"Just Wait..."

I'm a fan of a famous blog called Dooce.com. The writer of dooce is a wonderful writer and I've loved her for many years - probably 5 at this point. Anyway -- she's pregnant again and it's great to have her perspective on pregnancy because it's funny and refreshingly honest. In Today's post she talks about how it feels to be pregnant, etc. It's cute and she touches on a point that I would like to give a standing ovation -- the "Just wait...." comment.

Friends - I love you. Family - I love you. But this drives me crazy!

I haven't been able to pin point WHY the warning "Just wait!" has bothered me so much. I have thought about it time and time again. Partly, I guess, I feel like it steals my excitement about living in the moment of my pregnancy. Being my first pregnancy I want to become fully involved with every single body change (bloating, nightmares, shrinking clothes, bigger boobs, heartburn, etc.) And when I express myself by saying, "I'm dealing with some annoying ass heart burn right now!" and someone responds with "Just you wait! Heart burn in the 3rd trimester will nearly kill you!" it really makes me feel small. Like I'm just a little pregnant. Like I'm not enough pregnant to be feeling different or amazed.

Now that I have come to realize that I'm not the only pregnant woman who hates the "just you wait..." warnings -- I'm am fully comfortable in telling you to STOP. Stop. Stop rushing my pregnancy. Stop disqualifying my pregnancy symptoms. Stop terrifying me. I don't want it. I don't need it. I'm having fun - leave me alone.

Be creative. Find something else to say.

Research says -- the following non pregnancy "Just wait" comments are equally bad --

Comment: "I can't believe how little sleep this little infant has caused!"
Response: "Just wait until she is sixteen and driving!"

Comment: "My two year old is a terror."
Response: "Just want until he's 3! Then it REALLY gets bad!"

Comment: "I can't stand to be away from the baby for a minute."
Response: "Just wait until you go back to work!"