To get really annoyed with people telling me what I should and shouldn't do? Pregnancy

[Sockstealer]

So I'm pregnant and so another x amount of months of unwanted opinions.

Suddenly people I barely know seem to know what's best for me.

From memory it doesn't get any better once the baby is born either.

Why does everyone have an opinion.

Apparently I shouldn't be decorating, carrying things, taking paracetomal for a headache, I definitely should not be having a home birth as it's selfish and dangerous, I should/should not have a flu jab (depending on who's butting into my conversation), if I dare to express unhappiness about any given situation I 'shouldn't be worrying', or 'I'm stressing myself out'. Which is apparently not good for the baby. I should/shouldn't give the baby it's brothers hand me downs as it will/will not give the baby a complex.

News flash, women having been having babies for years, I've managed to bring one child up without any major disasters, I'll follow current medical advice along with a dose of experience and common sense.

And if I want your opinion I'll ask for it.

Rant over.

It drove me mad with DD. The worst was all the really obvious things that as a pregnant women you would clearly not be capable of thinking of - someone told me to remember to breath at one point!!

I am now about 10wks with DC2 and we are planning to wait as long as possible before telling friends (and randoms) this time for exactly this reason. I am not ill, I am not incompetent, I am actually still capable of making day to day decisions, I am just PG!

I have been secretly wondering if a stranger makes a ridiculous suggestions/observation this time, whether to say all the way through that actually I am just fat not PG! - I don't think I really would as that is a bit mean and would make them feel terrible but it is funny to think about it

I hated it too. Smile sweetly and ignore the advice you think is silly, and take the advice that you may find useful :)

I only had one child - I had no idea that people STILL give you unwanted advice with 2nd, 3rd , 4th etc pg's. :(

You get it the third time as well.
It does vary though because at the grand old age of 36 I was an Older Mother (the MW wrote it on my notes.. I almost growled at her) and obviously too irresponsible to know how to give birth to and be responsible for a newborn. Oh and I HB'd as well

i hear you OP! i have 'that' friend who is an expert on everything, when i planned my wedding she was advising me all the way through how is best to do things!

now im pregnant she is doing the same and driving me nuts! sometimes i havent even finished my sentence and she has butted in to tell me what i should be doing instead! it gets to the point i dont want to talk about pregnancy/when the baby comes, stop telling me what i should be doing! im not an idiot!!!

I think though they generally think they are helping, and dont mean to be over bearing, and i am sure most people would be mortified if they thought they were annoying you. Just smile and nod, and do whatever you want to do anyway!

32 weeks here and the only comments I have really received have been about my size (measuring bang on at last appointment so not overly massive)

I also have one person at work - my male MD - who does a double take every time he sees me and say "are you still here? Have you got your dates right?"

Urm yes I am still fucking here, if you want me to go on maternity leave early then I'll happily do so, knob!

*I see MD a few times a week and these comments have been going on for months!