Jaclene Paolucci is six months pregnant and can’t stomach one more piece of unsolicited pregnancy advice.
“If I don’t ask for it, I don’t want it,” the mom-to-be explained on Twitter. But one stranger didn’t get the memo. Paolucci recalled their awkward interaction in a tweet that has gone viral with more than 703,000 likes.
See Paolucci's Tweet About Unsolicited Pregnancy Advice Below
twitter.com/Diamond_Jax/status/1157293250924949505
In a follow-up tweet, Paolucci noted that “no one should ever EVER just assume a stranger is pregnant.”
The New Yorker's experience sparked an epic Twitter thread with people sharing stories about their own encounters while pregnant.
“A male coworker once said to me as I was eating a McDonald’s cheeseburger and fries, You should eat something healthy, like a salad,” responded one woman. “I was vegetarian up until my 6th month, I literally hadn’t had McDs in 15+ years. I looked at him as I shoved it in my mouth and said SHUT UP ERIC.”
Another wrote:
"Me drinking a small glass of wine while 8 months pregnant
"Stranger: Should you be drinking that?
"Me: No, but my parole officer never comes in here."
Other experiences ranged from guffaw-worthy to cringe-worthy.
twitter.com/DenaePFA/status/1157311912608034820
As for Paolucci, she had every right to order a coffee. Studies have shown that it’s safe to have coffee in pregnancy as long it's limited to about one to two 8-ounce cups a day. (Excessive intake might produce a low-weight baby, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.)
“A little bit is not going to hurt your unborn child,” Dr. Jill Hechtman, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Tampa, Florida, previously told the press. “It’s completely safe.
Unsolicited Pregnancy Advice: Bringing It Close To Home
Nigerian women are not excused from this ordeal either. Every pregnant woman has had at least one encounter with people too eager to offer unsolicited pregnancy advice.
"One day, I went to the nearby shop to get a drink. I was about six months pregnant and I wanted something cold to refresh me and give baby an energy boost. I hadn't felt him kick me all day. I got to the shop and the middle-aged attendant refused to sell me a drink! She said cold drinks were bad for my baby so she wasn't selling to me. I was too stupefied to respond. I simply walked away." Folake, mom of 3 in Lagos.
"My sister in law visited us and saw that I was pregnant. She said, "Nneka, you know this is the time to stop having sex with your husband as it will make your baby dull." I told her with a wink and a laugh, "Now I know why your kids are all so slow." She hasn't bothered me since then." Nneka, Lagos.
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Also read: How To Lose Weight After Pregnancy: Natural Home Tips
