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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be annoyed that people can't just say congratulations.

125 replies

NotReadyForThisX2 · 19/04/2019 21:49

We've just announced I'm pregnant with Dc two (a little earlier than planned due to blabber mouth Dp). But not a single person friend or family has just said congratulations without adding there own little comment/judgement about how soon it is after Ds.
Yes I am aware without being told for the 50th time that there will only be 13 months between them and yes I'm sure we'll have our hands full. But if one more person asks me if we planned it or how we're going to manage, I think I'll scream.

What happened to just being polite and saying, oh how lovely, congratulations and then just talking about how stupid we are behind our backs.

OP posts:
Amanduh · 19/04/2019 23:20

Congrats! But with a newborn 5/6 month old well yes. People will be surprised. They aren’t being nasty. Anyone... even if they didn't say it out loud.. are thinking it in their heads! They probably just think they’re helping. So... good luck 😂😂

jpclarke · 19/04/2019 23:23

Congratulations, I have 13 months between my first two and we planned it that way. And there are lots of positives. You can get through your pregnancy by being able to have naps when your baby naps and when number 2 comes along number 1 will still have a nap and the days that it happens that they both sleep together you will get some down time too. They grow up together and will entertain each other. They never remember a time without each other. It is a blessing to have them close together imo.

RabbityMcRabbit · 19/04/2019 23:24

Congratulations OP xxFlowers

Klopptimist · 19/04/2019 23:32

First things first, congratulations Flowers I especially love your description of DP's excitement, it's so refreshing to read about a delighted dad-to-be!

Secondly, do remember that whatever choices a woman makes about the size of her family, somebody, somewhere will have something to say about it. Say you weren't PG right now. It would only be a matter of time before people started to say 'and are you having a little brother or sister for DS?' Say you wanted to stop at one. People would say 'but one is lonely on it's own'. What if this was a third or fourth pregnancy? They'd only say 'How many???'.

The only opinions that count are those of you and yours. I wish you a healthy and easy pregnancy.

lovelychops · 19/04/2019 23:33

I think generally when it comes to pregnancy people can be flippant and rude. The whole 'was it planned' question is incredibly rude, what if it wasn't? What's their reaction then ? So they get to feel better you 'made a mistake' ?? People in general need to learn to keep their mouths shit if they have nothing helpful to say. But OP, Congratulations! (There are 2 years between mine and people told me it was a small gap) ?!!

cricketmum84 · 19/04/2019 23:33

Congratulations :) sometimes people just can't keep their opinions to themselves!! However rude they may be! We had this when I fell pregnant with our daughter when me and DH had only been together a few months (still together and married 11 years later!!) his mother actually broke down and cried because she was so upset about it.

If it helps at all there is exactly 13 months between me and my sister. We have the closest strongest bond and I think that's in part to how close we were in age growing up.

Provincialbelle · 19/04/2019 23:35

Give my stock answer to all unwanted baby questions: “it’s been done.”

CyclingSquirrel · 20/04/2019 00:20

mamabear2409

I've even had my grandma bitching to my sister that I haven't let me self recover and what not - not that it's her business!

Shock I'm sorry, I have to pick up on this.

It sounds to me like your grandmother is concerned about your health and wellbeing - why on earth would you call that bitching?

OP congratulations on your pregnancy.

I think you're feeling sensitive and defensive because this HAS happened earlier than you wanted ideally and people are voicing those doubts. You'll be fine. People generally aren't malicious like that, they just blurt things out.

I've been struggling to conceive and I get an endless deluge of it'll happen if it's meant to be/just relax/have you tried acupuncture? There is no point taking it to heart, people just make small talk.

Champagnetaste · 20/04/2019 00:24

Exactly the same situation as my sil. I was the only one to say congratulations to here.

However massive congrats it will be hard but in a year or 2 you’ll be laughing

wellhelloyou · 20/04/2019 00:30

You don’t need causation from anyone. Who cares if they say congrats or not. Just enjoy this special glow time with your DP and get on with it. Don’t sweat the small stuff or get hung up on things that don’t matter. You can’t control the eleventy billion random things people in this world will say, you CAN control your reaction.

Focus on the positives and don’t look for validation from others. Wishing you a happy healthy pregnancy

bumblebee1987 · 20/04/2019 00:30

If it makes you feel any better, you get the same sort of thing with a big age gap too! Which is also infuriating! I'm 37 weeks pregnant with DC2, and we have a 6.5 yo. We've had so many comments about it being such a big gap, and how we're mad to want to start all over again from the beginning etc.

I've started to be blunt with people now and make them aware that this DC has taken five years to conceive, and is the result of multiple fertility tests and IVF.

For some reason, when you're pregnant, people seem to think it's okay to say what they want, god knows why!

Congratulations! I think 13 months is a lovely gap 😊

wellhelloyou · 20/04/2019 00:31

causation?!

Validation

VetinarisTerrier · 20/04/2019 00:32

Congratulations Op, that's wonderfulFlowers

Answer to rude questions is: Why would you ask that? or Why do you ask? It always works to ask a question in reply instead of answering their silly questions. And then when they bluster out some ridiculous reason for their question just nod/smile and say "We're very happy thanks!" no matter what they have said. Often stops people asking stupid questions.

DD(20) and partner were pg (now have had baby). After pg was announced, cue people asking if they were keeping the baby. WTF? They had posted the (excited) announcement at 4 months into the pg and have been in a long term committed relationship, and are both settled and mature. Why the hell would people make these comments?!

Serin · 20/04/2019 00:34

13month gap here as well.
We always wanted twins and this is pretty close!
Congratulations OP FlowersFlowers

applemango9 · 20/04/2019 00:38

Congratulations 🎊🎉 Well done. Calm yourself down and think about your second baby!

PregnantSea · 20/04/2019 00:53

As other have already said, people are really weird and judgemental about having babies. It's like it suddenly becomes everyone else's business. People are shockingly rude.

If it's over social media I would completely ignore those questions/comments, or just say "wow, that was a shockingly rude comment."

amandacarnet · 20/04/2019 01:11

I think it is difficult if someone close to you is pregnant and it is unplanned, because you don't want to say congratulations until you know they actually want the baby.

LittlePaintBox · 20/04/2019 01:49

People say daft things when you're pregnant. I happened to be due at the same time as Diana was due to have Harry, and I lost count of the number of times I was asked if we'd planned it that way. In the end, I started saying 'Yes, we were in constant touch with Charles and Diana to make sure we conceived at the same time', which used to shut people up!

FWIW I always assume people who have two babies close together are very confident about their ability to get through the first few years, and planning ahead to when a small gap can be an advantage, And I think it's VERY rude to question people about the timing of their pregnancies, unless you're a health professional!

Justwantaneasylifenowplease · 20/04/2019 01:57

Congrats OP !! Such special news x

malificent7 · 20/04/2019 06:30

Congratulations.
Yes, people are veru rude with their 'was it planned' comment. Remember...its not you ...its them. Expect nothing and you will be sutprised.

Ncforever12345 · 20/04/2019 07:24

Congratulations! 17 month old and nearly 2 month old in our house.
The best bit is that there's always someone who wants to cuddle you.

@81Byerley you're lovely.

CorlysVelaryon · 20/04/2019 08:17

"It's like it suddenly becomes everyone else's business."

Well tbf you're making it their business when you stand in front of them telling them about it. You can't publicly announce something and not expect anyone to have an opinion.

"I think it is difficult if someone close to you is pregnant and it is unplanned, because you don't want to say congratulations until you know they actually want the baby."

I agree. Disingenuous to suggest that every single pregnancy is a case of unbridled joy.

On mn, and only on mn I think, there are so many ways to offend a pregnant woman. I sometimes think they must be some sort of special rarefied species. Surely you must realise that you are announcing a mundane thing that billions of people have done before and very few people are actually genuinely interested to hear about it.

Like every other area of life, people will have an opinion about it, or be desperately grasping for something relevant to say, or trying to initiate a conversation about the obvious elephant-in-the-room thing, or trying to give you the benefit of their own experiences.

If you simply can't cope with any suggestion of anything other than utter delight and enthusiasm, cut them off at the knees by saying 'I'm pregnant again and absolutely delighted with the small age gap, it's exactly what we wanted and we're not at all bothered that it'll be hard work'

I've had four btw, so have been on the receiving end of every possible comment : can't remember being offended or insulted by any of them.

Ihatehashtags · 20/04/2019 08:47

Yeah I don’t think it’s malicious. I would be thinking Jesus you were having sex that quickly afterwards?! But that’s because of my own experience where I had so much damage it was still painful 6 months after birth.

NotReadyForThisX2 · 20/04/2019 08:55

I didn't say I was offended or insulted @CorlysVelaryon, just annoyed!

The only people we told in person was my grandparents and my grandma didn't have that reaction anyway. We just told our parents they can now tell people and Dp put something on face book, which I know is cringeworthy but he wanted to. He did put that it was sooner than we'd planned but we were happy and excited.
Fb is even more annoying as they can see someone's just put the exact same comment yet they still do too.

I'm ok anyway, I've turned off my social media and WhatsApp notifications off so I'm just not reading anything today.

Yes, I'm sensitive about it @CyclingSquirrel. I know that. But even my closest friends were like "why on earth have you done that" and "oh god, you're mad" but it's my baby so I was feeling a bit defensive yes.

OP posts:
NotReadyForThisX2 · 20/04/2019 09:11

No I know it's not malicious @Ihatehashtags. We've had a few of those 'Jesus you were having sex' comments too. One of my friends actually put, I thought you weren't even allowed for 6 months after.

OP posts:
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