I am a grown woman in my mid-30’s but all of a sudden people want to tell me when to sleep, what I should eat, what type of shoes I should wear, where I can go and the list goes on and on. And do you know why people feel this OK…because I am pregnant. All of a sudden well- intending strangers and loved-ones alike want to comment on everything from the shoes I wear to how I style my hair. My body obviously provides a warm safe haven for our beautiful bundle of joy to grow. But, my growing belly comes with unsolicited opinions and comments that quite frankly, sometimes I just don’t want to hear them.
Here are 5 things that no other pregnant woman wants to hear:
Are sure you should be “fill in the blank here” that? ex: eating, wearing, doing…whatever
Trust me when I say that most women want to do what’s right for their unborn baby. For me personally, if I was not sure about it, then I would not be doing it. A better approach, would be to say something like this, ” I am generally concerned about ‘XYZ’, but I am sure that you have already cleared that with your physician”.
Hey Preggo!
Listen up please and listen well. I don’t know anyone pregnant or not that is flattered my this term. I liken it to being compared to a bottle of pasta sauce: Prego! Ok, so the spelling is different. But I know you get my point.
She is Pregnant
I know that you are proud that your daughter, sister, wife, friend will soon be bringing another loved one into the world. But, if the “mama-to-be” is within “earshot”, it is more respectable to say something like, “My sister is expecting a baby or Kathy is having a baby” instead of saying she when mommy is right there. It can make “mommy to be” feel insignificant, less human and more “baby carrier…ish”.
You Look So Small…Is Everything OK?
Well, if everything was not “OK”, thanks for bringing it up in middle of the grocery store in front of the produce aisle. Wait… by the way, “What is your name again?”
You Are So Big, It is Going to Take a While to Lose All that Weight
Do I really have to say why this is inappropriate? Mommy to be has not even gotten through her preganacy yet and someone is already reminding her of how much work she has ahead of her. This is simply not a good idea and if you want to know why, please refer to the first paragraph above.
Stepping off of my soap box now.
Comments ( 8 )
Jermey Matthews
Congrats to you and yours on your pregnancy! I learned a long time ago to not say ANYTHING to a pregnant woman, or to a woman you think is pregnant…and it turns out she’s not. 🙂
LisaDLS
Thanks Jeremey. You are right for sure. That could be a huge mishap. 🙂
Crystal & Co. (@CrystalandComp)
Great list of pregnancy no nos. Your post was one of the most clicked last week. You made the Best Mom Advice list: http://www.crystalandcomp.com/2013/04/top-five-mom-ideas-42213/
LisaDLS
Sweet!
DesignGeek
I liked that last one especially although for me it usually came in the form of, “Oh you must be due soon…oh not for 4 months still…well…”
LisaDLS
It’s so refreshing to hear other people’s experiences. Also provides me with some comedy relief 🙂
Erica {let why lead}
It’s true that pregnancy seems to give people a lot of license to say whatever they think! I cannot fathom why that is! I felt like my size was constantly being evaluated, whether verbally or just with the eyes. Awkward! I liked your point about being referred to as “she” (she’s pregnant). I never thought about that before, but I can totally see why!