The Things People Say

I have read a number of articles and threads about the stuff that people say to pregnant women.  I would never have had an appreciation for those stories before I was expecting myself.  I thought it might be fun to make my own list.  Feel free to add to mine!

1. Was it planned?/Were you trying?
2. Do you have a doctor?/Are you taking vitamins?
3. That's not a belly; that's a bread basket!
4. How much weight have you gained?
5. My delivery was so painful and traumatic that I never had a second child (true statement revealed to me right after I shared my good news).
6. Are you hoping for a girl or a boy?
7.  How far along are you?
8. The last place I would want to be looking is in maternity (said by a random shopper while walking by me in the maternity section at the mall, my husband heard her and was pissed).
9. Oh, you are getting so cute.
10. I can see your belly now./You're getting so heavy.
11. Your stomach isn't nearly as big as this other pregnant women.
12. Do you have insomnia?  Better get used to not sleeping!
13. Do you want to find out if it is a boy or a girl or do you want to be surprised? (isn't it always a surprise?)
14. Do you know what you are having? (it's a human!)
15. Breastfeeding is great and the best thing that you can do for your baby!
16. Breastfeeding is painful/horrible/impossible; use formula and save yourself the trouble.
17. Did you pick a name yet?
18. Just use drugs. (this one gets said a lot in reference to the delivery which I find kind of amusing since usually the status quo is to "just say no")
19. How are you feeling? (multiply by 1,000,000,000)
20. And the creme de la creme:

Can I confirm your birthdate?
Reeallly??  I thought you were like nineteen!
(Said by a phlebotomist after vampiring more blood from me.  I waited until I was in my early thirties to have my first baby and people still think that I am a teen mother.  Not cool!)

Many of the gems above were eyebrow-raising, but the one thing that has really surprised me is that people have not advised me to stop riding my horse, even though horseback riding is at the top of the list of dangerous activities to be avoided by pregnant women.  I had been bracing myself since day one expecting to be judged for riding my 1000 lb pet while gestating a baby.  I am not sure if people just don't want to go there and tell me not to do my most favorite thing in the entire world or if they truly believe that I would not take the chance if I thought that I would be taking too large a risk.  I have been happy to see that pretty much everyone, from riders to non-riders, have been supportive of my decision to keep riding my horse.  My husband and I discussed it with one of my doctors and she said that because I have been riding regularly for most of my life, I can continue to ride, but I can't fall off.  She also said that "bouncing is okay" and won't hurt the baby.

As an avid rider who values a good seat and the work I have put forth to improve my balance and position in the saddle, I couldn't resist clarifying for her.

"Oh, I don't bounce."

October 2012: At the beginning of our new adventure.