I learned something new today

[ailbhe]

Q: When is it appropriate to answer "I'm so pleased about it!" with "Oh, you won't be, trust me."

A: When someone announces a pregnancy (especially a twin pregnancy).

So it hasn't been a wasted day.

Comments

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

i'm confused. are you being snarky? or are you obliquely announcing you are having twins?

though this cryptic statement reminds me of when i would say to people that i was engaged and they would tell me that my second marriage was going to be better than the first.

n.

[ailbhe]

I'm not having twins, but know people who have/are. I was told I wasn't *really* pleased by various people both times I announced a pregnancy. But now you mention it, a number of people told me that my first marriage wouldn't matter or be important or meaningful when I announced my engagement, too. "Oh yes, the first time, it's good to have a big party. The second time, you'll know it's the person you're marrying that counts" was one.

Miss Manners thinks people should just say "Congratulations" and shut up. I agree.

[rmc28]

What lovely people.

My current favourite are the people who tell me I won't want to go back to the office once I have children.

[ailbhe]

Right. Because obviously if *I* don't want to ever set foot inside an office again if I can avoid it, *you* must not want to either.

See also: No, you can't have your sterilisation operation because you're pre-menopause and might change your mind.

[pogodragon.livejournal.com]

Or the variant of that which I got from a doctor - I was about 36 at the time - 'That's what you think now, but what if you change your mind when you're 60?'. (This was about sterilisation not working in an office).

He was a locum, I was never going to see him again, so I didn't bother even trying to unpick his logic.

[pariyal.livejournal.com]

I was pleased when it turned out that I was having twins. Not the least because I wouldn't have to decide whether to try for a third or to leave off at two. And now that the twins in question are ten, I'm still pleased. Sometimes we think that all babies should come in twos: it's not all that much more work than one, except that breastfeeding is almost a full-time job.

[ailbhe]

I would have been thrilled to have had twins. I'm still hoping for twins next time.

[oldbloke.livejournal.com]

People are weird, aren't they?

[firecat]

I think Miss Manners should be made Global Dictator For Life.

[pauamma]

Uh?

[barakta]

Slightly amusing anecdote:

Apparently when my uncle G was born they shouted down the stairs to my anxiously hovering grandfather "It's a boy!".

Fifteen minutes later my mum was born - unexpectedly. Someone was dispatched to shout down the stairs "It's a girl!" to my grandfather...

I believe his reply was "Make up your bloody mind!"

All the people in the street did a collection of baby clothes and stuff because rationing was still in place, so my grandparents probably didn't have that many nappies and baby clothes.

[ailbhe]

That's so cute!