Pregnant women experience the world a little differently than the rest of us. Whether having to deal with people ignorant of their physical state, battling insane cravings, or partaking in some behavior that is definitely dangerous to their newborn, these pregnant women had quite the tales when they were out to eat.
(Content has been edited for clarity.)
This Restaurant’s Carelessness Almost Cost Her Her Daughter’s Life
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“One day, I ate at Milano’s Cafe in Lima, Ohio.
I’ve told this story to everyone I know. My husband and I were given a gift card for the place. It serves Italian food, which is my favorite. At the time, I was 33 weeks pregnant. We went, consumed obscene amounts of pasta, and went home and got in bed.
I woke up at 5 am pooping and puking all over the bed. That continued until 10 am when I finally was able to walk across the street and ask my mom to take me to the hospital. On the way, my back started to hurt. A lot.
We get to the hospital and it turns out I was in labor, contracting two minutes apart. I labored for three days while my OBGYN pumped me full of antibiotics and saline. I had e.coli poisoning from tainted meat, apparently.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t stop the labor and I needed an emergency C-section to deliver my premature daughter. Thankfully she was OK after a short NICU stay.
It was the worst thing I ever went through. I went into labor because the dehydration caused contractions, and eventually, my water broke from vomiting so forcefully.”
“Mid-Swallow, She Started Coughing And Looked At Me With Tears In Her Eyes”
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“So my seven-month pregnant wife and I were out to lunch. She had a glass of water and asked for a refill. The waitress brought the new water and my wife took a sip from her straw and swallowed. Mid-swallow she starts coughing and looking at me with tears in her eyes. I took one whiff of her drink and low and behold, it was freaking bleach! She immediately went to the restroom and vomited multiple times. The manager comes over and takes the glass after I complained to the waitress and went to assist my wife. He offers to comp our meal as compensation. Not good enough for me. Who would want to eat after being poisoned?! We left immediately and went to the emergency room as her doctor instructed. I’ve left messages for the owner with no returned call. Everything turned out ok (thank god), but the stress/anxiety my wife went through and the hospital bills should be compensated for in my opinion.”
She Felt A Rumbling In Her Tummy
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“So…it was my sister-in-law’s bachelorette party and the ladies all went out to eat first. Well, my stomach has been very sensitive so I ate the oil and bread they give you before dinner. As we waited for our entrees, I decided to get up and stretch my legs by walking to the bathroom. As I got back, I could feel a gas bubble coming up. I sat on the edge of my seat as I figured if I sat the right way it would go away. Which I thought it did.
So I moved back to my normal position and it SLOWLY leaked out like a whistle, high and loud. I was in shock. The girl sitting next to me snapped her head to me and was just staring with her mouth open. Slowly, the whole table turned their head to look. I was trying to squeeze everything together to make it stop and it just freaking let loose. I could not control what was happening, so as Elsa said, I ‘Let it Go.’ As it finished, I couldn’t help but want to just run. Everyone, the waitresses, the surrounding tables, everyone was looking at me… So I politely said, ‘I’m pregnant, I’m sorry.’ Then, my whole table burst out laughing and thank god most of them are my HUSBAND’S family… I continued to eat while everyone else laughed and talked about it. I even got applause from a few men at the bar. What a night. Thanks, unborn child, at least we share a story already.”
This Waiter Will Never Forget His Role In A Couple’s Special Announcement
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“I used to be a server at a fine dining restaurant and I was pretty dang good at what I did. Observation is key. Well, one day, I had a party of eight or nine people come in and sit at our nicest table. It was all the way in the front, with a view of the entire bay right at sunset and just all around nice.
Now usually, if it is a birthday, anniversary, proposal, what have you, there will be a notation on a card that we (servers) receive from the hostess stand. On this particular occasion, there was no such notation.
The table consisted of what seemed to be a boyfriend, girlfriend and their parents with a sibling or two on each side thrown into the mix. I introduced myself and welcomed them to the restaurant, as always, then offered them something to drink.
One of the dads ordered a couple of bottles of red.
I brought them to the table and began to pour. Only one or two refused, which is typical, and I promptly moved into my spiel on appetizers, which they ordered. I even up-sold them with a nice little cheese platter.
When the appetizers came out, I figured they were probably ready to order and asked if anyone had questions.
One person, in particular, had some strange questions. I was asked if our cheese was pasteurized (all cheese that comes into the U.S. is pasteurized) and I noticed she was steering clear of some of my seafood recommendations.
I just so happened to notice that it was the same girl who declined a drink previously. Well, at the time, I was going through the period where I thought I was having a child of my own and the girl that I was dating had similar questions, if not exact, that we had both previously researched. So much so that I knew the answer to every question she threw at me. Then it clicked…
So I asked this girl, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t mean to push, but do you happen to be pregnant? My chef can prepare a nice list of things that are completely safe for you to enjoy!’
She and her boyfriend awkwardly looked at each other and her boyfriend spoke up and said awkwardly to the table, ‘Well, we were going to wait until after dinner to announce it but… we are having a baby…’
Oops.
Fast forward many months later and I’m in a Schlotzsky’s picking up food before work when this guy approached me and said, ‘Hey, do you work at [Place I Worked At]?’ I was in my uniform.
I said, ‘Uh, yeah. Have I waited on you before?’
And he said, ‘Yeah, you ruined our pregnancy announcement at dinner with my family!’ and I instantly recognized him, but I thought he was here just to further harass me about it.
I awkwardly chuckled and said, ‘Yeah man, about that. I’m so sorry. I had no idea, I was just going through something similar at the time and didn’t think to keep my mouth shut and…’
He interrupted, ‘No, no, don’t feel bad at all. It’s actually the BEST story I have of my entire life with my son, and I owe it all to you. You didn’t know any better. In fact, when my family or friends get together, they all crack up every time they hear that story. It was brilliant! I just wanted to come up and thank you actually.'”
She Couldn’t Believe What Her Teacher Said Over This Lunch Period
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“I got pregnant (definitely by accident) in high school in my junior year. My first thought was abortion, but I had a Juno moment and couldn’t go through with it. I decided instead to place my child in an open adoption (I briefly considered parenting but I wanted more for him than what I could provide). It was still a hard time going to school while starting to show. One of the only reasons I stayed was acting class. Most of the kids basically worshipped the teacher, everyone was so fun and open, and the auditorium felt more like home than home did. Unfortunately, during lunch period as I walked by the teacher’s office, I overheard him saying I should ‘get over myself and have an abortion.’ And he wasn’t talking to another teacher, he was talking to other students having lunch with him. I was trying to make one of the biggest decisions of my life and he was mocking me, making it seem like I was staying pregnant for the attention (cause nothing brings the boys to the yard like morning sickness).
I dropped out shortly after that. But the joke’s on him and everyone else that thought I couldn’t go through with it because he’s been placed with his wonderful, loving family for years now. We see each other quite frequently and I even graduated on time. Suck it, high school drama nerds!”
No One Had Time For This Customer’s Wrath
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“I was 8-ish months pregnant and working in my bar. This dude got up to go to the bathroom and fell into multiple tables on the way back there. I notified his group that they were all cool to hang out a while, but I couldn’t serve that friend any more drinks. They were totally nice about it and settled up their tabs as they were heading out soon anyways. The guy came back and ordered a drink. I told him no, that he’d had too much and should have a few glasses of water instead. He didn’t like that. The guy threw his mug at my head, yelling about how pregnant chicks shouldn’t work in bars, and stumble-ran out. I was pretty livid. I only worked day shifts for the next month.”
He Thought He Was Just Doing His Job
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“There was a baby shower at a restaurant I worked at during university. It was in a separate room away from the entrance. I had been directing guests for at least half an hour when a very pregnant woman and her friend walked in. They were looking a little lost so I asked if they were there for the baby shower as I had with all the other guests and the pregnant lady looked shocked and the friend looked extremely angry. Turns out, it was a surprise and they hadn’t told us! They had gone through a huge effort and racked a huge bill beforehand so they must have been super upset. I apologized, but the family wasn’t happy.”
Her Former Teacher Didn’t Care For Her “Condition”
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“I was out at a restaurant with my parents and I saw one of my teachers from high school. Keep in mind, I was 25 at the time and unmarried, and I had attended a private Christian high school. I wasn’t with my son’s father anymore, either. Long story. Anyway, I went up to talk to her and, at first, she was congenial and seemed happy to see me. I was obviously pregnant at about 8 months. She looked down at my hand, noticed no wedding ring, and immediately started ignoring me. I mean no eye contact, no talking, no acknowledging I even existed. The woman with her looked mortified and started talking to me to fill the awkwardness of the situation, even though I didn’t know her.
Here’s a woman I held in high regard and looked up to deliberately spurning me because I wasn’t married before I was pregnant. It really hurt my feelings. I lost every ounce of respect I had for her that day. It was not her place to judge me, even if she did know my situation, which she didn’t.”
All She Wanted Was To Indulge Her Craving…
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“So I was 8 months pregnant and REALLY wanted to go to a buffet and just chow down. I knew my all you can eat days were coming to an end fast and I wouldn’t/couldn’t eat like this forever. So my husband and I jumped in the car and picked up my grandpa on the way there since he lives for buffets.
We get there and I’m chowing down. I crush like two plates, but began to feel physically ill, so I called it a night. However, my husband and grandpa had challenged each other to an ‘eat off.’ Basically, they wanted to see who could eat the most.
Now, these guys are big. My grandpa is about 6’5″ 350lbs and my husband 6’4″ 250lbs. These idiots made me sit there for three and a half hours while they ate until they were turning different shades about to throw up. So finally, just when I thought it was over, Grandpa jumped up, ran to the bathroom, and stayed in there for a while. Eventually, he came back to the table with another freaking plate! He went to the bathroom to throw up and then declared himself the winner since he finished his last plate.
It was the last time they were allowed at a buffet together.”
She Didn’t Appreciate The New Nickname He Gave Her
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“I’m currently a week from my due date and two incidences come to mind:
In a conversation between two co-workers during lunch, I heard one say to the other, ‘Uhh, no. Kelsey, if you’re fat, then [me] is like the sun.’ They were sitting right next to me.
Way back when I first announced the news at work, an older guy that worked in a different department sat down next to me while I was eating lunch. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, ‘Now that you’re pregnant, can I call you Fatty?’ Yeah. That one got him fired. Forget you Jim, you creepy, freaking idiot.”
She Just Couldn’t Carry So Much Heavy Weight At Her Job
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“I was seven months pregnant and working at McDonald’s. Some customers asked for orders to be brought to their table. This was fine, some people are slightly disabled or have big orders and would rather watch their kids than wait for their food.
So I was carrying this big tray of food. The tray plus my belly meant I couldn’t see my feet. Turns out there was a small stool in the middle of the floor that I didn’t see. I tripped and fell and partially landed on my belly. As I slowly got up, in shock and as my colleagues ran to make sure I was okay, this lady stood over me and berated me for dropping her lunch and insisted I personally pay for a replacement.”
Her Dress Code Definitely Confused This Man During A Catering Event
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“It was about two and a half years ago at my then-husband’s work Christmas party. The party was at an event/conference center that supplied their own staff to serve food and drinks and set up the tables and chairs. The staff wore all black and the females all had their hair pulled back. This is important as I was wearing a black dress and heels, with my hair in a bun. I was also approximately eight months pregnant at the time.
We had arrived about an hour early as my ex had been volunteered to help set up the sound system, so I was wandering around, trying to make myself useful until the party started. I located the restroom since I knew I would need it two or three times throughout the evening (dang baby bouncing on my bladder).
When I came back from the bathroom, I noticed a few more people had trickled in, including my ex’s commander, who I had never formally met. Everyone was busy running around trying to get everything set up, including the commander. I decided to sit at our table since heels and pregnancy were not combining well for me, and I knew it was going to be a semi-long evening. Maybe two minutes after I sat down, the commander walked past my table. I started to stand up because I thought it might be a good time to quickly introduce myself. I will be ‘M’ and the commander will be ‘C.’
C: ‘No, sit down, wouldn’t want to bother you!’ He said this fairly sarcastically.
He was gone before I could respond so I settled back into my chair thinking he was just stressed about the party or was trying to be polite since I was so grossly pregnant? Who knows. A few seconds later, he came back.
C: ‘Guess someone needed a break? Feeling a little tired tonight, huh? Could you at least tell me where the bathroom is?’
M: ‘Oh um, yes, of course! It’s right down the hall on the left.’ Internally, I was thinking, ‘I can’t be rude to the commander, but what the heck dude?!’
And he was gone again. My ex returned to the table at this point and we just chatted as more people filtered in and said hi. I didn’t think much about the interaction as I, again, just figured he had other stuff going on, it never crossed my mind that he thought I worked there.
A few minutes later, my ex had his arm around me as the commander came back from the bathroom. I saw the light bulb turn on in his head as he came over and introduced himself. He apologized profusely and told the whole table that he thought I was working the party since I was dressed like the staff. It drew a few laughs from everyone and all was well. He gifted us a few drinks for after the baby arrived, so I guess it could have gone a lot worse!”
Surprisingly, The Husband Acted Worse Than His Hormonal Wife
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“Our bakery-cafe chain named Crazy Bunny Lady, or CBL for short, had just switched to the fall menu items. At this time of year, we were no longer carrying a certain kind of onion soup. I wasn’t aware onion soup was summer as opposed to fall/winter, but I’m not in charge of that, I’m just a cafe` slave. We also weren’t carrying certain salads, sandwiches, etc. Some people were upset, but seasons change and certain food costs go up or down throughout the year, as well. Businesses do what they have to do.
Anyway, one day was PACKED during lunch, so much so that people were having trouble finding a table. Ticket times were horrible and I was on the dining room that day. I was bussing tables, cleaning them, etc, when I was about to bring an order to a couple who had ordered soup and sandwiches. The line person said, ‘Oh yeah, and tell table X that we’re out of the onion soup.’
I went ahead and calmly approached their table, ‘Um, sir, we are actually out of the onion soup. Did you want another kind of soup?’
I don’t remember his exact answer, just a pretty furious, ‘Okay,’ or something. His noticeably pregnant wife just sat on the opposite end of the table, silent, looking disappointed. Just for not being a snot, like many other customers were when we were out of something they wanted, I empathized with her. I went on to bus the other tables, not thinking anything of it. Okay, cool, they just didn’t want soup anymore, because they didn’t request a different one. I shrugged and went on about my shift as normal.
I was bringing food to another nearby table when I see one of my managers, Peter, at the couple’s table. The man was SCREAMING at Peter. The restaurant was super loud and crowded, so I couldn’t really decipher what was said. Peter was literally trying to CALM this guy down, over SOUP. The pregnant lady was just sitting at the table with her face in hands, clearly embarrassed, and picking at her food. She was the first pregnant woman I had seen come into the restaurant that didn’t demand special treatment, act rude for no reason, or throw a horrible fit when she didn’t get her way. Because she was so calm, and actually looked SAD, as opposed to throwing a tantrum and treating people like trash over food, I felt really bad for her. If we had had ANY of the onion soup left, I would have brought it to her so she could have a peaceful meal and have her husband stop screaming and embarrassing her.
One time, one of my coworkers, who I’ll call Andy, told me about a pregnant woman who had her sandwich remade because it was messed up. Things happen. She didn’t even appreciate her order being fixed and just yelled at him for minutes on end ‘because she’s pregnant and her food can NEVER be messed up!’ Ugh, poor Andy.”
“Should You Really Be Eating That?”
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“‘How far along are you?’ Then, looking at my belly, ‘Are you sure?’
Along the same lines: ‘Should you really be eating that? There won’t be any more room for the baby.’
I’m freaking 4’11”. Where else is the extra weight supposed to go?!”
This Surprise Didn’t Turn Out So Sweet
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“Years ago, I worked at a Chinese restaurant and waited on a couple, probably in their early 20s. It was a busy night and they seemed like they were enjoying being there together, but nothing stood out to me…until the woman found me and asked me to do her a favor. She was smiling, said she was pregnant and wanted me to switch out the paper in his fortune cookie for one that she had pre-printed, which said something to the effect of him being a dad and her being all ‘SURPRISE!’
Well, the rest of the other waitstaff found out when they saw me trying to do this without breaking the cookie. All the waitresses were giddy and thought it was so cute. I dropped off the check with the two fortune cookies. We all inconspicuously watched with bated breath as she gave him the cookie and saw his face instantly turn sour. He looked ticked. That’s when I couldn’t watch anymore. They had a very brief and lively looking conversation. When I picked up the check, it was very uncomfortable and they were quiet. She gave me a sad look. He stormed out first and she followed. I still think about them and wonder if it turned out alright.”
