People touching bump!

[Weezie85]

I really hate people touching me, I really don't like hugs and things like that and get very uncomfortable about it. Even now I feel awkward hugging parents and PIL.
Have no problem with midwife touching me as it is her job. Just not a touchy feely person.
Since getting a bump people seem to think it is now acceptable to just reach out and feel the bump. I mean really.
Has this been happening to anyone else? Does anyone else feel really uncomfortable with it? If so what have you done to stop people doing it. Most of the people are folks I work with, one was someone I had talked to once over email about work related matters only. Nothing else, never met them and they just put their horrible grubby mitt on my bump. They didn't even know if I was pregnant and could see I was horrified, so they actually asked 'you are expecting right?'
Sorry, just had to rant and see if anyone else felt the same.

I forgot when I fell pregnant with DC2 that people think you are public property and I hate it. My sister was the first person to touch my stomach when I was only about 6 weeks gone! I told her to get off as she was essentially just prodding my overhang from my last child! When people at my son's nursery found out at around 13 weeks I actually had one mum who I speak to in passing pull my jacket apart and try to lift my jumper so she could see my belly!! I think I will definitely be investing in one of those t-shirts, I am only 16 + 4 but already look around 6 months pregnant.

littlemissnormal should get onto Dragon's Den with t-shirt tazer.

I had a two work colleagues that patted my 'bump' when I told them of my pregnancy. Biology wasn't their strong point; they were nowhere near the foetus.

I hated having my bump touched. I had terrible morning sickness and it made me queasy when people rubbed my belly. . MiL just would not listen and in the end I grabbed her hand and told her that I'd only just stopped vomiting and that being sick could not be good for the baby. We later had a less fraught chat about it. I said if medical staff ask permission then every one else could at least give me a heads up.

I may not have felt this way second time around.

People should ask first

I was looking at this earlier thinking 'I am so fed up of this' but my MIL just took it over the edge!

She came over to DP brother's

MIL: 'I want to touch my GD'

(She's still inside me :S) so I decided enough is enough and said 'I don't want people touching me please'.

MIL: She's my GD I want to'.

Me: 'No, please don't, it makes me feel sick' (I'm really not a touchy feeling person and she knows why)

She then pokes her tounge out at me and then kisses my stomach!!!! :O

WTF????!!!! Not impressed and so ticked off, she has done my wick in all this pregnancy and is so overbearing, she is going to tip me over the edge!

Do what i do, tell people your not even pregnant. The look on peoples face is priceless. :D

Glad its not just me! I thought I was being a bit mad when one of my colleagues did it and I wasn't happy at all.

I'm 34 weeks and nobody has ever tried to touch my bump :( I have to force my bf to touch it when the baby is moving because he's used to not feeling anything.

It is weird, I don't go round rubbing people's stomachs.

I think it is just an extension of a more general sense of women being viewed as public property though, hence 'smile love, it might never happen' and other such comments, as if we're supposed to be performing for others all the time.

It hasn't happened to me much, I'm not very touchy feely and most friends and family realise that or aren't either. One female friend asked and I said yes, it's the assumption without asking that irks. One did arrive at our house and pat the bump on entering but he's our most tactless friend anyway, so not a big surprise!

I was just ranting talking about this to dp the other day. I'm 6 months gone and just started to get a noticeable bump and am puzzled to why people think it's ok just to randomly rub my belly. I find work colleagues the worst culprits tbh. I know people are happy and excited for me but eww please stop touching me!! 2 of my fellow colleagues are also pregnant and I would never dream of touching there bump without being invited to do so.

I'm with u here op, I can't stand the random lunge! I'm more calm with close friends/family but only if they ask. I also pointed out to them that IF they ask first, i'll put their hand in the right place to get a little kick and that seemed a fair compromise! As far as others go, I had a good death stare prepared at all times! Still can't stand anyone but DH rubbing it-my bump has been small all along and rubbing is just way too close to, Erm, 'other areas'!

Nobody has tried to touch my bump yet, I wish they would! it would be rather nice

Some of your replies have made me giggle today. :)
I second the dragon's den idea. I personally think there is an untapped market here. Haha.
I avoided one today, but they actually had the curtesey to ask if they could touch. First one to ask, so far I have had 5 people touch and get the death stare since reaching about 25 weeks when bump started to show. I am almost 30 weeks. It is all people at work as well. I just don't get it.

aaarrgh, happened again in work today!!! Why!!!

I don't give a flying fuck whether it's intended in some kind of fuzzy spirit of pregnancy excitement, it's inappropriate

THIS!

I'm not showing yet, but I'm already horrified at the prospect of random strangers feeling me up (tbh, family is fine). I just know I'm going to flip if/when it happens (I can already feel a "Excuse me, do I know you? No. So why do you think it's ok to touch me in personal places?" welling up inside me)

When I was 6 mths pg with DD, we attended a family wedding. My SIL was there too. She came up to me and was chatting about the pregnancy - no problem. All of a sudden, she started to poke my stomach, really bloody hard! I asked her to stop and what the hell was she doing etc. She told me that it was her niece or nephew in there so she had a right to do it. I poked her stomach bloody hard in return and told her that I retaliate in this way if she ever did it again. She walked off bleating on about 'her rights'. Apparently, I had no right to not be hurt, bruised, in pain, mauled etc.

I love what you did to your SIL theressomethingaboutmarie!

This is a real bug bear for me and one that I've thought about for a little while. I may wear a long scarf and hope it deters people's gazes as it will distract away from the bump. Mine has just popped out (18+4) and am wearing big jumpers for now but when it gets to summer, and I've bought a few lovely maternity clothes that seem to accentuate it, I might be showing it off more than I would want to. I read some time ago on a similar post that one MNetter grabbed someone's boob when they reached for her bump - and the look of the grabbers face was of complete amazement! I would love to do that!

I might otherwise have to resort to wearing a sari, I was told by a Sri Lankan friend that the dress is meant to be designed to protect a woman's dignity and most probably her sanity! Also the bump is so special to you and your partner, that I find anyone trying to touch it, quite an intrusion. I really hope that people respect this.