What is it about Pregnant Bellies?

The Pregnant Belly?

I ask the age old question…What is it about the pregnant belly? Why does it get so much attention? We all know that everyone loves to touch them. Even a lady at church that I’ve never met gave my belly a pat. Actually, it seems that the less I know someone, the more likely he or she will reach for the belly. At first I wasn’t quite sure what to think of this new invasion of personal space, but I don’t really notice anymore. Sometimes I actually look for someone’s hand to grab and place right over that spot where it feels like my little angel is turning my insides black and blue!

I, of course, can’t ignore the growing bulge in my middle - from the moment we saw the first bit of bump, I haven’t been able to keep my hands off of it! If I’m walking down the hall at work, I’ll often slide my arm under it and hold it almost like I’m cradling a baby. When the baby starts tumbling around my hand goes without thinking to the spot where he’s kicking – just so I can feel it from the outside. In moments of idle chatter or TV watching I feel my belly for funny lumps and wonder what that lump might be when I find one (a foot? an elbow? the butt? the head? ). I suppose that is a mothers right – but somehow it always struck me as odd to see how pregnant women never cease to touch their own bellies. A friend of mine seemed to have made such a habit of it that she was still rubbing her belly when the baby was 6 weeks old!

Fred can’t escape it either, these days – he kisses me hello or goodbye and rubs the belly as he does it. Sometimes he just rubs it or places his hand to feel the kicks. Even Miss Maddie can’t let us have all of the fun, except she is more likely to think that my growing belly is a great place to rest half of her body or prop her self up against when curling up on the couch. I guess I am just going to have to get used to my center being the center of attention until August – and then of course I’ll let our baby bean have all of that glory.