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“I Saw A Duck”: 30 Hilariously Trivial Reasons That Made Pregnant Women Bawl
Interview
Ask any mother and they’ll likely tell you that pregnancy is a beautiful and magical time… but it can be incredibly challenging, too! Your body and hormones are changing, there’s a lot of stress and uncertainty in your life, and mood swings are to be expected. Sometimes, you can burst into tears seemingly out of nowhere.
The reasons behind the tears can be quite confusing and amusing, as the women of the r/AskReddit community can attest. In a viral internet thread, they opened up about the ‘silliest’ things they cried about when pregnant. It’s a reminder for all moms-to-be that there’s nothing ‘shameful’ about crying and that you’re never alone.
Bored Panda got in touch with redditor u/kismitten, who sparked the entire viral discussion. The author was kind enough to answer our questions and shared why it's important to talk about questions like this one. You can read our full interview with her below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I saw a duck. In my defence, it was a mandarin duck and they’re gorgeous, but I still cried because I saw a duck.
Mood swings, from crying and being irritable to anger and forgetfulness, are completely normal during pregnancy. A random thought or event might make you sob for a few minutes, and then you might get on with your day as though nothing happened. This is nothing unusual. It’s also nothing to be ‘ashamed’ of.
According to Psychiatrist Lucy Puryear, MD, at the beginning of your pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone skyrocket.
“The changes have big effects on your mood. You can be tearful one minute and happy the next,” she told ‘Parents.’
#2
I ugly cried while reading a bedtime book to my toddler. The book that made me cry with snot and hyperventilating sobs was “the little engine that could” it prompted my toddler to take the book out of my hands and pat me on the back saying “It oday mommy, it oday”.
#3
My husband suggested going out to breakfast, but I didn’t want to shower so I was trying to find a hat. We had just done tons of laundry so I was sitting on the floor, sobbing, while digging through all this laundry thinking somehow my hat got mixed in. My husband was like “heyyy maybe we should get a pregnancy test?” I snapped that I was just sad I couldn’t find my hat, anyways, the sad hat baby is 23 and my husband knows me better than I know myself.
New York City-based family therapist Jennifer L. Hartstein, PhD, explains that pregnant women are more reactive to everything. “After your meltdown, you can get freaked out, thinking, 'What is wrong with me?' This will get you upset all over again. Just remember that it's normal, and try to laugh it off and move on,” she explains.
During their second trimester, many moms can feel much better and more balanced, both physically and emotionally. Their bodies begin adjusting to the hormonal changes, even as the amounts of estrogen and progesterone continue to increase. However, they might still do impulsive things like suddenly laugh out loud during a serious situation or smile widely for seemingly no reason.
#4
I bawled bc I felt guilty that I was feeding my dog the same dog food every day for most of his life.
Bob Brooce 3 months ago (edited)
What does your dog think about eating the same things every day? Our dogs eat the same thing every day and every day they go crazy, as if it's the best thing they've ever had. I've seen other dogs that aren't at all excited, and even some that need to be coaxed to eat. I'm pretty sure that those dogs just don't get excited about being fed regardless of that they get.
#5
Couldn't open the fridge because the door kept hitting my pregnant belly so sat on the kitchen floor and cried for like 15 minutes.
#6
I cried because I forgot to get my husband a father's day card from our cat.
Mrs Irish Mom 3 months ago
Cried because i missed a bus and the next one wasnt for another 6 mins
‘Healthline’ points out that for some moms, hormonal shifts can continue into their second and third trimesters. That means that some pregnant women have to contend with crying spells for longer.
Although you can’t control hormonal shifts, you can make it easier on yourself to handle them. Something that all pregnant moms should strive to do is to get plenty of sleep, consistently. At least 7 to 9 hours each night should help them handle all the additional stress in their life better.
Being physically active and gently exercising can also help with this. Meanwhile, it really does help to know that you’re not alone. You should never feel like reaching out to others is a sign of ‘weakness.’ Other pregnant women and moms will be happy to answer any questions you have and support you, whether by offering practical advice or simply being there for you emotionally.
#7
With my first kid I was young and broke. I was craving jalapeño poppers, and couldn’t afford them, so I was squirreling away change until I could buy a box. Finally got them, cooked them, set the cookie sheet on top of the stove for them to cool off and left the room. My dog got up on his hind legs and ate every single one of them. I just sat on the kitchen floor and cried for half an hour when I saw they were gone.
Teutonic Disaster 3 months ago
And several hours later, the dog gave her a real reason to cry about with its explosive diarrhea... 🙄🤦♂️
#8
I saw a squirrel with short tail.
I forgot how to use my turn signal.
Bob Brooce 3 months ago
We had one like that in our area for 2 or 3 years. We called it bunny squirrel because its tail looked lot like a rabbit's tail.
#9
Watching dogs play competitive frisbee. They jumped so high. They looked so happy. It was so beautiful.
The author of the viral thread opened up to Bored Panda that she had no idea that her post would blow up the way that it did. "I enjoyed reading all the responses. Pregnancy can be a wild ride, and I figured it would be a safe space for women to share their stories. Plus, sharing creates community which creates confidence: life is easier to navigate if you don’t feel like you’re doing it all on your own," u/kismitten said.
According to her, it was actually her sister who inspired the thread. "When she was pregnant with her first child, she had a very common nightmare: she dreamt she was carrying something OTHER than a human baby," she explained. "Now in most cases, women dream they’re pregnant with a litter of puppies or kittens or something like that. But my dear sister, being the adorable weirdo she is, dreamt she was pregnant with a sea urchin. She woke up in tears (understandably, because that’s a terrifying idea) and was basically inconsolable the entire day."
The redditor felt a lot of empathy for her sister in this situation. "Even if you’re not pregnant, vivid nightmares can really mess with your head. And because I believe laughter is the best medicine, I created and sent her a silly pic," she told Bored Panda, sharing the meme she made with us. Fortunately, it worked!
#10
I cried every time the fancy feast commercial came on because that cat was just *so* fluffy.
Alexandra Davis 3 months ago
My cat is that fluffy and I just love burying my head in his fur when I'm sad and crying
#11
A video where an otter was playing with a ball, and another otter came and stole it from him. Utterly DEVASTATED.
#12
Dude, I was toward the end of my last trimester and I got pulled over because I took a turn too harshly or something. I don't remember. The moment the cop walked to my window, I immediately burst out crying. I was waving my arms trying to cool myself down. Shouting "I just wanted to go get my husband from boot camp" and this poor young officer backed up with his hands in the air and tried to very calmly say "it's okay. I'm going to let you go" but because I was crying and hysterical I could not hear him and I just got worse and worse until another officer showed up (I think he just happened to be passing by when this was happening) and she came to my window and was like "It's okay. He's not going to even give you a citation of any kind. Just be on your way. Just breathe." Lmao.
"She laughed and that helped her turn a corner on the whole thing. That very human baby just turned eight this year, and we still chuckle over that text. Thankfully my niece is the cutest, sweetest, most lovable kid ever… no spikes and infinitely huggable," u/kismitten shared with us.
We asked the author for her advice on what partners can do to support moms during pregnancy. "Embrace the rollercoaster and (more importantly) hitch a ride. Best case scenario? She has some wacky dreams, weird cravings, and serious swelling. Be present and helpful whenever you can. Make her your number 1 priority," the redditor urged.
"Also be grateful if that’s the case because 'getting pregnant' does not equal 'happy, healthy baby' nine months later… It’s important for people to realize that even today pregnancy and childbirth is still a dangerous undertaking," she warned.
#13
I craved oranges with our oldest, but I didn’t like peeling them because it made my hands feel weird/dry. I opened the fridge one day and there were a bunch of peeled oranges in there…
My husband stayed up the night before peeling them and when I saw them I cried because it was so sweet, but also because I knew it wasn’t enough to last me all day while he was at work.
#14
My loving husband washed my favorite pajama pants. I got home before him and realized he’s done laundry before work. I pulled out every pair of pants in my drawer looking for something as comfortable but couldn’t find any. My husband came home to me sitting on the floor surrounded by all my pants absolutely bawling.
The pants were in the dryer and were done. He got them for me and apologized over and over.
#15
3 times:
1. Before I knew I was pregnant, I ran over a turtle while driving in the UP. I turned to my husband and said “please tell me that wasn’t a turtle,” and he just made a face, and I cried for more than 30 minutes.
2. Right after I found out I was pregnant we went to a MLB game and it happened to be bark at the park night! There were cute puppies for adoption and I said I wanted one and husband said no, so I cried. Then he said we could make it work and get one and I cried AGAIN because I knew it would be irresponsible.
3. Right before my son was born I was getting excited about a brownie + ice cream for dessert but my husband had eaten the last brownie, so I cried. He immediately went to the store to buy more but they didn’t have the kind we normally get so he bought every kind of brownie he could find LOL.
I’m a lucky gal!
Falcon on Dizzy 3 months ago
damn, these are the standards I gotta meet as a guy? well, I guess I better try harder!
The author joked that if you see your partner crying, you should "back away slowly." On a more serious note, tears are to be expected. They're par for course. "Seriously though, expect some tears. And expect the unexpected. My brother-in-law had no idea when he woke up that morning he would find his wife weeping over the idea of birthing a sea urchin. But he didn’t chide her or invalidate her feelings," she shared with Bored Panda that this is the key to a healthy relationship.
"It doesn’t matter if the reason for the tears is silly or crazy or whatever. Your pregnant partner’s emotions are real to her so treat them with respect!"
Redditor u/kismitten also had some words of wisdom to share with all pregnant moms who might be feeling a tad overwhelmed by everything. She urged them to take it one day at a time. "And don’t be afraid to ask for help. That old saying 'it takes a village…' exists for a reason."
#16
Traffic lights changing to red and I wasn’t prepared for the event.
Bob Brooce 3 months ago
Well, apparently a lot of people find that to be completely unexpected.
#17
The Rescuers Down Under came on the Disney Channel, so I started sobbing because I wanted to watch it and I was watching it.
#18
A baby armadillo toddling along beside the road. I saw it as we were driving home (2 lane road through housing, no traffic at all). Armadillos are my favorite land animal ever and I'd never seen a living one in person so I whipped my car off into the grass on my side so I could flip a u-turn, only to put it right back into the grass on the other side of the road. I then jumped out and waddled my enormously pregnant a*s after this baby armadillo, making kissy noises and going "here baby here baby!" The baby did not, in fact, here baby, and beat a very hasty retreat into the woods to escape the obviously crazy pregnant lady. I burst into tears because 1) it was just too cute and 2) it didn't let me live out my Disney Princess Dreams™️. I look back at the car and my husband is in the passenger seat, laughing so hard that tears are running down his face and he's almost turning blue because he can't breathe. He later declared that that was the moment he truly knew I was the woman for him- my carefully hidden inner Florida Woman popped out for a moment and he was just delighted.
I'm still mad I don't have a pet armadillo.
NotToday 3 months ago
That's hilarious. Are you from Florida or do you just identify as a Floridian? Never seen an Armadillo? I grew up in central Florida and they were EVERYWHERE. For real though, I'm the same way. I try to live out my Disney princess dreams by befriending the neighborhood opossums. People like us are going to get hurt petting something we shouldn't. I get it though. When you love animals, nothing can hold you back.
What is the silliest thing that made you cry when you were pregnant, dear Pandas? How did you support your partners when they were pregnant?
What advice would you give new moms who feel overwhelmed with everything? If you’re feeling up to it, share your experiences and opinions in the comments!
#19
I saw a video online of a UPS truck pulling a FedEx truck out of a snowbank and I thought it was beautiful that they were working together. .
#20
I cried because I felt like I was a failure for eating enchiladas instead of "feeding my baby something healthier." lolol
On a second note, I once cried happy tears because the mole (Mexican food, not the animal) I was eating was really good and I was moved that the chef had put so much heart into the food he was serving.
So I guess I just have big feelings about Mexican food when I'm hormonal?
#21
I accidentally stole an 8 oz bag of shredded cheese from the store. I was probably 8 months pregnant and had my toddler in the front part of the cart. When I went to put him in the car seat, I realized that he had been sitting on the bag of cheese. I knew I should have gone in and paid for it, but I was too tired to get him out of his car seat, go into the store, wait in line, explain my theft, walk back to the car and rebuckle him into his carseat.
Logically, I knew that it wasn't a big deal, but I was so tired that I couldn't control my emotions. Part of me was hoping that I'd get arrested and get a break for a few days while I was in jail for my role as the Cheddar Bandit. That baby is now 18 years old, so my fugitive status is now a part of my identity.
#22
A bird’s nest fell out of a large bush in our yard from the wind. The eggs cracked. I ugly sobbed for way too long thinking of the mother bird coming back and her eggs being gone.
#23
I was hanging out with one of my friends from college a few years ago and was telling him a funny story about my cousin and I. Now the reason this story is funny has to do with the fact that I'm super white and my cousin is very Japanese. Anyway, as I'm wrapping the story up I hear a weird noise from behind me. His 5 month pregnant wife had been asleep on the chair but evidently had been awakened by the story. My friend asks his wife what's wrong and she bursts out in tears "it's just so beautiful how you and your cousin look so different but he's just family to you, that's just so great what an experience for you as children". She was just completely enchanted with my mixed race upbringing, it was really sweet if not a bit surreal in the moment.
#24
I went to subway and said no, to having it toasted. It was one of the chicken sandwiches. She put the meat on cold. I told her, wait, I still want the meat to be heated up! So she takes the sandwich and puts the whole thing in the microwave. I stepped away from the counter and started bawling. My husband came to ask what was wrong and I sobbed about microwaved bread.
Bob Brooce 3 months ago
Any sane person would be distraught about a sandwich being microwaved without being baked or toasted afterwards.
#25
I cried while watching women’s gymnastics in the Olympics, it was so moving to see those women working so hard and making strides in their goals 🤣🤣.
#26
My cat, Ellie.
I sobbed one night because she was spayed, and I wondered if she ever wanted children and was upset because we took away that option from her.
Hormones are WILD.
TheElderNom 3 months ago
My older cat is quite antisocial and strongly dislikes/is afraid of children and loud noises. When a coworker was over with his two week old and the baby started crying the other cat ran for dear life but she jumped up to the crying baby and sniffed his face. She was spayed when I got her but then I really wondered if she wouldn't have been an amazing mother. Though other than that one time she's super vary of kids of all ages and she's disliked every kitten she's ever met.
#27
I was on a flight reading a NatGeo magazine about dogs, and was overly distraught about how amazing they are, what a good boy my dog is, and how we don't deserve such pure souls.
#28
I accidentally bought battery-powered salt and pepper grinders, which I cried about in the first place, but then I had no batteries and we were on a curfew because of lockdown so I couldn't go back out and just buy batteries, so I cried even more.
Also technically not when I was pregnant but less than 24 hours after my baby was born I sobbed into my breakfast cereal because I couldn't feel my baby kicking anymore and I was sad that I wasn't pregnant (even though I wasn't sad I was pretty happy about it actually).
#29
The sun was shining and I loved it on my face.
#30
We drove past a field with some fresh baby lambs and they were getting drizzled on. Absolutely inconsolable sobbing about how it wasn't fair that they can't be inside in the nice and warm.
What do you think ?
Sanjneel 3 months ago
Female hormone are wild. I remember going through PMS once when I saw a dove sitting all squished down on a ledge, looking all fluffy and cute and I felt like wanting to pick it up but since I couldn't I got all teary eyed with clogged throat and couldn't understand why I was crying over something so silly.
LazyStream 3 months ago
I cried to my boss that we didn't have a particular chair in stock that I wanted to try and sell to a customer.
Lene 3 months ago
I would like to add that after my pregnancies I cannot listen to 99% of Disney songs. Pretty much all shows and music and books I remember from my childhood will male me cry (though I can expose myself to a lot of it so I can cope with it without crying. Super helpful when I introduce the kids to stuff from my childhood). Any type of story with kids being treated in any bad way makes me cry. I still cry sometimes because of no reason and my bf is always so puzzled. Lol. Oh, and life events like birthdays, weddings etc.... I will cry my eyes out! I have not, however, cried when I had my kids. When they were placed on my chest, I'd just calmly start to get to know them and their smell and helping them to latch while my bf would sit next to us, unable to see much because he was crying so hard. Lol. I think my hormones may be a bit weird.... 😬
Littlemiss 3 months ago
I still can't stand burger King ads 5 years later. Everytime one came on when pregnant I would vomit and I just wanted to cry uncontrollably. Still have no idea why.
Amelia Jade 3 months ago
I cried because my husband ate one of the Burger King chicken nuggets out of the bag. I'm normally all about sharing food. I prefer sharing. I'm always suggesting we get something and split it. But when I was pregnant with my first, I absolutely flipped out that he ate one if my nuggets. I cried like someone had died. It took forever for me to be okay. He even offered to go get another order. I said no. Even in the moment I didn't understand why I was so upset.
Lisbeth Guz 3 months ago
I never thought it was going to happen to me, as I am cynical and always laugh at cheesy stuff, but when I was pregnant a super cheesy commercial made cry and my husband came to hug me and then laughed while trying to confort me and did laugh too and then cried again, cause I felt so stupid
Kiss Army 3 months ago
When I was pregnant, my husband called me at work earlier than he normally would and started with "I want to tell you before you find out from someone else..." then he proceeded to tell me that Jack Lemmon had just died and I sobbed on and off all day. I have always loved Jack Lemmon and to this day he is the only famous person who I have ever cried about when I heard of their passing.
~Just-A-Black-Cat-Lover~ 3 months ago
This is what my mom told me happened when she was pregnant with me btw- She went to PetSmart to get food for the cat, and they had this dog toy donation bin. What she didn't know was that they had just emptied the bin to donations about five minutes before. She started bawling because nobody gave anything to the doggies. She bought three dog toys and put them in but was still sobbing. And so we always donate a dollar every time we go to petsmart. We go there like 2 times weekly lol and this happened about 14 years ago lol
Sanjneel 3 months ago
Female hormone are wild. I remember going through PMS once when I saw a dove sitting all squished down on a ledge, looking all fluffy and cute and I felt like wanting to pick it up but since I couldn't I got all teary eyed with clogged throat and couldn't understand why I was crying over something so silly.
LazyStream 3 months ago
I cried to my boss that we didn't have a particular chair in stock that I wanted to try and sell to a customer.
Lene 3 months ago
I would like to add that after my pregnancies I cannot listen to 99% of Disney songs. Pretty much all shows and music and books I remember from my childhood will male me cry (though I can expose myself to a lot of it so I can cope with it without crying. Super helpful when I introduce the kids to stuff from my childhood). Any type of story with kids being treated in any bad way makes me cry. I still cry sometimes because of no reason and my bf is always so puzzled. Lol. Oh, and life events like birthdays, weddings etc.... I will cry my eyes out! I have not, however, cried when I had my kids. When they were placed on my chest, I'd just calmly start to get to know them and their smell and helping them to latch while my bf would sit next to us, unable to see much because he was crying so hard. Lol. I think my hormones may be a bit weird.... 😬
Littlemiss 3 months ago
I still can't stand burger King ads 5 years later. Everytime one came on when pregnant I would vomit and I just wanted to cry uncontrollably. Still have no idea why.
Amelia Jade 3 months ago
I cried because my husband ate one of the Burger King chicken nuggets out of the bag. I'm normally all about sharing food. I prefer sharing. I'm always suggesting we get something and split it. But when I was pregnant with my first, I absolutely flipped out that he ate one if my nuggets. I cried like someone had died. It took forever for me to be okay. He even offered to go get another order. I said no. Even in the moment I didn't understand why I was so upset.
Lisbeth Guz 3 months ago
I never thought it was going to happen to me, as I am cynical and always laugh at cheesy stuff, but when I was pregnant a super cheesy commercial made cry and my husband came to hug me and then laughed while trying to confort me and did laugh too and then cried again, cause I felt so stupid
Kiss Army 3 months ago
When I was pregnant, my husband called me at work earlier than he normally would and started with "I want to tell you before you find out from someone else..." then he proceeded to tell me that Jack Lemmon had just died and I sobbed on and off all day. I have always loved Jack Lemmon and to this day he is the only famous person who I have ever cried about when I heard of their passing.
~Just-A-Black-Cat-Lover~ 3 months ago
This is what my mom told me happened when she was pregnant with me btw- She went to PetSmart to get food for the cat, and they had this dog toy donation bin. What she didn't know was that they had just emptied the bin to donations about five minutes before. She started bawling because nobody gave anything to the doggies. She bought three dog toys and put them in but was still sobbing. And so we always donate a dollar every time we go to petsmart. We go there like 2 times weekly lol and this happened about 14 years ago lol
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