(didja catch that oxymoron? IR-rational as I THINK? heh heh I kill me)
Last night, Lil Sis and I went out to dinner to have our annual* sissy date. And we had a great time, of course.
Right before we left, the manager-lady came over and asked if everything was satisfactory. Fair enough, right?
THEN! She goes in for the "Belly touch"!!!
"OOOH!" she coos.... "HOW'S THE BABY?!?" as she REACHES OVER TO PAT MY STOMACH!!!!
But then she stops.
Lil Sis swears I was not giving her the look of death. I cannot confirm that, since I was not looking in a mirror, but rather in horror at her approaching hand.
"Oh... Oh. Are you the kind that thinks it's weird to have strangers touching your belly?"
Um, Why yes, ma'am. And you are not? May I touch your belly?
"Well... I just wanted to touch the baby..." and she wanders away.
Hmmmm.
In order for her to touch the baby that is STILL IN MY WOMB she'd have to do some pretty amazing things. Don't-ya think?
(sigh)
Maybe I am irrational. Am I the only person who feels violated when strangers want to touch your pregnant belly??
Oooookay.
Back to my regularly scheduled hormonal breakdowns. Stay tuned. It's going to be a wild ride.
We've got three more weeks of this to go.
:P
*yes, ANUUAL. :( Not often enough, and about to get rarer...
10 comments:
There are so few women today having babies maybe there are a lot of women who are starved for that baby touch. There is something wonderful about the fullness of life in a pregnant belly, especially if the mom looks great :) Take it as a compliment.
They mean well, but I never liked it!
Eeew. Yah. You can admire with your eyes if you'd like, but don't touch! Not public property!!
The only time I didn't mind was when it was a 9 year-old girl with leukemia, whom I was trying to convince to get up out of bed and do some exercise with me. And even she asked if she could feel whether the baby was kicking.
On behalf of all belly-touchers, I humbly submit that we do it because
1. We stand in awe of the mystery of life;
2. We love babies, contained or otherwise;
3. We're crazy extroverts who consider everyone a friend-to-be.
It's a personality thing, 'Meg. I have never minded having my belly touched though I am trying--trying trying TRYING--to remember to ask before patting someone else's tummy.
I'm not a touchy feely person. There is NO WAY that I would go up to a stranger and touch their belly. Maybe I would to a good friend or my sister, but that is it.
It's a little strange to me.
I'm sure she had only the best intentions, but you're not alone in disliking the uninvited pregnant belly touch...I have heard SO many other women express the same sentiments you have.
To avoid the situation, one method I've found that works is to live way up north (MN works) and have the entire "showing" part of your pregnancy coincide almost exactly with the coldest winter months. This way, you will spend a considerable amount of time inside your cozy home nesting and keeping warm, and when you do venture out it will be underneath so many layers of clothing and topped with such a fluffy parka that no one will realize you're pregnant. The plus side is that very few people will just reach out and touch your pregnant belly. The downside is that the people at the store will not realize that there is no way you can lift a 40-lb dead weight sack of water softener salt into a vehicle by yourself in your pregnant state, and you will have to beg them to do it for you. Not that I would know.
The key word for me here is strangers.
Mags~ You're never a stranger.... ;P I would not mind a belly pat from you!
I just get freaked out when people I don't know want to touch/rub/pat a part of me. I know they are thinking it's the baby they are touching... but I feel it, not the baby.
Ugh.
Now I've absolutely convinced everyone of my irrationality.
:P
After ten pregnancies, I can tell you -- I hate it! And I don't like strangers touching my babies, either -- or putting their faces too close to them.It's not irrational -- it's a protective instinct. Can't be too careful...
LOL!! Never had the experience here, but I KNOW I wouldn't like someone touching my belly. You are kind though, I think I would have bit her head off. :)
Now that I am a born again catholic who realizes the value of life I would offer up the annoyance of complete strangers touching me and my baby belly and tell the toucher isn't God wonderful and isn't this new life so amazing and isn't it sad so many women donot relize this (the old me) and choose to kill their unborn child!!!! I would give anything to be able to have another baby together with a loving husband!!!!
Blessed Mother Teresa disliked having her picture taken so much that she asked the lord to release one soul from purgatory everytime her picture was taken!
Praying for a million blessings upon you
Theresa in Alberta
Post a Comment