Ever since it has become clear that I'm about to burst and have this baby at any minute (aka the last 2-3 weeks), everywhere I go random strangers approach me to tell me their delivery stories. Actually, its may not even be their story, but they knew someone who knew someone whose cousin had a crazy delivery story and apparently they need to share it.
The other day while at the check out at Zellers, the woman in front of me (who was holding up the line by buying an item without a price tag on it) breaks into baby conversation by asking me when I'm due. This part, along with "do you know what you're having?" I don't mind at all. I enjoy sharing that information. After I answered "3 weeks", she ran with the conversation, saying when she was pregnant she gained 65 lbs and it was the hardest thing to try and lose all the weight after. And then the cashier joins in by saying "I bet your baby will be huge. At least 10 lbs. Is it a boy or a girl?". I answer girl, and she continues telling all these stories about women she knew whose doctors have told them girl girl girl and it came out a boy and that she would put money on the fact that I'm actually carrying a boy. At this point all I'm thinking is, why do people think its ok to talk to pregnant women like this? You don't even know me!
Today at the mall it happened again. Every cashier I had to deal with told me a story about a friend of their friend whose baby was 3 weeks early, or 2 weeks late, or born tramatically, or had to be rushed off to the nicu, or they had to have an emergency c-section because the baby's heart rate dropped........ What are they thinking?
A word of advice to the people out there who feel the need to share their stories.... Stop sharing them with women who are about to give birth! Its not nice to tell a complete stranger that their baby will be ginormous, or the opposite sex then what they've been told. Trust me, we worry about these things enough as it is, we don't need your terrible tales added to our thoughts.
Looks like the only way to really avoid this pitfall of stranger danger is to stay home as much as possible once things start nearing the end.
