Thursday, July 27, 2006

The Count

16 weeks pregnant:
  • Spontaneous belly touches: 2
  • Comments about how freakishly large I am already: 3
  • Follow-up queries as to whether or not I'm "sure," or if I might be carrying twins: 2
When it's people I like who touch me, I generally don't mind. But the "My, how big you're getting!" comments are going to wear thin very soon.

One great thing about pregnancy: ability to pretend that all that tummy fat is baby and comfortably wear stretchy, high-waisted pants for several months.

One of many, many not-so-great things about pregnancy: people feeling quite comfortable talking about how "huge" you are and asking quite personal questions about weight gain, etc. I am much less tolerant of all this when it's a stranger who's asking.

7 comments:

ccw said...

The random comments about size kill me. Under normal circumstances, people typically would not make such comments, but once you become pregnant all bets are off. I do not understand what possesses people.

I'm certain you look beautiful!

Jessica said...

You know I'm coming for the belly (with both hands) but "how big you are" - are you serious?!

Camera Obscura said...

OTOH, being just-plain-round other than obviously-preggers at five months along sucks, too. Even tho having Daughter (baby #3) all cantilevered out front made for awkward movement, at least everyone knew I was enciente and not just a tubbo.

kairos said...

My wife (bless her heart) is 36.7 weeks pregnant with twins, and she was at dinner last night with my sister-in-law, talking about how she feels like a spectical. My wonderful sister-in-law (herself pregnant, a couple of weeks farther along than you are) assured her that this was not the case, that people weren't really staring at her.

Then they got up to leave, and the man at the table next to them said to his fellow diner "wow, that woman is REALLY pregnant."

Took all of my wife's willpower not to slug him. :)

Anonymous said...

I always disliked this aspect of being pregnant as well. I think it is worse towards the end when they ask about twins or if you are carrying a 10 pound baby--or any other unpleasant remark such as this.

I have never understood why strangers find it acceptable to touch women who are pregnant--it seems to go against everything I was taught growing up. Unfortunately, I am a bit germ phobic too and at times freaked out a bit about where their hands may have been before they were on me--yuck!!!

Lisa said...

Congrats on your baby. Never had strangers feel my belly. Course that could be because I gained ALOT of weight everywhere. Most of it in my butt. So people probably thought I was carrying a child in both butt cheeks. heehee. And if you saw the size of my butt at the time (think, Texas!) -- well, it probably scared people more so...

Sarahlynn said...

Lisa, for me last time it was my face, hands, and ankles that got huge. I could easily have carried a baby spread over these attractive areas by the end of my pregnancy with Ellie.

I couldn't recognize myself and there was no part of me that I didn't cringe to look at for the last few weeks, with all the swelling. Here's hoping that doesn't happen again; I'm in better shape and have lower blood pressure this time.

Thank you, CCW!

Jessica, you're welcome to pat New Baby anytime.

Camera, I get a bit of that too. No one's sure at first: gaining weight or pregnant? I occasionally long to be one of the tall, thin women who carry the baby like a basketball under their shirts.

Kairos, CONGRATS! Also, best wishes.

RNP - yes, exactly!