You know those people at the store who just start striking up a conversation with you like they know you? Yeah well… I seem to be their target every time.

Even when I wasn’t pregnant, strangers would start talking to me about the bad quality of oranges, or confide in me about their wayward teen. Sometimes workers would even explain their horrible home lives to me. It didn’t bother me at all. Everybody needs somebody sometimes, right?

Well now that I’m pregnant, I’m starting not to like these random conversations anymore because I’m no longer the makeshift psychologist—I’m the one people think needs the help. 😐

“You shouldn’t be standing for that long. Your feet are going to swell!”

Gee… thanks, lady. Would you like to finish up my grocery shopping then?

“Just wait until (fill in the blank) weeks/months. You’re going to be really miserable then!”

I’m sure I will be. Thanks for the optimism, ma’am! (By the way, those awful things didn’t happen to me, and I’m eight months pregnant now.)

“Your body will probably snap back with this first baby, but you won’t be so lucky with the second child.”

Awww… are you mad because you wish you had your “wedding day body” back? Well, don’t project that mess onto me!

And this is probably the funniest one I’ve heard:

“Oh, sweetie. You’re pregnant? How precious! Where’s the baby’s father? *Looks at my naked ring finger* Oh dear, you don’t have to tell me. He’s probably a deadbeat anyways. Trust me, you’re better off without him.”

Thanks for trying to empower me, but my baby’s father is my husband. I’m not wearing a wedding ring because it barely fits anymore, and I didn’t feel like wearing my “decoy” ring because my fingers get irritated in it after a while. (But I must admit that I was happier to entertain that comment, which was meant to cheer me up, rather than the comments of the other people who are just waiting for this pregnancy to be my demise.)

So here’s a tip for you “seasoned” women who feel every pregnant lady must hear your advice: stop. Just stop.

Unless you see them struggling with something, don’t just butt in with your two cents… that’s what their mothers are for. 😉