my emotions right now while things feel so fragile. My parents and brother know because we live in the same house, and there's no way they won't notice if I'm stuck in bed for months on end, so I'm struggling with what to say to them. I told my best friend, but she lives halfway across the world.
He insisted we shouldn't tell his mom or sister until I hit the three-month mark, mostly because they'll start all this unnecessary drama that we just can't handle right now. My mother-in-law is already exhausting with her constant questions about when we're having kids and telling stories about everyone she knows who had a miscarriage, even though she never stops pushing. 🙂.
Then... my guy goes over to hang out with his buddy next door, and the local gossip machine—who is basically the biggest chatterbox in town—gets wind of it. It's not that I've lost my mind, I just honestly don't know when I'll be able to talk to him again. He really upset me because I don't think it's okay for people to find out through the grapevine like this. Honestly, my mom is probably going to hear about it at Walmart. I think what he did was incredibly stupid and thoughtless 😢. He shared our news with people he can't trust.
I hope some of you can relate; I just want to keep this private for as long as possible. I'm strong and steady, and I don't need advice or pity for everything I've been through.
Basically, the most stressful part is living in such a small town where everyone knows everything and sticks their nose in everyone else's business. That's just not how I am, and I hate it.
Anyway, IT'S DONE NOW 🙂

Oh, I feel your pain.
I grew up in a small Midwestern town myself—one of those places where gossip travels faster than a lightning bolt and people spend more time worrying about their neighbors than themselves 🙂. I actually moved away over a decade ago, but my parents and my entire family are still back there. When I found out I was pregnant, I told my mom, dad, and brother right away, but I practically begged them to keep it under wraps. Then, when we went to visit, my mom and I told my grandparents and aunt, making sure to emphasize: please, tell no one. Basically, only the inner circle—the people I talk to every single day—knew. And honestly? I’m so proud of them for keeping their mouths shut. Later on, my grandma's brother somehow found out, and he actually had the nerve to lecture my grandma about why she hadn't told him sooner—he even acted offended! Seriously, what a joke.

Anthony Hernandez12 said:Stand up for myself? How am I even supposed to do that given my current situation?
Listen, a man who is capable of shoving a pregnant woman and then chasing after her screaming threats of violence is a deranged lunatic; if he is capable of such a thing, I cannot even begin to fathom what else he might be prone to doing. But in that moment, pure terror and shock took over, and the only logical move was to run and find safety—primarily because the well-being of my unborn child is my absolute priority.

If I weren't pregnant, I wouldn't have let him get away with it; I would have stood my ground and clawed his eyes out if that’s what it took. I have considered going to the police or filing a lawsuit, but to what end? A court date could be scheduled for five days from now or five months from now, and since I am living abroad, traveling with a newborn is simply not an option 311 miles. I would have no problem hiring the most aggressive attorney in the country, and I wouldn't hesitate to spend every cent I own just to ensure that idiot pays for the trauma he inflicted on me. But karma is real, and eventually, his actions will catch up to him.
All I want is to move past this and forget it ever happened. 😢

I'm feeling the exact same way; you truly never know what kind of loser you're going to run into!
If I wasn't pregnant, maybe I would have said something or taken action, but right now, I just don't have the energy for the drama.
I've dealt with uncomfortable situations before, but I'm a smaller person, and now, being at the very end of my pregnancy, I'm clumsy and awkward with every step, so I'm just not looking for any fights.
That's just my way of making sure my baby stays the top priority 🙂
And I find myself thinking the same thing as Anthony Hernandez12—let them live their lives, everything comes back around in the end.

Maybe I should start carrying a little pepper spray with me everywhere? 😬

jadejackal said:Oh, I feel your pain.
I grew up in a small Midwestern town myself—one of those places where gossip travels faster than a lightning bolt and people spend more time worrying about their neighbors than themselves 🙂. I actually moved away over a decade ago, but my parents and my entire family are still back there. When I found out I was pregnant, I told my mom, dad, and brother right away, but I practically begged them to keep it under wraps. Then, when we went to visit, my mom and I told my grandparents and aunt, making sure to emphasize: please, tell no one. Basically, only the inner circle—the people I talk to every single day—knew. And honestly? I’m so proud of them for keeping their mouths shut. Later on, my grandma's brother somehow found out, and he actually had the nerve to lecture my grandma about why she hadn't told him sooner—he even acted offended! Seriously, what a joke.

Oh... I'm from a small town too. I haven't lived there in quite a while, but most of my family is still there 🤣 and so are most of my friends...
I have no desire to have people whispering about my pregnancy or having people call me just to see if the rumors are true 🙂 so I strictly forbade my family from spreading any information...
And I have to admit, they've done a good job; even my grandfather hasn't said a word to anyone 🤣
They're staying tight-lipped...

As for my friends... only a few know, and the rest will find out whenever they decide to actually return my calls for coffee 😳
If they want to be offended, fine. If they don't have time for coffee, then I certainly don't have time to call them and announce my pregnancy, no matter how "well-meaning" they claim to be...

So, here I am—a pregnant woman who has been a silent observer of this forum for quite some time, finally deciding to contribute my own little set of frustrations... Lately, I’ve been losing my patience with everyone constantly telling me to "get all the sleep I can now" because once the baby arrives, it's over. As if I haven't already figured that out. Personally, I’ve been sleeping in one-hour increments lately, punctuated by frequent trips to the bathroom. It's exhausting. Then there is the matter of my in-laws. I try to involve them in the baby name selection process simply because I don't want them to feel left out—though why I care so much is beyond me—but they just stare at me as if I’ve said something unforgivable. I find myself having to repeat my reasoning five times over. Once they actually hear the names, they just sit there ruminating on them, debating how they sound. When I finally told them that the girl names we picked aren't in any of the traditional baby name books, I could see the tension rising. I'm honestly just waiting to see what their next move will be...

Eric Collins4 said:So, here I am—a pregnant woman who has been a silent observer of this forum for quite some time, finally deciding to contribute my own little set of frustrations... Lately, I’ve been losing my patience with everyone constantly telling me to "get all the sleep I can now" because once the baby arrives, it's over. As if I haven't already figured that out. Personally, I’ve been sleeping in one-hour increments lately, punctuated by frequent trips to the bathroom. It's exhausting. Then there is the matter of my in-laws. I try to involve them in the baby name selection process simply because I don't want them to feel left out—though why I care so much is beyond me—but they just stare at me as if I’ve said something unforgivable. I find myself having to repeat my reasoning five times over. Once they actually hear the names, they just sit there ruminating on them, debating how they sound. When I finally told them that the girl names we picked aren't in any of the traditional baby name books, I could see the tension rising. I'm honestly just waiting to see what their next move will be...

🤣 You actually have me laughing through tears—we finally told my in-laws the name we settled on today, even though they were convinced it would be something else entirely. They took the news like I had personally insulted their entire lineage. I mean, it’s not even the first time I’ve told them our minds are made up, but they’d already started calling the baby by the other name. When we finally clarified the change today, my mother-in-law pulled a total G7 face, and my father-in-law actually had the nerve to say he’ll just baptize the kid after himself and call him that instead. Yeah... right. I'd love to see that showdown. ☕
The worst part? The name isn't some weird "spacey" choice; it’s just a standard biblical name. But apparently, in their world, if it isn't George, Anthony, or Simon, it's too radical. 😁

Hell, are they seriously going to name him after himself? 🤣🤣 how yes no 🤣
God, I’ll never wrap my head around this—instead of just celebrating a new grandkid, people are getting all worked up over a name... geez. Honestly, if you ask me, they were the ones who picked their own kids' names, so why not just let them pick mine 😁
?

Jerry Bailey47 said:🤣 You actually have me laughing through tears—we finally told my in-laws the name we settled on today, even though they were convinced it would be something else entirely. They took the news like I had personally insulted their entire lineage. I mean, it’s not even the first time I’ve told them our minds are made up, but they’d already started calling the baby by the other name. When we finally clarified the change today, my mother-in-law pulled a total G7 face, and my father-in-law actually had the nerve to say he’ll just baptize the kid after himself and call him that instead. Yeah... right. I'd love to see that showdown. ☕
The worst part? The name isn't some weird "spacey" choice; it’s just a standard biblical name. But apparently, in their world, if it isn't George, Anthony, or Simon, it's too radical. 😁

Oh, wow!!!😂😂😂😂
We're staying completely silent about the name because I still haven't made up my mind. My mother-in-law asked us YET AGAIN if we'd picked anything, adding that she thinks everyone knows except for her. 🙄
It really bugs me how she keeps poking at us; it feels like she just won't respect our choice to wait until we're absolutely certain before saying anything.

Nancy Stewart38 said:Hell, are they seriously going to name him after himself? 🤣🤣 how yes no 🤣
God, I’ll never wrap my head around this—instead of just celebrating a new grandkid, people are getting all worked up over a name... geez. Honestly, if you ask me, they were the ones who picked their own kids' names, so why not just let them pick mine 😁
?

Exactly what you wrote. 🤣 Anyway, he’ll be baptized with his actual name—it's biblical, after all. For starters, we aren't even married yet (not that we're in any rush), so the baptism can certainly wait. And honestly, I couldn't care less what people think about the name—it's perfectly normal. He's going to be named Noah (and no, I won't be calling him Aesop or anything ridiculous). Tjemen-btwBy the way—I caught this on the news last night.🙄My mother—well, I know her better than anyone—isn't exactly a fan of it either. 😁But she didn't say a word—not that I expected her to. My parents are actually sane. ☕ What can I even say—my mother-in-law gave her kids names that every third person in America seems to have. Look, it’s her prerogative, but I’m certainly not following suit. 🙂 😁