Just need to rant…

[SecretSloth99]

I am so sick and tired of every conversation being about my pregnancy. “How are you feeling, you have such a neat bump, gosh your bump is small, boy or girl, are you finding out, is your bump getting bigger, send us a bump picture, do you have any bump pictures, how’s the sickness, how are your feet”.

and of either constantly being touched or people asking if they can touch me?!

I saw my mum today, first time since I was at 16 weeks and the first thing she did, before she EVEN SAID HELLO TO ME was squeal and launch towards me with both hands to touch my bump. After multiple conversations with her over the phone about how sick I am of people just talking to me about pregnancy or trying to touch me without consent.

I’ve had a really rough time with this pregnancy, haven’t been able to do a single thing I enjoyed, a very stressful job and I feel like I have no personality or individuality anymore.

And now I’m getting worked up about worrying about what people are going to be like when the baby arrives if this is what pregnancy is like, what are they going to be like when the baby is actually here?!

anyone else feeling like this?! Or am I being overly sensitive?

I felt very intruded upon when I was pregnant. I think partly because I never felt comfortable with being seen as feminine or motherly. I hated that everyone felt entitled to comment on my body and I couldn’t fk anything about it.

I had the opposite with my first pregnancy as it was in 2020 with covid.
I was sent home from work in the march and never went back as quit at the end of my maternity, no colleagues or friends ever saw me with a bump, only two family members did but certainly not close enough to touch my bump. No baby shower or meet the baby etc, I was locked down for 5 months of the pregnancy and would have loved for someone to gush over the bump a little....as it was it felt like 'out of sight, out of mind', it was barely mentioned.

A part of me still feels like I missed out on the whole 'pregnancy experience'.

Oh, and my now husband was stuck in a different country through all of this so never saw the bump, never felt a kick, missed the birth, met his daughter at just under 8 weeks old.....I also had 3 separate hospital stays where I was completely alone and not allowed visitors. It was a really lonely time.

I'm pregnant again now and can't wait for people to see 'pregnant me' and make a bit of a fuss this time 🤣

Funny how we're all different.

That's sounds really tough. I hope this time round things are a bit nicer for you.

The touching of the bump is invasive and weird...but people asking questions is just them being kind. If you don't want to talk about being pregnant, then you're going to have to tell them that, as most people would want to talk about it and would probably feel offended if people didn't ask them any details about their pregnancy

I was 28 weeks pregnant when covid hit and had ds at 34 weeks but didn't find anyone too touchy feels before that. I'm a bit stand offish though. I'm 32 weeks pregnant now and only 1 or 2 people I'm close to have touched my belly with my say so. I had a loss at 20 weeks last year so people have asked how I am. Some people havent until I brought it up as they are unsure. Everyone has been respectful though. The squealing and touching in your case would get to me and I'd say something

You are not alone, I find it annoying as well. Not so much with people I haven't seen for a while but I have this at work! I had to tell a colleague a couple of weeks ago to stop touching my stomach because she was doing it every day and it was getting right on my nerves.

Completely with you on this! My ILs have been talking amongst each other and keep saying "DippyDuck has an issue with people touching her bump!" Like I'm abnormal. No it's just about consent. I have no issues if people just ask! It started from when FIL kept touching my belly at 6 weeks pregnant - I asked DP to have a word. I had no bump at that point and felt it was extremely inappropriate for FIL to approach me to grab my belly! It's clearly upset him and it's snowballed from there!

That is seriously weird I'm with you on this. If my FIL kept touching my stomach especially when I didn't have a bump it would make me feel sick 🤣

I don’t mind people asking how I’m feeling etc, commenting on my bump or asking general questions like are you going to find out the sex etc, even if it’s a bit annoying occasionally I’m just polite back. People are just making conversation and I think would assume you are happy and excited and want to talk about it.

I can understand why you might not like people talking about bump size, and touching your bump. I have to say no one has touched my bump other than my husband in both pregnancies so I just haven’t encountered it but I would find it really weird.

I do think general questions are just people being nice/trying to seem interested. If they just ignored the fact you’re pregnant they might appear rude x