Pregnancy wasn’t just uncomfortable because of my growing pains, but also because my belly was a free for all. I have never in my life had so many random people touch me! I am not a touchy feely person to start with, so all this rubbing really made me cringe. Why do people think a pregnant belly is a public display that is meant to be touched? What ever happened to at least asking before going in for the rub?
I think it was most uncomfortable for me when I told my coworkers I was pregnant (I waited until almost 16 weeks since I had experienced a previous miscarriage). I was manhandled with hands all over my itty bitty baby bump. I can see why people get excited about touching a big ole baby belly to try to feel the baby move, but not a tiny little bump.
There were some courteous friends that would ask first. Obviously, people I cared about didn’t need to ask me. It was the strangers that really blew my mind! I was at Cracker Barrel one evening with my husband and our waitress just walked right up and grabbed my stomach! I didn’t see her approaching and almost peed myself!
I had one friend who told me she HATED when people touched her pregnant belly because it made her so uncomfortable, but seeing me pregnant made her want to touch my belly! I thought that was funny. She was once in my predicament, but on the flip side she could barely keep her hands away from my huge tummy. Perhaps my thoughts will change now that I know a miracle really does reside inside the belly for 40 weeks and it’s not just a tumor that causes unpleasantness.
How did you handle people touching your pregnant belly? Did you mind or how did it make you feel?
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