11 “Harmless” Phrases That Can Drive a Pregnant Woman Crazy in a Matter of Seconds

Everyone can be really irritable and emotional sometimes, and for pregnant women this can be more frequent and difficult to deal with. But in fact, such a nervous state can be easily explained: future mothers are worried about their children and because they truly understand how big the responsibility is and the changes in their bodies; they’re under immense stress. So, any seemingly harmless phrase people say can lead to very deep problems.

We at Bright Side decided to make pregnant women’s lives simpler and made a list of phrases that should not be used in the presence of a future mother.

All kinds of prohibitions

In general, people don’t like prohibitions to start with. Also, a pregnant woman who is going to her doctor knows better than anyone else what she can and can’t do, as the professionals already informed her about this. If you’re not a doctor, don’t give silly advice because you can do more harm than good.

Reminders that they shouldn’t be nervous

Pregnant women will be worried. That’s normal. And besides, they are experiencing a hormonal imbalance in their bodies. So, if you want to make their lives easier, just avoid saying these things; they can only do the opposite of what you intended.

“Pregnancy is not an illness.”

Yes, expecting a baby is a happy thing and isn’t an illness at all, but it’s still a lot of work for the body, and that comes at a cost.

Impolite questions about their reproductive health

This is probably the most impolite question you could ask a pregnant woman. In other words, people are asking if a woman is able to get pregnant. Not everyone is ready to discuss their reproductive health and, for some people, this may be a painful subject.

“Oh, you have such a big belly!”

Usually, after people say this, they try to touch the belly. Please, if you are not a close relative of the future baby, don’t do this! Respect her space. And yes, she knows about the size of her belly, there’s no need to tell her about this. The best thing you can do is help her because it may be difficult for her to move.

“When I was pregnant...”

It’s even worse if this phrase is followed by something like, “When I was pregnant, my belly was...” Pregnant women can be really worried about their babies so they might think that there is something wrong with them. Even if a future mother is sure her baby is perfectly fine.

“Do you need baby clothes? I have some left.”

You should be really careful when trying to offer help like this. Quite often, mothers prefer buying new clothes for their children and choosing stores by themselves. If this is the case, remember that your generous offer can be taken as an attempt to get rid of the stuff you don’t need. Instead, offer to show them the items you’ve got so that they can choose those they want, in case they accept it.

Predictions of the future baby’s sex

Don’t try to guess. Just don’t. If the mother wants to know the sex of the baby or babies there are exams for it, such as ultrasound scans. Besides, it’s embarrassing when people trying to predict the sex are wrong.

Questions about names

This question can only be asked by close friends and relatives. If you are not the closest person to the pregnant woman, you shouldn’t ask such things because it’s a really personal thing. Some people prefer not to share their ideas for names because they’re superstitious. And even if you think this is a silly thing, you should respect it.

“You want to go on maternity leave as soon as possible?”

This sounds like you think she doesn’t do her job well. Instead, you could offer to help her so that she doesn’t need to get up so often.

“You probably want some salty foods.”

No. Let her eat whatever she wants. Remember that there’s life developing inside of her and it requires extra energy.

Bonus: Even after your baby is born, you will still hear phrases — some of which are even more annoying.

Have you ever heard any other seemingly harmless phrases said to a pregnant woman? Tell us in the comment section below.