July 2009 Weddings
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Pregnancy Question
No, I'm not pregnant, lol... we're not even "active" so no worries there. I was just curious for those who are and/or have been pregnant... what is your opinion on when people touch your pregnant belly. Is it "cute" and "sweet" or kind of creepy and "ew, get away from my body." I mean, I assume it definitely depends on who it is but comment on different "levels" of your circles... like close family, distant family, close friends, church people, random people, etc...? I'm not sure how I'd feel but generally I dont put my hand on anyone's pregnant belly unless I'm super close to them like my best friend or something. I always wonder how they feel.
Re: Pregnancy Question
It's only happened to me once so far and it was my dad at 6 weeks. It was totally odd though he meant well. I almost said to him, "Dad! The kids the size of a seed! You are not touching the baby. You are touching the cheeseburger I had for lunch!"
My thought is you only touch if you are invited. That being said, I've never touched anyone's pregnant belly.
No one had really touched my belly much before our trip to FL a couple weeks ago, except DH and my SIL did back in April when we went to visit, but not even my MIL crossed that line, not that I would have minded. In FL it was a different story. Every one of my family members put their hands on the belly, my mom, BFF, and my aunt all wanted to listen to the belly and see if they could hear anything, so they put their ears up to it too. Everyone at my baby shower touched, but I really didn't care, they were all people I was fine with touching, family and close friends. The weirdest was at my HS reunion, some people I knew, but definitely wasn't close with felt the need to rub the Buddha belly. Just kind of odd. So far no strangers have invaded the space, we'll see if I can get through the next 5-9 weeks without an unwanted attack.
I am not a touchy person. At all. So for me, it's creepy. I'm even kind of freaked out when my mom does it. DH touches it whenever, but I also feel comfortable telling him to back off when I've had enough. I don't like (any) people in my personal space- it makes me nervous and antsy. If people (I know) ask, usually, (not always), I'll let them have a quick pat. If someone does it without warning though, I feel bombarded and usually back away and stand further from them. People that know me well enough generally know that I'm like this and don't bother, and I generally prefer it that way. I probably come off as b!tchy, and I totally don't mean to, it's just something I'm kind of weird about. (Not only when pregnant, but all the time.)
The only time I've ever touched a pregnant belly was when my childhood BFF was pregnant earlier this year, (about 7 months), and I was pregnant too. She asked me if I wanted to feel the baby move, and put my hand on her stomach.
I am not a great example of the nice, glowing pregnant lady. Haha
I know I'm in the minority, but it didn't really bother me when people touched my belly. No one really inappropriate (i.e., stranger in the store) did though so I can't really speak to that situation.
I had a few male co-workers and my FIL touch my belly and while it was a bit odd to have that type of physical interaction with them, it didn't bother me per say. For women even less so.
Same for me. I didn't mind it one bit, except when my Aunt had too much to drink and kissed my belly when I was only like 2 months along and obviously not showing.
I will say though, I always ask before touching someone else's belly. I am a very touchy feely person, and my friends and family on both sides are the same way, so it's not weird to me. But I recognize not everyone feels that way so if it's someone that I'm not sure if they are comfortable with it then I always ask.
Ha ha! My dad did that to my sister when she told the family at 7 or 8 weeks. It was a little weird at that point since her belly only had a little pop to it.
That being said, I never feel the need to touch a pregnant woman's belly. I think I only touched my sister's a couple times to feel when the babies are moving. I don't know that I'd feel comfortable with too many people coming up to touch my belly some day. I am with jchasm in that I generally don't like people touching me and invading my personal space. It would be okay though if I was teaching and my little kids wanted to touch it and say hi to baby. My sister said her preschoolers were pretty interested in the growing belly (even if they didn't fully understand since some are special needs) and liked to touch her belly and talk to the baby.
I'm still not showing at all. DH rubs my belly and will put his ear up to it which I think is the cutest thing ever. My sister in law is the only other one that has touched my belly yet. It really caught me off guard but I didn't care at all. I just had no idea she was going to do it and there isn't anything showing yet lol. But I love her to pieces and didnt mind a bit. I think I won't mind when family and CLOSE friends do it.
What I'm most worried about is work. And not even my coworkers as much as my buyers. I get some STRAAAANGE people in the office sometimes and I know someone will end up doing it. What sucks is I will still have to sell them lol.
I'm also not looking forward to the buyers I do sell to getting to comfortable and touching me.
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#1-BFP 08-22-09 ~ M/C 08-31-09 at 5 weeks 6 days
#2-BFP 08-6-11 ~ Due 04/18 ~ born via c-section April 22, 2012
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I agree with all of this.
People touch my belly relatively often and so far it hasn't bothered me. Some ask, others don't. I haven't had a complete stranger try to touch my belly though, just mainly co-workers and family. Now, if it was a complete stranger, I would be weirded out.
The only aggravating part is my Mom touching my belly and claiming she felt him kick before I had even felt him kick. She now knows that she hasn't felt him kick. But she tries to touch my belly very lightly and expects to feel something. You have to press in in order to feel him move so far.
Lance's family is very touchy feely and my friends tend to be too, so my belly gets fondled a lot. I don't mind it either, especially with this pregnancy because for a while it seemed like the family wasn't as excited about this baby as they were for Wyatt.
The weirdest experience I've had with someone touching my belly was a really old woman when we went to our prenatal classes. She sat down next to me in the cafeteria there and told me to take good care of my baby because she would have to leave the world to make room for him, all the while holding onto my belly... it was really creepy, I think she may have had dementia or something.
I had more hands on my belly than I could ever hope to count! But I was teaching 5th graders and working at the daycare center. I went yard sailing with my BFF and I was having braxton hicks, she said she didnt think she had them with her 1st so I let her feel how hard my belly was. Apparently that excited a lady whose youngest granddaughter was 7... she did ask before she rubbed my belly. While I didn't mind it was kind of strange.
Just the other day I had a little girl (3) lift the bottom edge of my shirt then look at me very confused and say, 'wheres the baby?' I used to sit in the 2 year old room and let them feel D roll around in my belly.