How Rude: Handling Unwanted Pregnancy Comments

"My labor was torture!"

Positive birth stories can make you feel more confident and less scared. But terrifying tales only intensify your anxiety and fear. Still, a number of moms feel compelled to share. "Telling their own birth story is their way of bonding. Some women truly believe they're being helpful by trying to prevent you from experiencing something similar," explains Teresa Spillane, PsyD, a psychologist for Isis Maternity Centers, a Boston provider of prenatal, postpartum, and early-childhood education courses.

Stop it by: Interrupting. If you find yourself in the throes of a childbirth tale only a Stephen King fan would appreciate, jump in and say, "Please stop. I'm already anxious about the big day."