Hands Off

What is it about pregnant women's bellies that everyone thinks they are public domain? Bear with me, I have to vent for a bit.

Sorry if this sounds rude, but I don't believe just because my belly sticks out that people have a right to rub, pat or touch it. I would never dare do the same to anyone else. Rubbing my stomach feels the same as rubbing my arm, and I’d much prefer people stick to my arm.

Please respect me enough to ask permission before reaching out and touching it. If the intention is to feel the baby moving, tell me that. When the baby decides to get active, I may be okay with someone feeling my stomach. Don’t be surprised if the kid doesn’t move while we’re together. I swear he has performance anxiety, much like his mom, and clams up the minute someone is waiting to feel him kick or swim around. Lately, he is most active at night, so unless I share my bed, it’s unlikely the baby will be moving.

I’m sorry. I know people are excited and they impulsively just react. I probably should just grin and bear it, but it’s really getting to be too much for me lately. It seems everyone wants to lay their hands on me, and I’m someone who likes and needs my personal space. I am who I am.

All this touching has gotten so bad that I find myself pulling back from any kind of touch, even hugs. Hopefully, this is just a late-term pregnancy thing. So, I hope people don’t get offended that if I chose not to hug them. It’s not that I don’t care about them, but it goes back to the whole personal space issue. Maybe it’s my maternal instinct -- wanting to protect my child. Protecting it from what exactly, I don’t know.

The humor in all this when I first get home at night. I can’t get my clothes off fast enough. I run up the stairs stripping shirts, jewelry, shoes, socks, etc. I then just stand for a few minutes in the closet stark naked taking a few deep breaths. Mike says it’s quite the site.

I’m not saying any of this is a rational thought, and what woman entering her final month is very rational. It’s just how I feel.