The Top 4 Things That You Should Never Say To A Pregnant Woman

I'm down to 8 days until my due date. It's hard to believe in some ways - I've been pregnant for 9 months! Reflecting on my pregnancy, I've thought about some of the not-so-tactful comments I've gotten from complete strangers as well as people I know. Of course, I assume that these people meant well but just didn't express their good intentions in the right way. After doing some reading on the internet, it turns out that I'm not the only pregnant woman who has received these comments and has been bothered by them. I took some excerpts from a couple of different articles to compile a list of the top 4 things that you should never say to a pregnant woman. Believe me, we really don't want to hear them!


4. "You must be having a boy/girl because your butt/nose/feet are so HUGE!" Literally dozens of old wives' tales exist that are touted to predict the gender of a baby based on how wide a pregnant woman's nose or butt have gotten, if she's carrying the baby high or low or if her belly looks like a basketball or a watermelon. Please resist the urge to predict a baby's gender using medically and scientifically unsubstantiated old wives' tales, unless it's something like, "you're having a boy because of how drop dead gorgeous you look!" She may not believe it, but she'll appreciate the effort.

3."How are you feeling?" This question, while typically sincere and coming from a genuine place of concern, can wear on even the most positive and upbeat pregnant women, particularly if it's the tenth time that day. She knows she should say, "I'm feeling great, never better," but you know she really wants to say, "my feet hurt, my maternity clothes don't even fit anymore, I'm tired and have trouble bending over to tie my shoes. How are you feeling?" Again, the key to interacting with most pregnant women is emphasizing that she's still normal, even though she weighs more than she even thought possible, is eternally uncomfortable and is hormonal to boot. Don't dwell on her "condition," instead, give her the opportunity to open up to you if she needs to.

2. "You haven't had that baby YET?!" A pregnant mom lives with her pregnancy EVERY day. She doesn't need to be reminded that she's 5000 days past her due date, and that she looks like she's going to pop. She knows this. Her back hurts, she wakes up 4 times a night to pee, she has trouble walking and her feet have gone up two shoe sizes. Instead, offer her a seat and a cookie — and a foot rub would be nice too.

1. "Are you having twins?" If someone is having twins, they will tell you. I promise they will tell you.

Only Six More Weeks....

and our precious Noah should be here! I am now 34 weeks pregnant. I am so excited that it is getting closer :) Just this past Sunday, talking to some friends at church, I realized that we are having a baby next month! Wow, it does seem that the time has flown by. Many people say that the last few weeks are the hardest because of the discomfort and anticipation. Therefore, they seem to drag on forever. But looking ahead, it seems like there is not much time left. There are still things to be done before Noah arrives. We have started on the nursery but still have more to do. We just had our first shower this weekend with 3 more to follow. I'm trying to wind up things at work, making sure that I've made lists of everything I do and when and how I do them so that it's a little easier on the next person who does my job. January is going to be a very busy month!

Overall, my pregnancy has gone well. God has been very gracious to me. My only struggle has been my diagnosis with gestational diabetes. I was very shocked to find out that I had this. As a result, I've been following a fairly strict diet for the last 4 weeks and testing my blood sugar after meals. At first, it was very overwhelming and difficult. I was stressed a lot and wondered how I was going to get through it. But I'm very blessed to have a supportive and caring husband who let me cry on his shoulder many times. He has helped tremendously by consoling me and even writing out meal plans for me so that I wouldn't have to eat the same, boring things. I will be honest - this isn't fun at all! However, Noah is worth every bit of it. The way I see it, this is the first of many sacrifices that I will make for my son. Wes reminded me of the importance of sacrifice in an encouraging email he wrote me on one of my more difficult days. He said that this sacrifice for Noah is causing me to love him more and is bringing out the love I already have for him. After dealing with this for the past month, I see how true that statement is.

Our pastor has often emphasized the importance of looking at our circumstances in light of the Gospel. Our ultimate example of sacrifice is displayed in the cross. There is no greater act of love. While this sacrifice that I am making for my son in no way compares to Christ bearing the wrath for our sins on the cross, it has caused me to lay aside my own desires for the good of someone I love. This is something that only I can do for Noah to help him be a healthy little boy. This is a way for me to think less of myself and to serve my son. God, in his sovereign wisdom, has allowed me to have gestational diabetes but has given me the grace and strength I need to handle it every day. I can see how he is working this out, not only for Noah's health, but for my good as his child. He is so loving and faithful to his children!

Oh boy, a BOY!

Wes and I are delighted to announce that we are having a baby boy! His name is Noah Wesley. He definitely wasn't shy during the ultrasound. He showed us right away that he is a boy :) . But the best news of all from the ultrasound is that he is healthy. All of the pictures looked really good. Based on Noah's measurements from the ultrasound, my due date could actually be a week early. However, the doctor still wants to stick with February 21st. Right now, Noah is 1lb and 1oz. He is a growing little boy! I've been feeling him move more and actually felt him from outside of my belly. Wes was able to feel him last night and we both saw my belly poke out from his movement. What an exciting time! I can't wait for the movements to get stronger. We are really looking forward to meeting our precious son! In the meantime, we have this sweet little picture of his face to look at every day. Isn't he handsome?!