Mom-To-Be Treats Pregnancy Like A Misery Olympics, Pregnant Friend Can’t Take It Anymore And Snaps
Some people just have a talent for complaining, don’t they? You know, the ones who always find the cloud in every blue sky, like it’s a competition to see who’s got the most issues. They’re the friend who’ll tell you your cute new shoes will probably give you blisters or remind you that good weather means you’ll need more sunscreen. It’s exhausting, isn’t it? I wonder how these people do it.
Sure, “misery loves company,” but one Redditor’s pregnant bestie took that phrase way too seriously with her endless complaints and negativity, and let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.
More info: Reddit
Sharing a pregnancy with your bestie sounds exciting, until your friend decides on turning it into the Olympics of negativity
Image credits: Racool_studio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
One mom-to-be struggles to balance her own pregnancy challenges while playing therapist to her negativity-obsessed, complaint-enthusiast, and also pregnant, bestie
Image credits: cottonbro studio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The mom-to-be tries to stay positive, offering advice and support to her pregnant friend, but she turns everything into a one-sided venting marathon
Image credits: MART PRODUCTION / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The best friend treats pregnancy like a competition, constantly one-ups every symptom, complaining hers are much worse than her friend’s issues
Image credits: leprechaun_dong
The mom-to-be is done being her friend’s emotional punching bag, finally snaps and tells her to go vent to her husband instead
One 29-year-old Redditor, who we’ll just call Sarah, is 7 months pregnant and struggling with her own pregnancy issues while dealing with her friend Cassie’s never-ending venting sessions. At first, it was all glowing bump selfies and mommy-to-be brunches, but now Sarah feels like she’s been cast in a one-woman show called “Cassie’s Complaints.”
When Sarah and Cassie first discovered they were both expecting, they were very excited about it. Sharing pregnancy milestones? Check. Mutual venting about cravings and morning sickness? Double check. But then, Cassie started to pour complaints nonstop, like she was a human rain cloud.
Every interaction between the two besties became some weird competition over who felt worse. Sarah couldn’t even say “I had heartburn last night” without Cassie chiming in with a smug “Oh, just wait until you’re 34 weeks!” As if pregnancy is some kind of bizarre sport, and Cassie’s going for gold in the “Most Miserable” event.
Sarah tried to stay positive, offering solutions and motivational pep talks. But Cassie batted them away faster than you can say “prenatal vitamins.” Instead of “thank you,” Sarah got more complaints, and Cassie stopped reciprocating entirely. No “How’s your baby doing?” No “How are you holding up?” Nothing. Zero. Nada. I don’t know about you, but I’d probably be angry and annoyed at this point.
Dealing with emotionally draining people can be exhausting. You’re always putting in the effort, but you’re getting nowhere. It’s okay to love someone and still have boundaries. When you’re always the unpaid therapist while your friend treats you like their emotional dumping ground, it’s time to hit pause.
Image credits: senivpetro / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Being compassionate and empathetic are amazing skills, but it might cause people to take advantage of you. If your friend never asks how you’re doing, guilt-trips you for not fixing their problems, or hogs the spotlight with their drama, it’s a major red flag, and it can get tiring and frustrating.
The pros suggest that the fix is setting boundaries like a boss. Try limiting late-night calls, redirect their complaints back to them, and, if needed, nudge them toward professional help, or at least a very tolerant spouse. At the end of the day, protecting your mental health comes first because no friendship is worth running yourself ragged.
The final straw came for Sarah when Cassie texted her about her poor, puffy feet for the 20th time. Sarah, already juggling her own pregnancy anxieties, finally snapped and told her Debbie Downer bestie that her negativity was bringing her down and suggested she vent to her husband instead.
Cassie did not take it well and did the “mature” thing and ghosted Sarah. So, our mom-to-be is asking if maybe she was too harsh. Her husband thought so, insisting she should’ve let it slide because Cassie was “clearly struggling more.” But Sarah wasn’t convinced.
Sure, pregnancy is tough on everyone, and no two are alike. For the lucky ones, it’s all glowing skin and baby kicks, while for others, it’s just morning sickness, swollen ankles, and late-night pickle cravings. The hormones go wild and you’ve got no idea what they’ll do next.
And while everyone’s experience is different, one thing’s for sure: friendships are supposed to be a two-way street. Sarah wasn’t asking for much, just a little mutual support and maybe a few drops of positivity. It’s one thing to be there for your friend, but it’s another to feel like you’re their emotional punching bag.
What do you think of this Reddit story? Do you think Sarah was too harsh, or was Cassie being unfair? Let us know in the comments!
Netizens side with the mom, saying her response was justified, since her friend never offered any support or even asked her about her pregnancy
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It's compassion fatigue, a person constantly tries to understand someone who always complains and never even tries to make their situation bearable.
I used to have the tendency to always to have to "top" other people. It particularly bothered me to hear other people get complimented for things that I was pretty good at, too. It took me years to grow out of. The tendency seems to be related to immaturity and low self-esteem.
If this is new behaviour, just ignore it, don't engage at all unless she says something new or positive or wants to have a real conversation not a rant. If it isn't new behaviour, the martyr complex is only going to get worse once there's a baby, just ease away from this person.
Tell your husband when HE carries your next child, HE can call the shots on how much negativity is too much. What an idiot! He doesn't have a CLUE what you're going through; you just find a way to bear it quietly - which isn't always good for you - for the sake of harmony. He doesn't see it, ergo, you're getting along MUCH better! Start giving him the "woe is me" treatment and see how long he'll put up with it. MEN! Psssssh!
The good ol' "someone else is struggling more than you (or at least is more obviously struggling than you), therefore you can't have any negative feelings at all because the other person is doing worse". Like how do people think this?
Wow, a Calvin and Hobbes nursery theme sounds incredible! What a fun room that's going to be!!
"Is she clearly having more complications than you are or is she just complaining constantly about the same things you are enduring?" That was my thought exactly. Some people just can’t do anything else but cry "Woe me!". I had a coworker like that, and it gets exhausting and annoying very fast.
I've had a friend that turned misery into a competition in our friend circle until we started making up s**t just to see if she would try and top it. She did try and eventually we called her out because she kept contradicting herself. We have all started distancing. She kept calling her mother the narcissist but forgot we have all spent time with her parents who actually lovely. She then moved city and surrounded herself with askholes - the people who would validate her b******t. Now wonders why nobody is in touch.
So OP's husband thinks Cassie should be treated with pity? OP should have immediately said, "You're right! I'll send Cassie your phone number, and she can start texting you about her pregnancy. I'm sure you'll give her all the sympathy she needs."
She's allowed to be miserable, you can't control how other people think/feel and she definitely will think you're a d**k.
She does everything for attention, even negative attention. Complaining about everything during pregnancy and it will continue when she will have her baby (i am so tired, the baby won't sleep, i have to change the diapers 20 times ect). It is not good for your mental health to spend a lot of time with people like that. Search for positive friends, who support you and give you energy and ideas.
It's compassion fatigue, a person constantly tries to understand someone who always complains and never even tries to make their situation bearable.
I used to have the tendency to always to have to "top" other people. It particularly bothered me to hear other people get complimented for things that I was pretty good at, too. It took me years to grow out of. The tendency seems to be related to immaturity and low self-esteem.
If this is new behaviour, just ignore it, don't engage at all unless she says something new or positive or wants to have a real conversation not a rant. If it isn't new behaviour, the martyr complex is only going to get worse once there's a baby, just ease away from this person.
Tell your husband when HE carries your next child, HE can call the shots on how much negativity is too much. What an idiot! He doesn't have a CLUE what you're going through; you just find a way to bear it quietly - which isn't always good for you - for the sake of harmony. He doesn't see it, ergo, you're getting along MUCH better! Start giving him the "woe is me" treatment and see how long he'll put up with it. MEN! Psssssh!
The good ol' "someone else is struggling more than you (or at least is more obviously struggling than you), therefore you can't have any negative feelings at all because the other person is doing worse". Like how do people think this?
Wow, a Calvin and Hobbes nursery theme sounds incredible! What a fun room that's going to be!!
"Is she clearly having more complications than you are or is she just complaining constantly about the same things you are enduring?" That was my thought exactly. Some people just can’t do anything else but cry "Woe me!". I had a coworker like that, and it gets exhausting and annoying very fast.
I've had a friend that turned misery into a competition in our friend circle until we started making up s**t just to see if she would try and top it. She did try and eventually we called her out because she kept contradicting herself. We have all started distancing. She kept calling her mother the narcissist but forgot we have all spent time with her parents who actually lovely. She then moved city and surrounded herself with askholes - the people who would validate her b******t. Now wonders why nobody is in touch.
So OP's husband thinks Cassie should be treated with pity? OP should have immediately said, "You're right! I'll send Cassie your phone number, and she can start texting you about her pregnancy. I'm sure you'll give her all the sympathy she needs."
She's allowed to be miserable, you can't control how other people think/feel and she definitely will think you're a d**k.
She does everything for attention, even negative attention. Complaining about everything during pregnancy and it will continue when she will have her baby (i am so tired, the baby won't sleep, i have to change the diapers 20 times ect). It is not good for your mental health to spend a lot of time with people like that. Search for positive friends, who support you and give you energy and ideas.
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