slap in the face

[Anonymous]

I should have known better but made a quick trip to Buy Buy Baby today (the day I got my period after yet another unsuccessful month of ttc) to buy a gift. I tried to get in and out but I found myself feeling so yuck seeing pregnant ladies, baby gear, and toddlers running around. Then to make matters worse the woman at the cash register started talking to me about my stroller. I politely informed her that I don't have a stroller. Yikes. Why is it so hard month after month? This month I told myself that I'd really try not to get emotional...guess I blew it.

[Anonymous]

I know. It is so hard. Everywhere I go I seem to run into pregnant woman or friends who are pregnant. It just makes me sad, because I am think to myself - why me?

[Anonymous]

I am with you, sister. To make things worse, my co-worker who is alredy a grandmother with two kids, just had a third one. She got pregnant a few months after my miscarriage, all natural with no intervention at age 40. She was driving me crazy every day with talks about her pregnancy, how her life is so meaningful (i.e because she is having another baby and will probably go for one more). How about this slap on the face?

[Anonymous]

It's really hard. I try not to see it as a "slap in the face", though, that sounds purposeful--just a tug or yank on the heart strings. Others having kids doesn't mean that there are fewer chances for us TTC, it's not a zero sum game. It's just a difficult reminder that I'm struggling to get something that I don't have.

[Anonymous]

How's this for a slap in the face - bro-in-law told DH that, after my most recent miscarriage (#3 and #4) that I CAN'T have kids, even though the babies have had chromosonal probs. He's not a doctor, just an insensitive idiot.

I avoid baby stores big time.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry, OP. Next time save yourself the heartache and order the gift online and have it sent directly to the recipient. The little extra you might pay (with shipping, gift wrap, etc.) will be money well spent. It's lovely of you to still support and congratulate your friends by doing things like getting them shower gifts, but protect yourself too, sister.