🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Commenters praised a woman for not swapping meals with her pregnant cousin after she said the smell of her pasta made her sick.
The anonymous woman, known as u/aita_burgers_, posted about the incident in Reddit's popular "Am I The A**hole" forum where it received more than 11,000 upvotes and 1,300 comments.
According to Healthline, hyperosmia—a heightened sense of smell—is a common symptom of pregnancy and can cause nausea and migraines. Studies have shown that nearly two-thirds of pregnant individuals have experienced hyperosmia.
The heightened sense of smell can cause certain foods to become nauseating, particularly meat and fish.
In the post titled "AITA for not swapping my meal with my pregnant cousin?" the woman, 24, said she recently went out to dinner with her family. At dinner, she ordered a burger with fries, while her pregnant cousin Alison, 29, ordered a pasta dish.
When the food arrived, Alison asked if she could swap her pasta for the burger because she "didn't like the smell" of it.
"I said sorry, but I want my burger and maybe she can swap with someone else," the post read. "She said she was suddenly craving a burger and no one else had ordered one. I told her she can order again."
Alison replied that she won't "waste money" ordering another dish because she is saving for the baby. She also said she was willing to pay the difference on her meal since the pasta was more expensive.
"I kept saying no, she got really upset and said I didn't understand the struggles of pregnant women," the post read. "My mom saw and said I should just swap and was acting like a kid, I said Alison was acting like a kid. Alison said she was hurt and I don't understand pregnancy."
The original poster (OP) said she started eating her burger so people would stop asking her to swap, but that her mother later said she "created a scene" for no reason. Her mom also said she should have been more understanding since Alison is pregnant.
"She said she's 'lost face' in front of my aunt. Now I'm thinking if I should've just sucked it up and swapped?" the post read.
More than 1,300 users commented on the post, many criticizing Alison for being "entitled."
"NTA. Pregnancy isn't a free pass to demand special treatment," one user commented, receiving nearly 19,000 upvotes. "If Alison wanted a burger, she was free to order another. If that couldn't be done, she was free to eat the pasta and quit complaining."
"I can understand being repulsed by the smell of something when pregnant. However, her excuse of wanting to save money instead of ordering something else is pretty lame. Rather entitled of her to expect OP to give up her meal."
Other users recalled their food aversions, but still criticized Alison's behavior.
"With my pregnancy, the smell of chicken was horrible. Even our cats couldn't have chicken flavored cat food for several months," one user commented. "But I certainly didn't expect someone else to switch meals with me. I just chose not to eat out where I might be smelling chicken."
"For me it was lamb. I still can't handle the smell. And, I, too, survived 4 pregnancies without ever being a jerk to the people around me," another wrote.
Newsweek reached out to u/aita_burgers_ for comment.
In another viral Reddit post, a pregnant 19-year-old woman was criticized for complaining about her sister's engagement.
Another pregnant woman sparked debate online after refusing to alert her family that she was in labor.
One woman was supported for hiding her pregnancy and newborn daughter from her entire family.
About the writer
Samantha Berlin is a Newsweek reporter based in New York. Her focus is reporting on trends and human-interest stories. Samantha ... Read more