Most people act courteous towards pregnant women. Someone may offer her their seat on public transportation, or help her if she’s carrying a large load to her car. Being pregnant is physically exerting on the expectant mom, so it’s a great help when people make the effort to be considerate and thoughtful. However, these stories prove that not everyone is kind and accommodating towards pregnant women. These women reveal some of the cruellest things men have said to them while they were expecting- and they will definitely shock you.

Many of the hurtful things said revolve around the mom-to-be’s weight or her ability to do physically exerting things. Some of them also revolve around questions whether a woman is as competent when she’s expecting, which is one of the most ridiculous things we’ve heard. Sometimes the comment wasn’t even meant to be hurtful, but the way it was said and in the certain context then made it so.

One thing that’s definite is that all of these cruel comments are extremely inappropriate and hurtful. It’s never okay to say such mean things to someone, whether they’re pregnant or not. Clearly the men who said these things weren’t really thinking about the consequences of their words. Hopefully they learned to think before they speak the next time they faced a similar situation because there’s something seriously wrong with the hurtful comments these men said to these expecting women.

15 Carrying Extra Weight

Even though weight gain is a totally natural (and unavoidable) thing during pregnancy, many women worry about the amount of weight they gain during the 9 months. However, Kellie’s* husband was the one who was concerned with her weight, and his hurtful comments did nothing to make his expectant wife feel good about herself.

“My ex-husband gave me a horrible time about my weight during my pregnancy. He was always telling me how I could ‘look better’, and he thought I looked absolutely horrible when I had gained 50lbs in baby weight. The worst thing he called me was a ‘fat cow’. He made me so upset that I stayed the night with my sister. There’s a reason he’s my ex husband now.”

No partner should ever say such hurtful things to you, whether you’re pregnant or not. We’re glad Kellie eventually realized this was not the right partner for her, and cut the cord on this toxic marriage.

14 The Cranky Commuter

Being pregnant is exhausting on the woman’s body, so most commuters would offer a woman their seat if it were clear that she’s expecting. However, Alana* met one fellow commuter who wasn’t as understanding about her situation.

“I was riding the subway once when I was six months pregnant. I was wearing a baggy sweatshirt, so I guess you couldn’t tell I was pregnant unless you looked closely. I had been walking all day, and was exhausted. The subway was packed and I couldn’t find a seat. That’s when I noticed a man in his late thirties or early forties sitting down.

I tried to make eye contact with him and ended up approaching him. I asked him if I could sit down, and he immediately said, “Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you can have my seat. You’re all so damn entitled. Just wear shoes that aren’t so uncomfortable.” He probably would’ve reacted differently if he knew I was pregnant. But I didn’t bother to tell him. People like that aren’t worth your time.”

13 Chunky Monkey Co-Worker

Most people express congratulations when they find out a co-worker is expecting. But Beth’s* co-worker took a different approach when he learned she was pregnant, and he began calling her a nickname that was neither cute nor appropriate.

“I work in an office with a bunch of guys who act like they’re still in middle school. There’s this one guy that is extra annoying, and he always makes comments about my appearance (even though he’s met my husband on multiple occasions). When I started showing, he began calling me ‘Chunky Monkey.’ Even other people in the office told him to knock it off, but he just wouldn’t. Every time he’d pass my desk he’d say something like, “How’s everything, Chunky Monkey?” I never went back to that office after maternity leave.”

This kind of workplace harassment is never okay. If you or anyone you know experiences a similar form of harassment, you should report the inappropriate co-worker and their actions immediately. No one, whether pregnant or not, deserves to be treated like that.

12 The Incubator

Being pregnant isn’t like cooking something in an oven- there’s a lot more that goes into it. Shauna* had a cousin whose husband didn’t seem to understand it, and it led him to make this cringe-worthy remark.

“I was at a family reunion several years ago, and my cousin was pregnant. Her husband was talking with all of the guys how hard pregnancy had been on him. He was complaining to them about her cravings, how she wakes up at night to pee a lot, and how their home is being overrun with baby clutter. It was just unbelievable that he was saying all this while she was sitting with him!

She then whispered something in his ear, and that set him off. He turned to her (in front of everyone, mind you) and said: “All you are is an incubator. Men are the ones who have to deal with the real consequences of pregnancy.” My cousin and the rest of the women (and some men) at the table burst out laughing. He meant it in a mean way, but it’s just such a ridiculous thing to say that no one could believe it came out of his mouth.”

11 Weight Watcher

Brynn* and her other friends were shocked when they heard how this boyfriend treated his girlfriend who was pregnant at the time. This is not a sign of a healthy relationship.

“One of my close friends was pregnant a few years back and her boyfriend was a complete ass. We were hanging out with a bunch of friends one night, and we were talking about her pregnancy (she was about 5 months at the time). She was complaining about how she was forming stretch marks. Her boyfriend said something along the lines of: “Well, you wouldn’t have that problem if you didn’t eat so much.”

When we told him it was normal for women to eat more while pregnant he just denied it. He said she’d gained way too much weight than what was normal for being that far along. She’d barely gone up a dress size or two! We’re so glad she eventually broke up with that douche because no one should say that to their pregnant girlfriend.”

10 Cat Calling Creep

Many women have to deal with cat calling and inappropriate remarks made by men on a daily basis. Liv’s* story proves that cat calling can happen to a woman regardless of her pregnancy status- and it makes it even grosser.

“I had a really gross experience a few years back when I was pregnant for the first time. I was about 7 or 8 months pregnant and walking down the street with a girlfriend. This guy across the street starts yelling at me. He told me how good I looked for being pregnant. Um, thanks I guess?

He actually said: ‘Good looking while cooking with that baby belly.’ He must have been drunk or something because half of what he said didn’t make sense. It was really disturbing. Then he started to walk towards us, so we walked in the opposite direction really quickly. Luckily he didn’t follow us.”

9 Hormonal Rollercoaster

A woman goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy, and her hormones can be all over the place. Gina’s* husband said some harsh words when he thought she wasn’t listening, and she was thoroughly unimpressed.

“The worst thing that was ever said to me while pregnant was actually said by my husband. We’d had troubles conceiving for years, and finally tried using IVF. The hormones made me super emotional, and the experience was already emotionally draining because I was so tired of being disappointed. Anyways, I ended up getting pregnant!

I was about 7 months along and we had friends over for dinner. I heard my husband say to my friend’s husband: “Gina is such a crazy b*tch. I thought it would get better once she was pregnant, but she’s just as crazy. Sometimes I don’t know how I can live another minute with her, let alone raise a baby.” I literally burst out into tears at that point. Everyone had to leave, it was so embarrassing. I’ve never let my husband forget that.”

8 Like Mother, Like Daughter

The man who insulted Annie* when she was pregnant was actually her brother. In the heat of the moment, he told Annie that she would be just like their mother when she gave birth to her own daughter, and their mother isn’t someone they want to aspire to be like.

“The insult I received wasn’t actually about my pregnancy. My older brother and I were arguing about a family matter, and we said some harsh things. I had just announced I was four months along when this happened. In a fit of rage, my brother said I was going to raise my daughter just like our mom did with us. Our mom was not a good person, so I was so offended. He apologized right after. But boy did that hurt.”

This is proof that words like this can cut deep! Hopefully Annie and her brother were able to move on from this incident, and focus on the new baby’s impending arrival.

7 Nine Months Of Abstinence

This is another story that shows sometimes the things husbands and boyfriends say to their expecting wives are the most hurtful. Tavyn* recalls how her father used to verbally abuse her mother for the way she looked during pregnancy.

“My father was horrible to my mom when I was growing up. I have 5 younger siblings, so she was pregnant a lot. My dad would always tell her how unattractive she looked. He’d call her fat and stupid, and tell her that she looked ugly no matter the size of her waist. He actually would say that he was glad she was pregnant so he didn’t have to sleep with her for 9 months. It was so heartbreaking. My mother deserved so much better.”

There is nothing okay with what went on in that household! Hopefully Tavyn’s mother realized her worth sooner than later, and didn’t take such a miserable person’s words to heart.

6 Having It Easy

Anyone woman who has kids knows that being a mom (and being pregnant) is not an easy thing. But this belligerent dad in Tracie’s* story didn’t seem to get that.

“I was very pregnant when I attended a BBQ thrown by some family friends. Us parents were all talking in a circle, and one dad clearly had too many beers to drink. He started saying how he wished he got to stay home with the kids instead of going to work. He was going on and on about how the patriarchy harms men just as much as women.

I wasn’t too interested until he pointed a finger at me and (while saying this to my husband) said, ‘See she has it easy! I bet all she does is lay around, eat, and grow that baby. And it’s not like it gets that much harder when the baby is born.’ He also said that moms get to sleep in and don’t know the value of hard work. I felt mostly embarrassed for his wife.”

5 Baby Bump Belly

Sometimes it’s easy to detect if a woman is pregnant, while other times it’s not as noticeable. Someone confused Dylan’s* baby bump with a bit of extra weight, which made for an awkward explanation afterwards.

“I’ve always been overweight, so comments about my weight have never really bothered me. But one time it really got to me when I was pregnant. My husband and I were out with a group of people (we knew one couple, but the rest were new to us).

Suddenly this one guy looks at me with a shocked face and exclaims, “You’re actually pregnant? I thought you were just fat.” I was 8 months along and I thought it was pretty clear I was knocked up. But evidently this guy just thought I was carrying more extra pounds than usual. The guy felt embarrassed for the way it came out, and apologized a lot.”

4 If The Shoe Fits

Marnie* got more than she bargained for when she went shoe shopping and the sales associate was less than hospitable to her.

“I was shoe shopping with friends when I was 9 months pregnant. I was so excited to not be pregnant anymore (my experience with it was horrible), so I was going to buy myself a pair of shoes to celebrate. I had this pair of sandals picked out and asked the sales guy to bring me my size. He looked at me like he was confused, but then scurried to the back. A couple minutes later he came back and said he didn’t have my size.

At the same time, my friend wanted to try the same pair and had asked for a half size smaller. Her sales lady came back and said they didn’t have half sizes, but they brought her the size I asked for. I asked the guy I had been dealing with why he couldn’t find them in my size (I thought he must be new or something). I was so shocked when he said, “Because I knew they wouldn’t have fit you. Look at your ankles.” He thought that I shouldn’t even try them on because my ankles were so swollen. I was so offended that I actually asked to speak to he manager and got a 20% off coupon.”

3 Pregnancy Brain

Vienna* was shocked to hear the way her male co-worked dismissed her opinion during a team meeting. Evidently pregnancy affects your thinking (according to him, that is).

“I was at a team meeting for work when I was 7 months pregnant. I was only a few weeks away from beginning my maternity leave, and I was as anxious to get out of there as ever especially after this happened. We were discussing plans for an office holiday party, and we were deciding where to host it.

When I gave a few reasons why we shouldn’t book the hotel we did last year, a male co-worker who’d been pushing for just that chimed in by saying, “Don’t get so emotional, it’s just a party! See what this pregnancy is doing to you!” He literally disregarded my opinion because I was pregnant, and made it seem like being pregnant makes you crazy or unstable or something. Smh.”

2 Heavy Lifting

Pregnancy is physically draining and physical exertion can be harmful to the baby. So it’s no secret that expecting women sometimes need help lifting heavier items. But the man Stasia* ran into at the grocery store seems to think that’s not the case since women have feminism nowadays. How does that even make sense?

“I was struggling to carry a couple heavy bags full of groceries to my car when I was 9 months pregnant. I was exhausted and out of breathe. I asked a man going to his car if he could help me lift the pack of beer I had bought into the trunk of my car (the beer was for my boyfriend, obviously not me).

He took one look at me and said that, if women were all about feminism nowadays, we can pick up our own things. He kept on walking, and I just stared at him in bewilderment.”

1 Alcoholics Anonymous

Monica* had the worst experience ever when she was attacked by a person who mistakenly thought she was drinking champagne while pregnant.

“A had someone call me a crack wh*re when I was visibly pregnant. I was attending my husband’s fancy work event where there was an open bar. I had been drinking Sprite in a wine glass the entire night, and no one had said anything or mistook my drink for alcohol. However, later in the night, this drunken man comes up to me and spills his drink on me!

He then proceeds to start yelling. He told me that I’m a drunkard who can’t raise a child. He said I’d kill my child before she was born because of my drinking. He was so crazed I couldn’t even explain the drink was only Sprite. Security escorted him out, but not before he said I must be some sort of crack head and that God is ashamed of me.”