Hands Off My Belly!
Submitted by
Kristine Kisky
I'm pregnant for the fourth time. Every time—including this one—I've felt like I had a sign on my belly reading, "FEEL ME UP."
I get groped by grandmas in grocery stores and manhandled in parking lots. Sure, these strangers beam as they fondle me like a midwife in training, but it's still downright disturbing to me.
I'm down with that whole miracle-of-pregnancy thing. Fine. But that doesn't give Jane or John Q. Public the right to cop a feel. They're not touching the baby, they're touching ME. (By the way, if the baby kicks during your full-frontal assault, did you ever stop to think it's probably from the jolt of "stranger danger" adrenaline? Or that maybe the baby's saying, "Get your paws off my mom"?)
No doubt some would suggest a "Just say no!" approach to gropers, but it's not that simple. There's no stopping some of them—they're like heat-seeking missiles homing in on my belly.
Look, I'm sure there are a few pregnant women out there who don't mind the hands-on attention. But for the rest of us I say, we appreciate the smiles, the well wishes and even the pregnancy and parenting advice, but please-oh-please-oh-please, keep your hands to yourself!
Submit!
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