Seriously?

[sarcastibich]

Why is it that because I'm pregnant people suddenly are interested in--and feel they must ask me about--my health and physical well-being? This thing growing inside me means you suddenly care where you never did before? They aren't asking to be invasive or rude, and I'm not angry about it...I'm just confuzzled. Then again, I realize I have done

Comments

[_last_serenade_]

i think people assume that when you're pregnant, you have some sudden mystical connection to and awareness of your body, which normal people couldn't possibly have.

also, since it's not a condition men can experience, there's probably some general curiosity about what it *feels* like. i know i have that curiosity. it seems strange to think about a living human growing inside you...

and yeah, i don't understand the random touching of pregnant bellies...wtf makes people think that because you're preggers, they can violate your personal boundaries?!? i generally don't even ask unless i'm pretty close to the person (my cousin, my good friend jess, i'd probably be ok asking you, etc.) and would be ok touching them in another friendly capacity anyway.

all in all: non pregnant people + pregnant people = weird assumptions. i don't get it.

in any case, i'm really glad to hear you're doing well and that is AWESOME about the heartbeat. i'll say it again: i'm so excited for you guys. <3

[gollumgollum]

I never felt my niece kick when my sister was pregnant with her because so many of my family members were always touching her (and my mom--with her permission, but still--would sit there with her head on my sister's stomach for long minutes at a time). I just didn't even want to ask, because if i were her, i'd be ready to pop the next person who did. There are all sorts of ways in which our society/culture views a pregnant woman's body as ours to comment/judge/police (god help you if you have a glass of wine in public while pregnant), and it drives me nuts.

(My mom also hectored a cousin on facebook until she sent her pictures of her baby bump, which i found to be really fucking obnoxious. I don't even.)

Good luck to you, and i think you should just carry around a flyswatter and whack people who try to touch you.

[solestria]

Captain Awkward recently did a big post on this sort of thing, and how to deal with it, which is here in case you're interested.

Good luck. I would NOT deal well with that sort of personal space and boundary violation. I can only imagine how invasive that must feel.

[sarcastibich]

OMG that was great. Thank you! I shared it with a couple other ladies I know who are pregnant.

[sapphohestia]

I've been bad about keeping on top of LJ, so this is the first I'd heard. But . . . congrats! I've been into sewing baby stuff lately for all my friends who are having little ones. I'd love to sew you some stuff. Let me know if you're more into batman, avengers, other avengers, wonder woman/super girl/ bat girl, froggies, bear heads, or kites.