A friend posted "What Not to Say to a Pregnant Woman" on her fbook and it prompted some (bad) memories, which I felt like sharing.
Story number one:
"Wow, you're HUGE!"
Cue: me staring blankly, uh...
Cue: disastrous effort to make it not sound so bad (?)
"I was the same way, carried it all in my ass and thighs."
Cue: me starting blankly, uh...
Story number two:
A rambling sort of speech from an elderly woman who knew me through both pregnancies.
"Oh, well, you look pretty good this time, but I wouldn't worry about it, I mean, it's the way of life, this is what's supposed to happen, although I remember you didn't get all that big last time, you were quite small the whole time, I was surprised when I found out you were off already and had the baby, but he came early didn't he, anyway it's different every time, maybe this time you're having a girl, although I think that maybe you, well that is, it seems like probably you didn't uh lose as much in between as you were hoping to."
"Probably" I didn't lose as much as I was hoping to???
Really, lady? This is what you say to the 38-weeks pregnant woman?
It was worse than chubs icicle, srsly.
I still sort of don't know how to talk to that lady (who I see fairly regularly) without mostly just staring blankly at her and hoping to leave the room quickly.
Tell me your war stories! Let's commiserate together!
Story number one:
"Wow, you're HUGE!"
Cue: me staring blankly, uh...
Cue: disastrous effort to make it not sound so bad (?)
"I was the same way, carried it all in my ass and thighs."
Cue: me starting blankly, uh...
Story number two:
A rambling sort of speech from an elderly woman who knew me through both pregnancies.
"Oh, well, you look pretty good this time, but I wouldn't worry about it, I mean, it's the way of life, this is what's supposed to happen, although I remember you didn't get all that big last time, you were quite small the whole time, I was surprised when I found out you were off already and had the baby, but he came early didn't he, anyway it's different every time, maybe this time you're having a girl, although I think that maybe you, well that is, it seems like probably you didn't uh lose as much in between as you were hoping to."
"Probably" I didn't lose as much as I was hoping to???
Really, lady? This is what you say to the 38-weeks pregnant woman?
It was worse than chubs icicle, srsly.
I still sort of don't know how to talk to that lady (who I see fairly regularly) without mostly just staring blankly at her and hoping to leave the room quickly.
Tell me your war stories! Let's commiserate together!
I think your reaction to that lady is the right one: the blank stare conveys more than we realize!
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