What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

Heh, exactly. You see how the power struggle starts even before things are official—it’s already playing out during the pregnancy phase. Let them throw their tantrums until they're blue in the face; at the end of the day, they don't have the authority to change your decision, right? 😁
I'm honestly curious to see how people here will react... but just like you, if they can't get on board, I couldn't care less. 😁hehe

Nancy Stewart38 said:Heh, exactly. You see how the power struggle starts even before things are official—it’s already playing out during the pregnancy phase. Let them throw their tantrums until they're blue in the face; at the end of the day, they don't have the authority to change your decision, right? 😁
I'm honestly curious to see how people here will react... but just like you, if they can't get on board, I couldn't care less. 😁hehe

Exactly. And you know what really grates on my nerves? This is their second grandson, sure, but the first one was from the mother's side and didn't carry the family name. Now, this little guy will be the first to actually carry the surname—so suddenly, the name becomes this huge, dramatic deal (my father-in-law is a total Dalmatian at heart). I’d bet anything that if it were a girl, they wouldn't give a damn about the name. 🙄🙂

Ugh, they’re acting all overwhelmed... look, it might make you feel better to hear it, but my dad is a total Dalmatian—he couldn't care less if it's a boy or a girl, or even what the last name is, as long as the grandkid is his 😁 but honestly, my dad is great 😍
But seriously, just mute them. You’ve got to learn how to do that for your own sanity 😉

On my mom’s side, everything revolves around canned goods and processed stuff, though they’d never be the first to admit it. They claim they don't meddle, but their curiosity is absolutely gnawing at them, so I find myself having to feed them bits of information just to get them used to the idea... Given that they are religious fanatics—in the truest sense of the word—we probably ought to be scheduling a baptism appointment by now, and I’m only 14 weeks along. I already know the names will have to be vetted by some local priest to ensure he approves. It drives me absolutely insane 🙂 but I am attempting to maintain my composure until the first actual disagreement pops up. My plan is to baptize the baby with a name chosen solely by his parents... well, by me and my partner. Honestly, I feel like I'm bracing for battle already 🙂

Honestly, the whole "family values" crowd drives me absolutely nuts with their constant moral policing. Look, I’ve got nothing against people—it’s totally fine if someone wants to politely suggest a name they actually like, no biggie—but the second someone starts scowling, throwing tantrums, or heaven forbid, trying to dictate what everyone else has to do? That’s just twisted. It’s not even like our suggestion was anything weird or out there... it was just a seriously normal, standard name.

I married a wonderful man, but I suppose he came as part of a package deal that included some rather peculiar extras—namely, his parents. Thankfully, they don't live anywhere near us... 🙏 What really gets to me, though, is this constant stream of passive-aggression. I honestly don't know how to handle it. No one ever says anything directly, which makes it impossible to address things before they boil over. And then there is this other matter that has been particularly grating since I became pregnant. I have never been much of a drinker, so I find it baffling that people would suddenly start offering me hard liquor now that they know I'm expecting. What is the logic behind that? It’s always the same: "Oh, go ahead, have a drink, it won't hurt you." Yet, before this, no one gave a second thought to whether I was drinking or not... 🙂

Arthur Newman77 said:Honestly, the whole "family values" crowd drives me absolutely nuts with their constant moral policing. Look, I’ve got nothing against people—it’s totally fine if someone wants to politely suggest a name they actually like, no biggie—but the second someone starts scowling, throwing tantrums, or heaven forbid, trying to dictate what everyone else has to do? That’s just twisted. It’s not even like our suggestion was anything weird or out there... it was just a seriously normal, standard name.

I completely understand 🤣🤣 how much chaos would erupt if the names were actually unconventional!

I’ve always thought commenting on what people name their kids was pretty stupid. At the end of the day, it’s the parents' call, and as long as they love it, who cares what the neighbors think? 🤷
But since everyone seems obsessed with sticking their noses where they don't belong lately, I guess I have to weigh in. 🙂
When we were picking names, our family didn't say a word or try to push their own ideas on us—they knew better than to mess with our decisions. 😁

ruggedhound said:I’ve always thought commenting on what people name their kids was pretty stupid. At the end of the day, it’s the parents' call, and as long as they love it, who cares what the neighbors think? 🤷
But since everyone seems obsessed with sticking their noses where they don't belong lately, I guess I have to weigh in. 🙂
When we were picking names, our family didn't say a word or try to push their own ideas on us—they knew better than to mess with our decisions. 😁

😁 sounds like you managed to train them early on. Honestly, I've been trying to do the same lately. It's actually kind of hilarious watching people lose it when they realize things don't work the way they used to.

Arthur Newman77 said:😁 sounds like you managed to train them early on. Honestly, I've been trying to do the same lately. It's actually kind of hilarious watching people lose it when they realize things don't work the way they used to.

Well, you have to... at first, I was just playing nice while losing my damn mind on the inside, which would have been a total disaster. Then I realized that once I actually barked 🙂 everything finally went quiet. 🙂
Joe even taught me how to stand my ground after everyone drove me crazy with their "opinions" during wedding planning. I learned how to speak up and push my own agenda... and if I can hold my ground there, I can certainly do it when it comes to our kid, which is a hell of a lot more important than some wedding plans. 😁

David Thomas362 said: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.

Don't even 😉

We finally told our folks once we actually made a decision, and they were perfectly lovely about it.
The other day they were visiting, and my dad was commenting on how everyone down in Florida is probably going to call him Frank, to which I just replied... well, if I have to correct them every single time, maybe they'll eventually get tired of calling my baby by the wrong name.

And my parents haven't even asked...

Ever since we announced the pregnancy, it feels like everyone is suddenly an expert on our parenting choices—specifically regarding our dog. They keep offering to "take her off our hands," acting as if they’re doing us some huge favor. Honestly, it’s absurd. She isn’t just a pet; she’s the soul of our home, our little zen master. Sure, she’s high-maintenance and will probably get even more energetic once the baby arrives, but I couldn't bear the thought of treating a family member like a piece of unwanted furniture. She’s part of this family, period. But apparently, according to the peanut gallery, the newborn is going to suffocate under a layer of fur. 🙄 Do they think we don't own a Dyson? ☕

Then there’s the wedding situation. For years, nobody blinked an eye at our plans, but now that a baby is involved, suddenly everything is "inappropriate." It’s ridiculous. At this rate, I suppose we should just wear plastic rings and hand out printed certificates to ensure the child’s psycho-social development remains untainted by the reality of a marriage. 🤣

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised; I'm currently swimming in pregnancy hormones, so maybe I'm just seeing the comedy in all this madness. 😍

Kate James said:Ever since we announced the pregnancy, it feels like everyone is suddenly an expert on our parenting choices—specifically regarding our dog. They keep offering to "take her off our hands," acting as if they’re doing us some huge favor. Honestly, it’s absurd. She isn’t just a pet; she’s the soul of our home, our little zen master. Sure, she’s high-maintenance and will probably get even more energetic once the baby arrives, but I couldn't bear the thought of treating a family member like a piece of unwanted furniture. She’s part of this family, period. But apparently, according to the peanut gallery, the newborn is going to suffocate under a layer of fur. 🙄 Do they think we don't own a Dyson? ☕

Then there’s the wedding situation. For years, nobody blinked an eye at our plans, but now that a baby is involved, suddenly everything is "inappropriate." It’s ridiculous. At this rate, I suppose we should just wear plastic rings and hand out printed certificates to ensure the child’s psycho-social development remains untainted by the reality of a marriage. 🤣

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised; I'm currently swimming in pregnancy hormones, so maybe I'm just seeing the comedy in all this madness. 😍

They were quite eager to "help" by offering to take the dog. We have both a dog and a cat in our apartment, yet no one even dared to breathe a word about it before, because they know I don't take kindly to those kinds of comments. I have made that very clear through training... The most "compelling" argument I have heard so far is that the baby will swallow a hair and die. Honestly, if someone has an issue, they should just say it plainly rather than acting like this. I wouldn't say it's just the hormones making me reactive to such things, though...

My latest "nerve-wracking" encounter happened a few days ago when my neighbor called me fat. And she actually had the nerve to smirk while doing it. I just don't get people. First off, I’m not fat—I’m pregnant. Second, I’m not even a heavy pregnant woman. Third, how much of an idiot do you have to be to call a pregnant woman fat? It’s as absurd as calling someone in a wheelchair "stunted."

People can be absolute trash.

Justin Baker3 my husband’s friend actually told me I was fat... just straight up said, "Hey, you're fat." So, I suppose I told him that I won't be fat forever since I'm due to give birth soon, whereas he'll probably stay fat (and a bit soft, if I'm being honest).

It just goes to show that people can be absolute jerks. Most of them, anyway.

Even my cousin had the nerve to ask my mom the other day, "Where’s the fat one?" 😂 The kicker—and I say this with zero malice—is that she’s actually the one carrying an extra 70 pounds or so. 🤣 Honestly, you have to be a special kind of pathetic to pull that off. 🙄

Nobody’s called me fat yet—but I’m just waiting for it to happen, because we all know it eventually does....
Honestly though, it’s just plain rude when people take shots at a pregnant woman.

As for my name—well, people have plenty of comments and suggestions, but I just laugh it off. I really don't care what anyone thinks.

I actually kind of love it when my guy calls me fat 🙂

Everyone calls me fat... but honestly, I don't care much about it.🤷 Maybe it’s because it's coming from people I actually love. If some random acquaintance said it to my face, I'd probably have a very different reaction. 🤷

Nobody calls me fat because, honestly, I’m not. If anyone tried, I’d probably just give them a very polite response. Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I've turned into an elephant or anything. We all know what being overweight actually looks like, right? 🙂