When you’re pregnant, there are a lot of pregnancy symptoms, but it amazes me the misinformation people wish to impart on you.
Case in point, my Mom has ‘baby-brain’ these days, as my sister-in-law and I are both expecting. My Mom has two best friends who have daughter-in-laws that are expecting as well. Turns out most of us are due all around the same time, which makes it worse, since comparisons are flying.
Here is one conversation I had with my Mom about my pregnancy and her friend’s daughter-in-law’s pregnancy.
Mom: You must be having a boy.
Me: Why is that?
Mom: Because she is only two weeks behind you and she is not even showing yet, while you have really popped out.
Me: Isn’t this her first pregnancy?
Mom: What does that have to do with it?
Me: Mom, after you have one baby, your abdominal muscles aren’t as tight and you typically show much earlier the second time around.
Mom: Well, that doesn’t make sense.
Here is another conversation:
Mom: You obviously are having a boy.
Me: Why do you say that?
Mom: Because you are really sticking out. And that is how you know it is a boy.
Me: Didn’t you say that Mrs. C said her daughter-in-law is carrying all over and you think that is the sign of a girl?
Mom: Yes.
Me: But she is having a boy.
At this point, I wish I knew I was having a girl (check out this post to get the answer!) so I could prove her wrong. Seriously, you’d think these women who have had 7 children and an existing 6 grandchildren amongst themselves, that they would be a bit more informed with these wives tales.
Of course, I get other strangers imparting their thoughts on my pregnancy. Which, of course, always starts of with: “Congratulations!” Followed by, “When are you due?” Further followed by,”Do you know what you are having?” I’m really tempted to say I’m having an alien baby and they don’t have a gender…just to see what they say. Often, these strangers then proceed to tell you what they think you are having. I was told at a Starbucks recently that I was carrying a girl because I was carrying high. (Note that during my last pregnancy, another woman, coincidentally at another Starbucks, said I was carrying low and that it must be a girl.)
Then you have the people that state, “Wow, you must be due any day now?” When, I have to respond, “I am only 5 months along, so I would hope I would have more time.”
Pregnancy, in and of itself, is not easy. Then you leave the house and deal with all of this. Which is why I often don’t leave it.
So what crazy things have been said to you during your pregnancies?
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Image Credit: Doriana via stock.xchng.com
One of my friends stock response to the gender question was “We’re hoping for a human. Or maybe an owl.”
Right now the biggest question I get is have we named her yet? Which I am always uncomfortable answering because it’s an unusual name and I don’t want to have to defend it if the person doesn’t like it. Ever notice how easy it is to insult a name, but once that name is assigned to an actual child they wouldn’t dare. So until baby is here, keep your mouth shut, it’s a secret!
The heartburn = lots of hair thing gets me. I had killer heartburn last time, only a few little hairs on that baby’s head.
I got a lot of the carrying low thing with my first. Because he was SO low and he was a boy so everyone thought they were all proud of themselves that they could tell he was a boy. And I was thinking, “Guys, you have a 50/50 shot here.”
What gets me now is that I’m seeing that bias a lot of parents of all-boys or all-girls get. I have a boy, #2 is a girl, and whenever people find out they say, “Oh that’s PERFECT.” Which is fine and all, but what if I was having another boy?
Ha! Love the convos with your mom. When I was pregnant my MIL told me I’d never have a girl because “Meltzers don’t have girls.” Guess who had a girl HA!
Haha… I heard these same things the second time around… So funny all the old. Wives tales