As soon as you announce your pregnancy you and your growing baby seem to become public property. The world and his wife have no qualms about asking personal questions, touching your bump and offering their pregnancy advice and opinions.
You might hear the same questions or comments 20-30 times in one pregnancy alone. The comments you do get aren’t always well thought through and when you’re flooded with pregnancy hormones they can often be so hurtful and other times downright irritating.
Try and remember that a lot of the interest and attention comes from a good place. They’re excited for you and want the best for you and your baby.
In the meantime know you’re not alone at finding a few things they say that little bit maddening! We’ve put together a list of the 10 most annoying things people say to you during pregnancy.
You look so tiny
Nothing can make us feel more paranoid or upset than comments about the size of our bumps. Comments about it being too small make us worry that our baby is not growing enough and comments about it being too large make us feel fat and frumpy.
You’re ginormous! Are you sure it’s not twins
Erm. Yup. You’re pretty sure we’d have been told by now if it was twins and unless one baby was hiding in the scan, you’ve seen the evidence for yourself. But thanks for highlighting that how humongous you are. You were feeling big before but now you officially feel like a whale.
Haven’t you had your baby yet?
This is probably the most annoying question of all. Clearly you have not had your baby as you are standing in front of them with a huge pregnant belly.
The last month of pregnancy seems to last about twice as long as any other. Questions like this don’t help the days go by any faster.
I can tell you’re having a boy/girl
There are so many predictions. One person says they know you’re having a girl because of the shape of your bump. Another says it’s definitely a boy because of its position.
Your sister spins a ring on a ribbon over your bump and declares it’s absolutely a girl. Your best friend says that because you’ve been craving salty foods it’s a boy.
They’re all old wives tales and 50% of your friends and family will be right in their predictions. In the meantime you may have to just grin and bear it!
Are you sure you should be doing that?
Whether it’s munching on a pack of peanuts, taking one sip of wine or carrying a heavy bag, some people will question what you do in pregnancy and make you feel bad for your decisions.
When you’ve read all the pregnancy advice and you’re doing your utmost to keep your baby safe, it can feel a bit unfair to have your actions questioned and criticised.
Can I touch your bump?
It feels rude to say ‘No’. Even if you’d rather they didn’t. In no other circumstance would so many people want to put their paws on your belly.
Some women love sharing the joy of pregnancy and the excitement of feeling baby kicks with others. Other women are more private and flinch at any unexpected body contact. Remember, you can politely say no, the choice is yours.
Have you picked a name?
On the surface this is an innocent and interested question. The problem is that when you do say which names you are thinking of, everyone wades in with their opinions.
You’ll often hear “Ooh no. I don’t like that name” or “I knew someone with that name and they weren’t horrible” or even “that reminds me of a detergent/medicine/brand name“.
It’s hard enough picking a name, without the world and his wife making you doubt your choices. Our advice would be to keep the name top secret until your baby arrives.
I bet you really want a boy/girl
Even if you secretly have a hope for one sex, you wouldn’t dare admit it. At the end of the day you know how blessed you are to be expecting a baby and your hope is for a healthy and happy baby above all else.
Questions like this make you feel bad for even thinking you might prefer one sex over the other.
Have you tried ginger biscuits to help with morning sickness? I’ve heard they’ve worked for so many people.
You have felt as sick as a dog for weeks and have Googled every morning sickness remedy under the sun. None of them work for you.
Hearing that certain remedies worked for others makes you feel green around the gills. This time with envy rather than nausea.
Have you put his or her name down for a nursery yet?
You’re only 17 weeks pregnant and haven’t even decided on a name. Now you’re panicking that you should have registered your foetus at nursery or you’ll never get them in anywhere.
Relax! By all means put baby down for the more urgent nurseries, but remember there are a lot of preschools that do not require applicants to be foetuses in order to register.
You may feel up to your ears hearing the same pregnancy advice when you’re pregnant, but try and remember it will end. You will give birth, and hopefully the same people making these comments will also be the ones offering you love and support when your little one arrives.
And next time you see your own friends when they’re pregnant, think twice before commenting. You may just end up asking the same questions!
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