By joining this Blog Blast, the lovely mamas at The Parent Bloggers Network have allowed me to blast back at the most annoying preggo question I’ve ever been asked.
I didn’t have to think long about the question that bothered me the most. In fact the question popped right into my mind as soon as I read the Blog Blast. I skipped right over the “When are you due?”, “Boy or a Girl?” and “What are you going to name it?” questions because those were harmless in comparison and after a while, I had the “late April, boy and not sure yet” response well rehearsed.
It was during my second pregnancy – when I was five months pregnant with my first son, Luke – that my mother in law uttered the most annoying question I would hear.
Are You Done Now?
Hands down the worst thing anyone (especially someone who has been pregnant herself!) could say to a pregnant woman.
It likens pregnancy to some sort of over eaters club or drug addiction you have to go to rehab for. (Hey, why leave Pregnancy off the list of things you go to rehab for?! “Hi My name is Victoria and I’ve been pregnant three times.”)
It’s like asking a teenager if they learned their lesson. They’ve been punished for coming home well past curfew more than once in a month and the parent says “Are You Done Now?”
It’s like asking a mom — when you have no right to — to have some sort of restraint from planning on getting knocked up.
And don’t think those prying nosy Nellys have the expectant mother’s well-being in mind. The baby hasn’t even arrived yet, the mom to be still has to go through labor and delivery and yet she’s been forced to defend her personal choice.
If she has any thoughts of possibly having another child, (G-d forbid she wants two children… or heavens to Betsey, three!!) she’ll feel like she has to answer honestly in fear of saying NO and the risk hearing that same nosy Nelly say [start accusatory tone now] “But I thought you said you were done?!” if she gets pregnant again a few years later.
Instead of nervously replying “I’m not sure” to everyone who asked, I should have replied –
No, because if I have eight more, I’ll get the group discount everywhere I go.
or maybe
Seven has always been a lucky number for me.
or maybe
Hell no, I’m going for that bakers dozen.
or maybe
But if I stop now, I’ll have to giveaway my maternity wardrobe. And its so cute!
OK… I’ll stop now before I’m called something worse than Snarky Mommy.
But seriously moms,
Don’t you wish you could have just handed them this ?
