What is it about a woman being pregnant that causes other around them to say the first thing that comes to mind? Be it a loved one or a stranger at Target; being prego is like a magnet for stupid people comments, advice or ancient wives tales. So, I thought I'd compile a list of things said to me in the course of my three pregnancies. Consider it a sort of "what not to say when talking to someone expecting" list. Please feel free to comment with your personal fav's- maybe one day I'll write a book.
- Oh you just popped out in the last week.Thanks for stating the obvious...
- Don't worry I got really swollen in my pregnancies too.
- Wow, are you sure there's just one? My pediatrician asked me that one. Love her.
- We got pregnant without even trying. This one bugs me for many reasons a) let's face it there's always some sort of "effort" involved. And b) never say this to someone who is or has struggled with infertility. I promise they will secretly want to poke your eyes out.
- You're not supposed to lift your arms over your head. As I am closing my trunk.
- Due anytime now, huh? Actually not till August, but thanks!
- You're wearing flip flops to church? If you would like to squeeze my feet into more appropriate footwear, be my guest.
- Are you going to try for a girl? Please just let me get through this pregnancy first.
- You really shouldn't be drinking Coke. Oh yeah? And my 2 yr old should really be sleeping all night in his own bed too I bet.
- Oh just buy a few maternity clothes, everything else will stretch. No one tells you that a some point even those biggest maternity clothes won't fit.
- Wow, we really need to get you clothes that fit. Thanks Hon.
- So what will the baby's sign be? Really? As if I know and or care at this point.
- He's a little old for you to be carrying him. Well unless you're volunteering shut it.
- Be sure you drink lots of water. While I agree this is vital let's face it the more I drink the more I pee, it's a vicious cycle.
- Are you sleeping on your left side? Actually I just don't sleep, nasty side affect of this pregnancy but when I lay down it is on the correct side.
- Do you need help out with your groceries? Um duh it's 190* out and I have to get my kids in the car too. So yes of course I'd love some help.
- How much weight have you gained? Unless you have an MD after your name and I have your pager in my cell, that's just rude.
I plan on adding to the list. It's still early the best comments come once you hit the 30 week mark.
Sometimes I think I should have a shirt printed that says "august boy third hot tired" and on the back in smaller print " two other boys- 6&2- no name yet- yes we have a pool-no my FIL isn't my OB- yes, I'll have an epidural- I think it would solve a lot of strangers questions. And even some not so strangers as well. What's the awesomest thing that has been said to you? I love knowing I'm not the only one who gets this...
33 comments:
When I was pregnant with Lindsey I was only 29 weeks pregnant and this man says to me,"Wow you look like you could go any day," I responded with,"Really? I am not due for another 11 weeks,thanks." I think men don't know how to react to pregnant women. I like the t-shirt idea.
now that was so stinking funny I loughed out loud a work when I shouldn't even be on the internet. Nicely done. And I really think that t-shirt would be a great gift. wish I was crafty.
After having two (and already 27 years old) I heard, "Aren't you a little young to have two already?" Thank you for the age compliment but bite me on how many kids I have. Its none of your business. That was my most irritating! Wow four years later that still drudged up irriation. Nice huh!
Love the list! Oh the "you don't sleep" one...that was me with Londyn. It makes it hard to function and as for the caffine drink...my OB recommended a Dr. Pepper a day because I was so constipated. TMI I know (sorry) but people need to mind their manners.
Haha oh Caryn I love you. Seriously though, I think you should make the T-shirt.
I alsmost did a post like this when I was pregnant. I seriously think that people think when you are pregnant anything goes. Why is that. It seemed like people always had a comment. I came out of a resturant and an older lady goes wow you must have enjoyed your meal. I got the oh you look like your due any day. I also hate all the comments you get after you have the baby. Everyone wants to tell you your business. Geez people get a life! I am right there with you Caryn.
I know if I hear one more person say, "Wow you are getting so big, you have to go all the way to August",I am gonna scream. And if anyone else asks to see my belly button I am gonna freak out. Really my belly button, weird.
LOL... way too funny! You should go into business with these tshirts. I bet they would sell like crazy! I hated when people asked if they could "touch" my belly... I wanted to say "sure, if I can touch yours!"
I do have a shirt that says "Ask Then Touch" I love the reaction I get from it.
thanks for the laugh caryn:)
Amen sista!
Love the ask then touch shirt. One day I'll have to try that one.
Here's a question I love...since my baby is 4..."When are you having another one?" It's always a lose lose sometimes I think.
You are hilarious! That is a list that anyone who has ever been pregnant could relate to! One of my faves when I was pregnant, was when we were leaving a restaurant and this man went to open the door for me. How sweet, I thought, until he made some comment that included the phrase "wide load". He even said it with a smile, as if I would find it cute or funny. He's lucky he lived to see another day.
Ahh Caryn, you are great! That post is to funny. I think you should make that T-Shirt. Are you still planning on coming to Utah this summer? If so remind me of the dates. I would love to see you and your cute fam.
Oh Caryn...these are good. What are people thinking? You are never out of good stories when you are pregnant because stupid people can't seem to keep their mouth shut.
Some of my favs were - "Is that a new dress? You look like a clown." Seriously, a guy at my work said that. Or there's "When are you due? Wow! That's gonna be a BIG baby." Or as I was pushing the little bugger from kicking my ribs, "don't do that you can hurt the baby."
I like the shirt. You could make a killing customizing prego shirts.
Hilarious Caryn. That was so funny yet so true. Most of us have been there so we can totally understand. It is amazing how much people will say without thinking it through!!!
Awesome!
I love PREGNANT CARYN she is super fun!!!Dang, wish I was there to witness this stuff first hand!
Caryn,
I laughed so hard at these because everyone is saying these to me right now. I always had people ask with my last pregnancy if I was having twins. People were convinced. I always get the, "Anyday now!".
"No, not really."
The only thing you should ever say to a pregnant woman is "You look great."
AMEN SISTA! Love the T-shirt idea! Oh, & you're welcome for the "Ask, then touch" shirt. It is quite perfect isn't it! I second the whole "try for another thing". I got asked all the time " Are you going to have more kids?" or "Do you want to try for a boy?" Ah, I'm still incubating this one. Let me get through this then, we'll see. I especially loved it when I got asked that RIGHT AFTER having my baby! Seriously people, I JUST had a baby! Calm down! I also loved, "You're ALREADY showing? (When I was only about 3 months along.) I didn't start showing til I was in my 3rd trimester with both of my kids!" That's awesome! Good for you! Oh & thank you for pointing that out! I wasn't self concious or anything already. She was soooolucky that she was related to my Fav friend or there would've been some serious drama!
I did find out that she really didn't show til then but she just looked FAT & would cry every day because people didn't know that she was preggo. Have to say, that made me SOOO HAPPY!
hahahahah wow I love it! I WANT ONE OF THOSE SHIRTS. you def should make them. When I was 5 months along with my second I was in the grocery store holding my two-year old and someone said, "wow thats really nice of you to babysit when you are so pregnant. (pointing to my belly) "thats your first obviously..." GGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRR that still bugs me. Granted i do look young for my age but WHO says that?!?!?!
A lady in my ward that had 5 grown kids said to me, "Wow, I didn't think you could get any bigger, but you did." Seriously?!! Needless to say I didn't attend church those last two weeks of my pregnancy for fear that she would indulge me with her insensitive observations. Rude! I love the shirt idea. Add it to your long list of clever marketable idea's. I missed the good dose of laughs that you always provide because our skip a month bunco month. Hopefully I'll see you soon!
Oh my gosh, you are so freaking funny. It's been awhile since I was pregnant but all of these comments ring a bell for me. I mostly remember when people would ask me what I was naming Stratton & I'd tell them, I got all sorts of rude comments. Crinkled noses, "Really? Like, really?", "That's an interesting name." etc. I really wanted to punch a few grocery store clerks during that pregnancy. I also hated when I lost my milk & had to use formula and the comments I got about that. People are idiots!
Amen to this post! It is one of my biggest pet peeves that people think they get some sort of license to be rude when they see someone pregnant. I show a ton with my pregnancies and get a lot of comments. Things like, "Boy, you just really show all out front, don't you!" In other words, "I didn't know a belly could stretch that far!" Believe me, I didn't either. But it's not for someone else to say!
You are hilarious!
Okay, I have a great one for ya. An old man neighbor that lives down the street from my mom's house said "I know what you've been doing!.." BLAH! It's the only time I ever felt like a skanky hoe while being pregnant. That's the worst I've ever gotten even out of my FIL calling me "fatty" in a loving tone and LOTS of twin comments.
Love the new layout to the blog but... just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you get out of being in pictures! By not being in any of the pictures means you're leaving out TWO members of the family! I want to see your pretty face on the layout pic!
LOL! I'm honestly laughing too hard to even begin to remember all the crazy, dumb, 'out there' things people have said to me during my 3 pregnancies. I honestly just hated being so huge that people felt the need to reach out and touch my belly (complete strangers mind you). So what? Big belly = reach out and touch someone? I think not. They're just lucky I WAS pregnant...otherwise I probably would've decked 'em. :D And I honestly think you should write a book about it. I'd buy it in a second!! Hang in there...August isn't all that far away!
Oh my word, that is so hilarious I can't even stand it!!!! Definitely get the t-shirt made!
~jacy olsen clayton
The worst one I got was "Wow, you don't look so tall now that you are so wide" How do you even respond to that? I just said, "Thank you??"
Good luck with your pregnancy. It looks like you guys specialize in boys...I have 3 boys too. I had so many people telling me all the horror stories about girls. I think they thought I was seriously bummed and that would cheer me up. Boys are the best. Good idea with the t-shirt!
Lindsey (Kosta) Tyler
I think you should sell a set of shirts- 4 total!
1ST- 1st trimester, prego not fat (size XL junior shirt)
2nd-2nd trimester- $1 to guess boy or girl... all proceeds got to the occupant (size sm-med maternity)
3rd- due date, sex, birth order, name, how you feel (size xl maternity)
4th- just delivered- DO NOT ASK WHEN I AM DUE! (size lg maternity)
(I say this cuz someone asked when I was due 3 days later & I almost got postpardum with my 3rd baby! With my first delivery an ignorant team mate of Justins came to hospital 12 seconds after delivery- I wanted to nurse & pee, and annoyed he was there- so I got up & he said- "whoa what's up with your stomach- I thought it was supposed to go down when you delivered! Then his wife hit him, and he said "well... I'm just asking... what could POSSIBLY still be in there?" THANKS CHUCKO!!!)
Just the other day I said something about one of my friends who is due in December. Ray responded, "December? She looked at least six months pregnant." I told him he better NEVER say that to her.
My sis-in-law has 4.5 children. When she was pregnant with her 4th someone asked, "Don't you know how babies are made?" Her husband replied, "Well, I've got a theory but if it's right, we'd have A LOT of kids by now."
Honestly, why do people feel the need to dictate how many children you should have? So many people, when they found out I was having twins, said, "Oh, that's nice, you'll be done in just one try." As if it is well-known fact that I want exactly two children and planned to have them at the same time. Or those who felt the need to say, "If it's a boy and a girl you can be done." Why? Is it a requirement that each family have at least one of each gender? Do you have to stop once you get one of each gender? Do you even know if I want one of each gender? Does it even matter since I don't get to choose?
I got a lot of comments on my size. Granted, I had twins, but I didn't feel the need to tell complete strangers that I was having twins, so they just thought I was huge. And I kind-of enjoyed the looks on their faces when I said I still had four months to go and I looked 10 months pregnant.
Also, by the end of my pregnancy none of my maternity pants fit and most of my maternity shirts didn't. I had one pair of overalls and some extra large t-shirts that I could wear. There were still people who felt the need to comment on my clothes. Hello, I am 8 months pregnant with twins I just want something that will go around my belly, I don't care what it looks like.
I've never understood why complete strangers care when my baby is due, what its gender is, why I did or did not find out its gender, what name I plan to use, what doctor I go to, if I'm planning on having an epidural, etc. Mind your own business and I'll mind mine, thank you.
you are a crack up!! Way to keep the humor going, cause that is the only way to deal with the WEIRD comments. I will NEVER understand how women make the RUDEST comments to other women...its like...hello? you know what it is like to be big and uncomfortable!
I loved my midwife because she always called me a GODDESS...yep I liked that one! :)
thats was too funny!
Too too funny and too too true. The ones that made me the maddest were when I was NOT yet showing, had NOT told anyone I was pregnant, had NO signs of pregnancy, and I kept getting, "Boy, you're sure looking tired this morning." "You sure are looking like you don't feel well today." "Hmm... are you feeling ok today?" -- all of which are said with knowing smiles. Yea, thanks for telling me I look fat. (By the way, this was going on at Thanksgiving, so when you told me how good I was looking, I seriously could've kissed you. But didn't. For obvious reasons.)
Or there's the little old lady at church who may be slightly senile, I'm not sure, who kept saying, from about the time I felt comfortable telling people I am pregnant, "Boy, you sure look uncomfortable! I just look at you and laugh! I feel so sorry for you!" Let's hope she's senile so I don't get too mad at her... :)
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