What were your biggest pregnancy surprises and pet peeves?

gentlesailor2 said:I know exactly how you feel. I already posted about this once—back when I announced my pregnancy at work, some guy there started telling entire classes of kids that the librarian was pregnant. Seriously? What business is it of theirs?

That's awful! I can't stand people gossiping about someone else's private life. It never even crossed my mind to go around talking about others...

Another thing that drives me nuts is my mother-in-law buying baby clothes and gear left and right. I’m only 25 weeks pregnant and I want my husband and me to pick out at least the first few things ourselves. We haven't even started shopping yet, and she's been on a spree for over a month now. 😕 It's our first child, and look, I don't mind her helping out, but give me a break. If she keeps this up, we're going to be drowning in stuff we didn't even pick out. She doesn't even ask what we like! She's just throwing money away. If we don't like it, we aren't putting it on the baby. It just feels unfair. I don't know if I'm overreacting or how to handle this, but I really want to choose things ourselves at least for the start.😕

"Are you seriously that overweight?!"

😠
Go jump in a lake; your mother is the one who's heavy-set.😠

Sean Ward22 said:"Are you seriously that overweight?!"

😠
Go jump in a lake; your mother is the one who's heavy-set.😠

If only you could've seen how I totally lost it after that.
She hates my guts now... forever.

I told her straight up that she was being rude and uncultured, and nobody wants to hear that crap. Then when she was heading out, I just hit her with an "okay, bye, fatty."😁

Real classy move on your part.

Peter Turner6 said:That's awful! I can't stand people gossiping about someone else's private life. It never even crossed my mind to go around talking about others...

Another thing that drives me nuts is my mother-in-law buying baby clothes and gear left and right. I’m only 25 weeks pregnant and I want my husband and me to pick out at least the first few things ourselves. We haven't even started shopping yet, and she's been on a spree for over a month now. 😕 It's our first child, and look, I don't mind her helping out, but give me a break. If she keeps this up, we're going to be drowning in stuff we didn't even pick out. She doesn't even ask what we like! She's just throwing money away. If we don't like it, we aren't putting it on the baby. It just feels unfair. I don't know if I'm overreacting or how to handle this, but I really want to choose things ourselves at least for the start.😕

I don't think you're overreacting—to me, it seems perfectly reasonable for close family to ask what would actually be helpful to buy.
On the flip side, I get that she finds joy in the shopping part. My mother-in-law has three sons, and since ours is the first (and her first and currently only grandchild), it's a girl, and for a while, she was completely out of control with the baby clothes. In the beginning, there was everything under the sun—stuff I didn't even like (she has plenty of money and travels a lot, but my taste is much more low-key than hers) and half of it wasn't even practical. Eventually, I sat her down and told her what I liked and what I didn't, and now she buys great, high-quality things that the baby actually enjoys wearing and that make sense for daily life.

As for sitting her down and explaining that you want to pick out certain items, but wouldn't mind if she handled something else (like nursery bedding or decor...), maybe you could suggest a joint shopping trip? That way you can see what catches your eye together.

Sean Ward22 said:"Are you seriously that overweight?!"

😠
Go jump in a lake; your mother is the one who's heavy-set.😠

Damn you, you absolute moron!

That was my response!

Sean Ward22 said:"Are you seriously that overweight?!"

😠
Go jump in a lake; your mother is the one who's heavy-set.😠

🙂🙂🙂

Ugh, seriously...
I’ve officially reached my limit with people calling me fat. Up until now, I’d just play it off with a polite little smile and tell them, "I'm not fat, I'm pregnant," but honestly? From now on, I'm throwing it right back at them: "So, what's your excuse?"

And don't even get me started on those relatives who haven't bothered to pick up the phone or check in on me for years, but suddenly they're all over me now just because I'm expecting. Like, am I actually interesting now, or am I just a walking pregnancy announcement to you guys?

I've been reading through these posts about how much everyone's mothers-in-law drive them crazy... if it helps, mine hasn't once asked how I'm doing or if I need anything—let alone offered to buy me stuff. And keep in mind, she lives right downstairs in the same house. So, hopefully, that gives you some perspective that things aren't always as bad as they seem 😉
But that’s not actually what's getting under my skin...
I'm in my third trimester now, and the bump has been noticeable for about a month. Everywhere I go—grocery stores, the doctor's office, the bank, the post office—it's the same thing. Only two people have actually stepped up to help me out: one guy let me cut ahead of him at the clinic, and a woman gave up her seat in the waiting room. Honestly, what am I supposed to do? I'm pregnant 😉

Honestly, what gets under my skin the most are those places where they plaster signs everywhere claiming priority for pregnant women and people with disabilities—it’s infuriating. Everyone suddenly develops this convenient case of selective blindness, acting like they don't notice me, even though—let's be real—my bump is pretty hard to miss these days. It’s like they think if they just look at their phones long enough, the problem will disappear. Next time, I think I’ll actually make a scene—maybe start loudly questioning why nobody is following the rules or just start waving my medical paperwork around like a flag... maybe then people would actually realize what's going on.

So, this morning I’m standing in line and some woman—who was easily twice my size and definitely not pregnant—decided there wasn't enough room for both of us. She just straight up cut right in front of me, basically shoving her way through the queue...

I’m still a bit on the smaller side, so I can't really complain if I get stuck behind people in line, but man, it gets under my skin when my family insists I need to eat more—even though I feel like I’m eating plenty! Plus, they keep throwing baby name suggestions at me even after I already told them what we picked out. 🙂

neonharbor23 said:So, this morning I’m standing in line and some woman—who was easily twice my size and definitely not pregnant—decided there wasn't enough room for both of us. She just straight up cut right in front of me, basically shoving her way through the queue...

I had a woman at Walmart intentionally slam her cart into me—even though it was incredibly obvious I'm pregnant—and I have no idea why... She was hovering by the shelves, unable to make up her mind about what to grab, so I politely asked if I could grab two containers of sour cream first. Then, she follows me down the aisle and just clips me with her cart🙂

Hey everyone, how are you all holding up with this summer heatwave?

It’s honestly so frustrating because whenever I head downtown, my feet and lower legs start swelling up within an hour 🙄.
Even when I wear loose, comfortable sandals, it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. Once I finally take them off, they leave deep indentations in my skin, and then I'm stuck having to lie down with my legs elevated just to get rid of the cramps and that heavy sensation.
Yesterday, it felt as if my legs were made of solid concrete—just incredibly heavy and sluggish.

And I simply can't get used to the fact that I can't just wander around like I used to. Before I was pregnant, I was always rushing everywhere on foot because I love walking, but now I feel exhausted after such a short time, almost like some old lady 😢 who's huffing and puffing just climbing the stairs.

The worst part is, summer is still so far from being over...

Mercury, I dealt with the exact same headaches you’re facing. Before I got pregnant, I was walking constantly—way too much. Then, out of nowhere, the exhaustion hits hard, nosebleeds start happening, my legs felt like lead, and don't even get me started on the cramps... even stairs became a massive struggle. Then I found my secret weapon—working out 😉
. I force myself to get moving every single morning—the earlier the better to beat the heat—and it's been a total game changer. I feel better, sleep better, and I've already dropped 10lbs 🙂. Definitely recommend it—assuming your pregnancy is going smoothly, of course
.

It’s driving me absolutely crazy. My mom just shows up at our place without even a heads-up, and then proceeds to raid the pantry for things she deems "healthy" for me. Since she's a nutritionist, she’s also gone ahead and drafted entire daily meal plans for me—apparently because my doctor told me I need to watch my weight gain (which, by the way, has been about three pounds this past month)... 😕

But honestly? The biggest issue isn't even the food. It's the fact that she just barges in whenever she feels like it. I mean, my husband and I are expecting a baby here; don't we deserve a little bit of privacy? 🤷

Nadia, what do you think—would orthopedic sandals actually make a difference?
I’m thinking about picking up some Birkenstocks since they seem incredibly comfortable.

I just got back from running some errands downtown. It wasn't anything intense, just a leisurely hour-long walk there and back, but now my left foot is absolutely throbbing.🙄

Gary Nguyen45 said:I don't think you're overreacting—to me, it seems perfectly reasonable for close family to ask what would actually be helpful to buy.
On the flip side, I get that she finds joy in the shopping part. My mother-in-law has three sons, and since ours is the first (and her first and currently only grandchild), it's a girl, and for a while, she was completely out of control with the baby clothes. In the beginning, there was everything under the sun—stuff I didn't even like (she has plenty of money and travels a lot, but my taste is much more low-key than hers) and half of it wasn't even practical. Eventually, I sat her down and told her what I liked and what I didn't, and now she buys great, high-quality things that the baby actually enjoys wearing and that make sense for daily life.

As for sitting her down and explaining that you want to pick out certain items, but wouldn't mind if she handled something else (like nursery bedding or decor...), maybe you could suggest a joint shopping trip? That way you can see what catches your eye together.

I agree with you. I get that she enjoys it, but it sucks seeing money wasted on stuff we don't even want. The issue is my husband won't say anything to her because he hates conflict. If it were my mom, I'd tell her straight up. It’s better for everyone if she buys things we’ll actually use. But I've decided to let it go because I don't feel like arguing with him about why being honest with parents is important, so I'm staying out of it. Anyway, I only see her every few months 🙂 (my husband sees her more often, so he's the one sending the gifts).

Nadia;45621791 said:hey, I'm reading all these posts about how much your mothers-in-law annoy you... for some comfort, mine hasn't even asked how I am or if I need anything once, let alone mentioned buying or gifting stuff... and keep in mind, she lives in the same house right below me... so yeah, hopefully that helps you realize things aren't always as bad as they seem 😉

😢

Sean Ward22 said:"Are you seriously that overweight?!"

😠
Go jump in a lake; your mother is the one who's heavy-set.😠

And that "wow, you're fat" comment was thrown at me for the first time just a few days ago with a huge grin. I told that person immediately not to call me that. For a second there, I felt like I'd gained 45 pounds when she said it.

Bradley Gray54 said:Hey everyone, how are you all holding up with this summer heatwave?

It’s honestly so frustrating because whenever I head downtown, my feet and lower legs start swelling up within an hour 🙄.
Even when I wear loose, comfortable sandals, it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. Once I finally take them off, they leave deep indentations in my skin, and then I'm stuck having to lie down with my legs elevated just to get rid of the cramps and that heavy sensation.
Yesterday, it felt as if my legs were made of solid concrete—just incredibly heavy and sluggish.

And I simply can't get used to the fact that I can't just wander around like I used to. Before I was pregnant, I was always rushing everywhere on foot because I love walking, but now I feel exhausted after such a short time, almost like some old lady 😢 who's huffing and puffing just climbing the stairs.

The worst part is, summer is still so far from being over...

Man, I am going through this too. 🙂

The first trimester was especially brutal. Now I've mostly adjusted to being a homebody.
I don't even groan until I finally sit down to rest. 🤣

It seriously drives me up a wall when some friend who isn't even pregnant—and isn't even planning on being pregnant anytime soon—starts lecturing me about pregnancy, weight gain, parenting, blah blah blah... basically all this stuff she knows absolutely nothing about. But hey, it’s fine, right? She’s just giving me her "well-meaning" advice!!!!!
🙂 🙂 🙂

Brandon Scott5 said:It’s driving me absolutely crazy. My mom just shows up at our place without even a heads-up, and then proceeds to raid the pantry for things she deems "healthy" for me. Since she's a nutritionist, she’s also gone ahead and drafted entire daily meal plans for me—apparently because my doctor told me I need to watch my weight gain (which, by the way, has been about three pounds this past month)... 😕

But honestly? The biggest issue isn't even the food. It's the fact that she just barges in whenever she feels like it. I mean, my husband and I are expecting a baby here; don't we deserve a little bit of privacy? 🤷

Please, send your mom over to my place! Unannounced is totally fine—as long as she brings the groceries 😬... mine lives way too far away, and if she showed up every single week, I probably wouldn't be able to fit through my own front door anymore 😂