Amazingly tactless things complete strangers say...

[HollyBollyBooBoo]

Whilst pregnant

New potential supplier in meeting at work infront of 5 of my team: '...have you put on much weight? You look asthough you have or were you always that big?'
I'm a size 14 and put on 10lbs during entire pregnancy, needless to say the b!tch didn't get the contract.

With new baby (for info DD has a small birthmark on her right hand)

Old man in supermarket: '...what's that on her hand? Did she burn herself on the stove?'
Me: 'Yes I always let my 8 week old play on the hot stove, gotta start 'em young'

Woman doing a food demo in a up-market foodie place: 'Ah lovely baby. Is she hungry?
Me: No, no she's just had 10oz for her lunch!'
Woman: 'Look she's so hungry she's sucked her hand red raw!'
Me: 'No it's a birthmark' (turn on heel and walk off in disgust)

Feeding 5 week old DD a bottle of formula in TK Maxx to prevent her crying her eyes out.
Old man approaches; 'Is that breast milk?'
Me: 'No, formula'
Old man: 'My wife had 5 children and breastfed each one of them for the first year of their lives, so much better for them and cheaper than that stuff'
Me: Cry my eyes out for failing to suceed at breastfeeding despite trying and having counselling.

DD had crying fit for no apparent reason and had eventually calmed down but was bright red and always goes blotchy.
Random old woman in supermarket: 'Is she sunburnt? You really must cover them up at this age for goodness sake.'
Me: Too dumbfounded to even speak to made goldfish impressions with my mouth for a minute until DH came back with the ketchup.

Do I attract the nutjobs out there or what?! Had no idea my DD would be such public property!

Yet another one (call me a postwhore!)

Walking back from the Subway after seeing a show in NYC - a young couple walk by and the girl says
"Fancy having children out at this time of night!"

fgs! they were 10 & 13 years old - and imo so lucky to be taken to the other side of the world and get to see a broadway show at their age!

I think you're all a bit sensitive, to be honest. Just think to yourselves "fuck off" and forget about it.

In the cafe at hospital where I gave birth, my newborn baby in the buggy, a woman cooing over him pointed at my tummy and said in a very surpised tone, 'Another one??!"

In this case not only amazingly insensitive, but also amazingly stupid.... I actually felt sorry for her, she was so embarrassed.

my mil
' you are not feeding him enought, you need to put cereal in his bottle'
2 min later
' he is sooooo fat, how much he weights?, he is enorrrmous'

disclaimer my babay is a normal weight and perfectly proportionate, heavy but very tall.

i want to point out her incoherence to her, he can't be malnourished and obese at the same time, but dh won't let me.

Just come across this thread, it's reminded me of a few..

DS 6 weeks, I went in to work to show him off, and was telling a colleague about CS (emergency after nearly 24 hours in labour) and someone walked past and said "too posh to push, eh?!"
I had an amnio late on in pg, found that DS has haemophilia. Went to see my gran and told her, her response? "Oh, there's a shame." She's mentioned it several times since too (DS now 2.9), things like "shame about his condition" or "what a pity about what he's got". Obviously I'd rather he didn't have a chronic condition, but it makes no difference to how much we love/want him!

I also always think it's a bit insensitive to ask someone you don't know if they're having any more children, or especially why they only have 1/2/however many. It could be a very sensitive subject; someone I know has been almost brought to tears following comments like this (she's had several mcs over 2 years, and is desperate for another child). I know people don't know, but if you don't know, err on the side of caution and say nothing!

DD2 has a tiny red birthmark on her bottom lip, she calls it her "sprinkle"

DD1 has only one dimpled cheek.

We told them both you are allowed one extra decoration for each baby, so we chose a sprinkle and a dimple.

my ds has different coloured hair to me and dh-stopped in street by old lady and said, ooh, look at his hair! he must be adopted, can't you have children? me and dh so stunned we couldn't speak.

me giving ds a snack of fruit- old lady don;t give him that! its no good for him! he wants bread.

oh, and of course, dd at 4 weeks having total meltdown in supermarket causing everyone to flinch and me leaking milk, abandoning trolley and dashing for the exit to bf in the car- youngish bloke- excuse me, your baby is crying. me - no sh1t sherlock....

I've had the 'are they twins' thing too whilst out with DS and my friend's son.

Fair enough, they are both 1yo boys, but one is small, blonde, blue eyes and looks just like me, other is much taller, dark skinned, dark haired, brown eyed.

erm....

Every bloody time Im having a lovely family day out with DH, 3 yr old DS & 1 YR old DD some old crone comes over and say's it...

"ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS, THEY DON'T STAY LIKE THAT FOR LONG"

Or the similar

"MAKE THE MOST OF THEM LIKE THAT, IT'S THE BEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE" Cue their Wistful pain struck face

Great, thanks for that, I suddenly feel totally depressed about the future, cheers, have a nice day, IT MIGHT BE YOUR LAST YOU NEVER KNOW (ok I don't say that but I should)

When approx 6/7 months pregnant, and pretty normal sized bump, I walked out of my block of flats into the jehovah's witnesses trying to gain entry. As I tried and get past them one tries to strike up a conversation.
'So you've not had your baby yet then?'

Happily for me my DS was born full term and healthy, it however has taken me 2 years to get rid of my very regular visits from these people.
Also just after bag slings where recalled (suffercation risk for newborns) I was wearing my toddler in a Mei tai on my back and a total stranger told me how dangerous it was and how he couldn't breath, as he was having a good nose round the shop.

i had a male client at work when i was around 30/31 weeks pregnant, neat bump under unifom but surely noticeable by then!

Me: for your next appt, would you like me to recommend one of my colleagues for you? as i won't be here by then.

Him: not here? are you leaving? where are you going, and i'll book there instead?

Me: (puzzled) i'm not leaving, i'll be on maternity leave by then

Him: you're pregnant??? stunned look! and starey silence as he examines my figure

Me: (embarrassed) umm yes i am

Him: gosh that must have been a surprise for you! bet it wasn't planned! is the dad around or was it a one nighter ha ha ha?

Me: ??????????????????

WISH i'd said none of your feckin' business mate, and as you are so unobservant, this hand that is about to connect with the upside of your head will hurt more due to my wedding ring on it!!!!

I'm getting used to older people coming up to my DD and cooing and clucking over her (never knew babies were public property but am learning fast!), but what I still cannot bear is when they put their fingers in her hand and then she pulls them into her mouth! I know I am being precious and I promise I don't have OCD, but I have to wait until the aforementioned person has walked away and quickly wipe DDs hands with a wetwipe, my DM thinks I'm insane but just think where their hands have been - eek!

A classic today was exchanging polite conversation with an older Japanese guy (not that his race has any bearing on the story!) and I told him that DD was teething - he put his finger in her mouth to feel!! God I almost puked and DD started crying so he decided to quite roughly pat her cheek to cheer her up...I'll give you one guess as to whether that cheered her up or made her cry even more.

In Asia (where I lived) they prize fat babies (sign of prosperity) and my 5lb newborn (a 35-weeker) didn't go down well. Constant sucking teeth noises and asking what was wrong with her.

My Korean boss was always commenting about how big my breasts were getting.

The nurse prepping me in hospital said "we'll have to use more anaesthetic with you are you are on the large size (12 stone)"

I'm 26 and still have a birth mark on my hand :)

I never had any negative comments from other children when I was young, and I found it really helped me to learn left and right!

People giving unsolicited comments or advice is really so rude, and can be very upsetting. I'm pregnant with my first just now, and trying to think about the example I want to set for her. I want to be assertive and not just put up with people being rude to me, but at the same time staying calm myself.

This thread has some really good tips, thanks!

www.thatbabylookscold.com/

I am on a cloud at the moment as a lady in a restaurant said to me yesterday "oh such a beautiful baby boy, just like his mum". Mostly because that is the first time anyone has likened him to me, people always go on about him being like DH.

Oh, except when I was pregnant, about 24 weeks or so, I went into work after a break and a pregnant colleague saw me and said "oh I was feeling so huge and pregnant today, but now I have seen you I feel much better."

pregnant with ds2, ds1 in buggy...

stranger: "do you know what your having"
me "a boy"
stranger: "never mind, you can always try again for a girl"
me: "actually i don't mind, do you?"

i get this a lot even now and ds2 is 2!!!

When my husband told people I was pregnant they would always ask if it was an accident. I have no idea why anyone considers that appropriate, I assume its so they commiserate if it was.

I had someone criticise me for putting socks on my DS when he was a baby. This particular friend has very strong views on babies not liking to wear socks.

In Clarks with DD1 who was then about 3, my mate (about 7 years younger than me) and her daughter (also about 3). Young male sales assistant tells my DD to "come and sit on Nana's knee" to try the shoes on. I was 36! I put it down to my 10 stone weight loss making my skin appear more saggy!!

"Have they got the same dad?" - IN FRONT OF THEM!!!!!!

when ds2 was born and is blonde haired and blue eyed 9ds1 is dark haired and dark brown eyed just like his dad) - lots of nudge nudge "so you're milkman's blond then?"

mum when we told her we were having another boy "o'h what a shame" and "you're determined not to let me buy pink aren't you"

frequently about ds1 and ds2 - are you sure they're brothers??

when ds1 was about 3 weeks old (he was born at 32 weeks and weighed 1.4kg) "o'h he's so small isn't he. is he ok?"

pretty much by anyone new who sees ds1 "o'h he's a little harry potter isn't he" - he has dark brown hair, dark brwn eyes and wears glasses. he is very cute when he wants to be so in some ways it's a swet observation but makes my blood boil irrationally as well...

Older Dutch Lady at a wedding: So, do you have children?
Me: Yes, I have a son - he's 2.
ODL: Are you planning any more?
Me: No, I think we're going to stick to one.
ODL: NO! You CAN'T! That is so selfish and cruel! Your poor son...
Me: Fine. YOU give birth to it!

Meddling cow.

NY women of a certain age are the worst. It is in the constitution that they will criticise for no hat, no gloves, no coat.
I had one woman tell me as the kids ran down the street, on the pavement (sidewalk) and they ran by her dog, that they shouldn't run on the sidewalk to close to her dog as it would likely scare him and it would bite them. This was my fault for having unruly children and no reflection of her rabid dog, can you imagine running on the sidewalk.
The second woman told me as my dd was eating an icelolly while strapped into her buggy (stroller) that it was excpetionally dangerous, if she fell out the stick would go straight through the back of her head and she would die.
Times liek this I think of the penguins in Madagasca, just smile and wave boys, smile and wave

When my DS2 was a few months old, someone said

'oh look at his hair, where does he get that from?'

he has light red hair

so I said 'oh we don't really know, noone else in either family has red hair' in a chirpy way, as I thought his hair was gorgeous

so she said 'oh don't worry, it will change when he's older - he'll lose the red' she seemed to think that was a reassuring thing to say