19 Things Pregnant Women Got Shamed For That Will Make Your Blood Boil
"My doctor said I couldn't have a vaginal delivery because I am 'too fluffy on the inside.'"
We asked moms in the BuzzFeed Community to tell us what they got pregnancy-shamed for, and the responses were ridiculous, random, and mildly infuriating:
1. "I was shamed for being overweight while I was pregnant. My doctor told me I wouldn't be able to have a vaginal delivery because I was too 'fluffy on the inside.'"
Lifetime
—Amy M. Baker, Facebook
"My doctor made me feel so awful about my weight that all I could do was obsess over my calorie intake instead of being able to enjoy the excitement of a baby coming." —shlexi
2. "When I was pregnant, I had intense cravings for all things Hostess and apples. Well, once when I was eight months pregnant, I was in the checkout line at the grocery store when the middle-aged male cashier said, 'Wow! Ho Hos AND Ding Dongs?! Well, at least you have apples, too.' Thank god for resting bitch face."
CBS
3. "At the hospital, another pregnant woman in the waiting room shamed me for not taking the time to have a pedicure."
Bravo
4. "I had a strong craving for Mexican food, so I went out to eat at Chipotle, where an older woman looked at me disgusted and said, 'Pregnant people should NOT be eating Mexican food! Farting is bad for your chest!'"
NBC
5. "I had a cup of coffee at work once, and a coworker yelled, 'That better be decaf!'"
ABC
"I had a head cold at 34 weeks and really just wanted a hot tea, but the barista continually refused me until I walked out and cried."
6. "I was in a security line at the airport while seven months pregnant when an older man asked me if I should really be flying. I wanted to ask him if HE should really be flying!"
Bravo
7. "I was shamed because my pregnancy was 'too easy.' I didn't get nausea and gain a lot of weight, and actually felt pretty great, so I was told it wasn't a 'real pregnancy.'"
Bravo
"The fact that there was a human growing inside me was very real, thank you!"
8. "I was pregnant and training for my doctorate when a male supervisor told me that women in our field have to choose between having a career and having a family — and that women who prioritize family never rise to the top."
Slice
9. "I was shamed for not finding out the sex of my baby beforehand. Even PERFECT STRANGERS were telling me that I wasn't prepared. I always responded, 'How do you think they prepared before ultrasounds existed?!'"
CBS
10. "My own mom shamed me for complaining about how hard pregnancy is, saying that I should be 'grateful I can even get pregnant.' Never mind that I had a high-risk pregnancy in which I had gestational diabetes, low amniotic fluid, severe vomiting, placental bleeding, and was hospitalized twice. But you're right, I had no reason to complain."
E! Entertainment Television
11. "My husband's grandmother shamed me for not giving birth on my husband's birthday...which was three weeks early."
E! Entertainment Television
"She kept calling my mother-in-law that day to find out if I had gone into labor yet."
12. "When I told my parents and siblings that I was pregnant with my fourth child, instead of saying 'congratulations,' they said, 'AGAIN?!'"
PopTv
13. "I had hyperemesis gravidarum during my pregnancy and had to work from home a lot. Well, one day when I actually made it in to work, my male boss shamed me for needing to work from home so much, saying that 'morning sickness only happens in the morning.'"
Bravo
14. "I worked as a bartender until late in my pregnancy. But after I stopped, I still visited my friends at the bar because it had pretty much become my second home. Well, I'd get major stare-downs from people, even though I was drinking juice or water. One couple went completely off on me just for being there! I told them to FUCK OFF."
Columbia Pictures
15. "I've been pregnancy body-shamed by my mom, sister, and my grandma — but the kicker was when my mom said, 'You'll have to work really hard to lose weight after the baby. You've got rolls in the back of your neck you can't see!'"
ABC
16. "I was called selfish during my pregnancy for working out at the gym. People kept saying that I needed to be at home just 'relaxing and eating.'"
Vh1
"But I had an easy pregnancy with no complications, and got my doctor's approval, so why wouldn't I continue to stay active?" —pizzaroll
17. "I was shamed for planning on getting an epidural. My body, my choice!"
NBC
18. "I got pregnancy-shamed for not working full-time through the end of my pregnancy because I was so tired all the time — I was told that a lot of women work right up until they go into labor, and that my only working part-time was 'lazy' and 'unhelpful.'"
Universal Studios
19. "I strained one of my round ligaments while hiking early in my pregnancy, so I walked with a limp for a while. Well, when I was about six months pregnant, a woman who works in my building told me I wasn't 'pregnant enough' to be waddling.'"
CBS
"I wanted to give her a reason to waddle."
Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.