# I am so done with this pregnancy thing.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 16, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220 "2014-04-16T00:48:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/22 "2014-04-22T19:36:03Z")

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Hi guys. I’ve been off the grid for the long weekend. I’ve been reading, but haven’t been able to post - put I’ve appreciated all the comments and advice.

Five weeks now, so getting closer slowly (although my mom went nearly three weeks overdue with me :eek: . They don’t let you do that these days, thank Og.)

[QUOTE=bump]  
My wife laughed pretty hard at the first couple of sentences - she’s got 2 weeks until the due date.  
[/QUOTE]

Glad I could brighten someone elses pregnancy - keep us updated on **baby bump** , ok? She must be really close to due by now.

[QUOTE=Dangerosa]  
The third trimester of pregnancy and the teenage years are about making you look forward to a painful separation process. “I don’t care how much its going to hurt, it can’t be worse than this!” Its necessary because otherwise you’d be looking at every newborn and instead of saying “oh, how tiny”- you’d be screaming at them - “they want me to push THAT out of my hoo-ha!”  
[/QUOTE]

Oddly enough, I’m not nervous about the birth at all - just looking forward to it, in a detached sort of way. I’m sure it will be painful and awful and disgusting, but I really feel I can deal. I’m just in “get it over with”-mode I guess. And I really want to meet the little bundle, so there is that.

But yeah, newborns are frickin’ HUGE (and most of them look like Winston Churchill or Chairman Mao, or is that just me?)

[QUOTE=WhyNot]  
Yep. It does get over with. It really doesn’t get better until it’s gotten over with, but then it gets better in a matter of moments. It’s truly astounding how fast it gets better when it begins to get better, and how much better it gets when it starts getting better. And THAT is why women have more than one baby. Because the amount of better it gets is much more than the amount of suck it is right now.

Hang in there. \<3  
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=FairyChatMom]  
So, deep cleansing breaths. Think happy thoughts. This too shall pass. Have a happy baby!  
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=CrazyCatLady]  
It gets over with. They’ll drag the little beggar out of there kicking and screaming, if necessary. I know, because my brother and both of my nieces had to be forcibly evicted.  
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=llcoolbj77]  
But it does end. It does get better. And at the end you get the best fucking prize on the planet. Seriously!  
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Dangerosa]  
Yeah Septima, hang on…it will be over soon - except for the stories. You get to tell them for a LONG time.  
[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=gig]  
Hang in there!  
[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone. It really does help. And I love the different tones you all used 😃

[QUOTE=MLS]  
Of course, one has to remember that every single day that goes by, the baby is getting more finished, more healthy, more likely to thrive.  
[/QUOTE]

I just caught myself muttering “At least you’ll never be able to say I never did anything for you” at the baby. The father was born early, if this were him, he’d have been born by now, that puts the whole thing into perspective. I’m AM hoping for a full-term baby, but maybe not the “extra” weeks everyone else seems to get the first time around.

[QUOTE=Ranger Jeff]  
Just for the record, you do know that modern medical science has discovered what causes pregnancy, right?  
[/QUOTE]

Jupp! Can’t blame anyone except myself and maybe the father, we did this on purpose. We were fools! Fools, I tell you 😃

[QUOTE=Avarie537]  
My husband and I often say that true love isn’t flowers and candles, it’s “honey, what is this thing on my butt?”  
[/QUOTE]

Ain’t that the truth? When you find someone who can deal with all your disgusting stuff, and whose disgusting stuff you can deal with, that’s when you know it’s forever.

[QUOTE=Elemenopy]  
Between that and getting over this flu thing that makes me pee when I cough, well…I take a lot of baths. But I’m having a hard time getting out of the tub now.  
[/QUOTE]

TMI alert ahead…I’ve had to wear those lady incontince pads to bed for weeks, because I can’t stop coughing in my sleep. Just another one of those things I guess.

Seriously, that’s one of the really sucky things about pregnancy - no drugs. I’m prone to headaches, but noooo, no pain meds for me. No couch meds, no snot meds, no nothing. This sucks.

[QUOTE=gig]  
At least you have an excuse.  
[/QUOTE]

And I’m riding it for all it’s worth. This morning, I ate some artificial sweetener because I thought it was a breath mint. Yuck! Pregnancy brain can seriously go away now…

Oh, and before I forget: congrats and consolations to my fellow sufferers! Hang in there, **lady bump** , **llcoolbj77** and **Elemenopy** (did I miss anyone?)

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**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/23 "2014-04-22T19:58:48Z")

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> [@Septima](#):
>
> But yeah, newborns are frickin’ HUGE (and most of them look like Winston Churchill or Chairman Mao, or is that just me?)

Don’t forget the ones that look like Elmer Fudd! And a couple that look like Coneheads. 😉

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**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/24 "2014-04-22T20:16:27Z")

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> [@Dangerosa](#):
>
> The third trimester of pregnancy and the teenage years are about making you look forward to a painful separation process. “I don’t care how much its going to hurt, it can’t be worse than this!” Its necessary because otherwise you’d be looking at every newborn and instead of saying “oh, how tiny”- you’d be screaming at them - “they want me to push THAT out of my hoo-ha!” The other truth about the third trimester is that newborn babies only look freaking HUGE to women in their third trimester. Because they ARE freaking huge.

LMAO ! My son and daughter in law had their first child last Saturday. 🙂 She is all of 5 foot tall. The baby was 8 lbs, 15 oz and 22 " long.

He was delivered by Caesarian. :eek:

To quote the delivery nurse at the Army hospital where dear daughter in law delivered, " Oh, that baby was NOT coming out of you that way. "

Congrats on your babies, ladies !!! It does seem to be the season. First grandson, first grand nephew, friends having babies, friends’ kids having babies. Love it !!

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/25 "2014-04-22T20:46:25Z")

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Hey, some unfortunate babies look like Richard Nixon.

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**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/26 "2014-04-22T21:04:54Z")

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> [@Dangerosa](#):
>
> The third trimester of pregnancy and the teenage years are about making you look forward to a painful separation process.

> [@Septima](#):
>
> Oddly enough, I’m not nervous about the birth at all - just looking forward to it, in a detached sort of way. I’m sure it will be painful and awful and disgusting, but I really feel I can deal. I’m just in “get it over with”-mode I guess.

See, the wonder of Nature’s Way, at work!

(and yes, they do all look like Winston Churchill. I often wonder why anybody hasn’t yet gotten rich selling little baby-sized top hat, bow tie, and cigar outfits)

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**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/27 "2014-04-22T21:52:20Z")

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It WILL end. And I know everyone has a great time telling you how first babies are all a month overdue, but my first was only a day and a half late. Here’s to yours being the most punctual baby ever and deciding to arrive at a minute past midnight on the due date.

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**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/28 "2014-04-23T01:26:18Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Seriously, that’s one of the really sucky things about pregnancy - no drugs. I’m prone to headaches, but noooo, no pain meds for me. No couch meds, no snot meds, no nothing. This sucks.

My daughter’s OB told her Benadryl is OK. Obviously YMMV, but you could ask your OB if its OK.

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**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/29 "2014-04-23T05:01:44Z")

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I wonder how many times she has glared at her husband and said “You did this to me!!!”.

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/30 "2014-04-23T15:16:12Z")

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I’m only 22 weeks and my husband’s “I wish I could do it for you!” has gotten hilariously less and less sincere every time. Last night he snorted and burst out giggling halfway through.

ETA - my doctor is fine with Benadryl and with limited Sudafed. I’m also taking Rhinocort, which my allergist prescribed as the only category B nasal steroid. But that’s because it’s safer than getting a ton of sinus infections, which is what would happen without it. Benadryl, though, seems to be safe by everybody’s doctor except the strictest.

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**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/31 "2014-04-23T15:36:04Z")

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After two years of trying to have a second child, I have taken threads like this to heart and given up. Now I write books instead. I am pretty happy about it.

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**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/32 "2014-04-23T16:43:29Z")

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I’ll check out benadryl - don’t know what it’s called around here, or if it’s even available, but just something would be nice.

[QUOTE=Zsofia]  
I’m only 22 weeks and my husband’s “I wish I could do it for you!” has gotten hilariously less and less sincere every time. Last night he snorted and burst out giggling halfway through.  
[/QUOTE]

My husband is being really cute about it - the more I suffer, the more downtrodden and sad he gets about not being able to help. Makes me want to complain less, actually.

At 22 weeks I was more or less symptom-free though, except for some fatigue. Like I said, this is a ridiculously easy pregnancy, really, which makes it all the sillier.

[QUOTE=Sattua]  
After two years of trying to have a second child, I have taken threads like this to heart and given up. Now I write books instead. I am pretty happy about it.  
[/QUOTE]

Sorry about your troubles. It would be so much better if having kids was easy for everyone who wanted them, and impossible for those who didn’t want them.

What sort of books?

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**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/33 "2014-04-23T16:54:04Z")

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Adventure/romance novels. I read the whole Outlander series through twice and can’t find anything else nearly as interesting, so I started writing something as interesting myself. It’s the era of self-published eBooks. I have sold a whopping twelve copies 🙂

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**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/34 "2014-04-23T17:22:59Z")

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Septima, I had super uncomplicated pregnancies. They still sucked. And each one immediately got better as soon as labor and delivery was done. Immediately. I could eat without heartburn, my back didn’t ache, I could see my toes, and no one was tap dancing on my spleen. It was awesome!

Silver lining: you won’t be pregnant through the hottest part of the summer. And it’s almost over. (Also, if you haven’t hit that stage yet, nesting is kind of awesome, if you ask me. Instead of being a gigantic bore, housework is suddenly something you want to do.)

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/35 "2014-04-23T20:16:10Z")

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> [@Lacunae\_Matata](#):
>
> Silver lining: you won’t be pregnant through the hottest part of the summer.

Rub it in, why don’t you.

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**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/36 "2014-04-23T20:31:45Z")

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Timing is everything! Could you reasonably request that you and Mr. Z relocate from the Palmetto State to, say, Lappland for the months of July and August?

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**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/37 "2014-04-23T20:35:26Z")

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I’ve definitely heard worse ideas.

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**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/38 "2014-04-23T20:40:09Z")

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> [@Zsofia](#):
>
> Rub it in, why don’t you.

It took me three years to conceive and my daughter was born in September. I had mixed feelings.

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/39 "2014-04-23T22:58:12Z")

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> [@Eliahna](#):
>
> At moments like these, I like to pause and reflect that the Duggar family have like 19 children. Michelle Duggar: sadist.

Actually, Michelle would be a masochist. Jim Bob would be the sadist.

I can’t believe people are pressuring Will and Kate to have another. She’d be NUTS to have another, after what she went through to have George (hyperemesis gravidarum, if you don’t remember).

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**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/40 "2014-04-23T23:52:44Z")

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[QUOTE=Lacunae Matata]  
Silver lining: you won’t be pregnant through the hottest part of the summer. And it’s almost over. (Also, if you haven’t hit that stage yet, nesting is kind of awesome, if you ask me. Instead of being a gigantic bore, housework is suddenly something you want to do.)

[/QUOTE]

Oh, the timing turned out great. We’ll have the whole summer to push a pram around in the park, and the little thing will be cute and smiley by christmas. And will be neither the youngest nor the oldest come school age, and will just miss having a birthday during the summer holiday when everyone is away. So I guess…nice?

Not sure about nesting. I’m _knitting_ like a women possessed. And we’re putting the pram together this weekend, so it’ll be ready. I have a whole pile of cute little outfits (gifts) and hats and whatnot.

I just want to meet the little thing. Now I’ve gone all mushy.

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**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-so-done-with-this-pregnancy-thing/686220/41 "2014-04-24T17:05:59Z")

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Maybe you’re knitting instead of nesting. Personally, I cleaned the house like a woman possessed - which I might well have been, because I can’t think of any other rational reason I’d do something so out of character!

My favorite story from my pregnancy with the July baby: My drivers license was set to expire within days of my due date, but I still had to wait until 30 days before expiration to renew. I seriously considered just letting the damned thing expire rather than (a) deal with the DMV at 1000 months pregnant, in July, in south Georgia, and (b) let anyone take my photo during my beached whale phase. However, I decided to try to be a grownup, and just go deal with it. So there we are, the famously-dour lady at the DMV and me.  
DMV: Hair color?  
Me: Red.  
DMV: Eye color?  
Me: Green.  
DMV: Glasses or contacts?  
Me: No.  
DMV:Height?  
Me: 5’8".  
DMV: Weight?  
… Hesitation\*…  
DMV: Oh. We’ll just use the weight from your previous license!

I could have hugged that woman! She might have actually bitten me, but there was no way on God’s green earth I was going to say my actual weight out loud in a public place at that moment! My hesitation was mostly in trying to figure out how much of a lie I could get away with - “Can I subtract 30 pounds? 20? There ain’t no way I’m having a number that starts with two printed on my license!”

\*I just couldn’t bring myself to describe my hesitation as a pregnant pause. But it was, in every single way!

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