My biggest pet peeve when I was pregnant was when people touched my belly.
I have never been the type of person that allowed people to touch me without some kind of invitation, even if implied, so I was baffled when I discovered that the world saw my belly as community property.
It actually enraged me and I wanted it to stop immediately.
I’m definitely not alone in this thinking. “Dear Sugar” describes the touching of a pregnant woman’s belly as a taboo subject.
She’s even running survey to find out how other people feel about this topic. Most of the respondents said “it depends on who it is and if they ask first.” The next most popular response was “Don’t. I am already feeling fat enough as it is, I don’t need other people feeling my pooch.”
Is It Okay Or Not?
So, is touching a pregnant person’s belly rude or not?
Some expectant mothers say it doesn’t bother them to have their belly touched when they’re pregnant.
I am 7-1/2 months pregnant and I guess I’m the odd person here but it doesn’t bother me at all to have people rub my belly. I tried for almost 5 years and had 2 miscarriages before I got pregnant with this baby so to me, it’s a blessing to be carrying this baby and for people to want to feel the baby is exciting to me. I feel like people just want to share in my excitement. With that being said, I also haven’t had a lot of “total strangers” rub my belly (I have had some). Source
How To Stop People From Touching Your Pregnant Belly
Even when I was angry and put off by the others’ need to touch me for their own pleasure and curiosity, I manged to stop the behavior with a bit of good humor.
Here are some of the things I did:
- When someone touched my belly, I would also reach out and touch theirs. I remember touching a few women’s chests as well. (That really got the point across!)
- I asked for money when they touched my stomach. Saying, “That will be $5 please” with an outstretched palm usually made them back away.
- I distinctly remember growling a few times. In the same way a dog would growl if someone got too close to his bone, I would emit a low “grrrrrrr” if someone’s hand got too close to my belly. The funny thing is they would recoil their hand and then try again! A second and louder growl usually made them stop.
- Of course, there were times when I was not in good humor and just yelled, “Don’t touch me!”
Need some more ideas? The pregnancy message boards are loaded with ways to stop people from touching your pregnant belly. For example, some suggest a quick warning. Others suggest threatening violence.
T-Shirts: Don’t Touch My Belly!
One popular suggestion among pregnant mothers who don’t want others to touch their bellies is to wear t-shirts that warn others against touching.
Here are some fun maternity t-shirts worth considering:
“Yes, I’m pregnant. No you can’t touch my belly.”
And my personal favorite is a maternity shirt from Mollyanna that’s inscribed with this:
Maternity Wardrobe $2,408
Nursery Furniture $,1317
Touching My Belly $5
Some things money cannot buy.
For everything else, you need card hard cash.
I know I’m not alone, because these shirts would not exist if there were not enough pregnant mothers who were purchasing them!
RELATED:
- Do Strangers Really Touch Your Pregnant Belly?
- Pregnancy Dilemmas: Touching The Belly
- Touching My Pregnant Belly Is 100% Off Limits!
- Do You Mind When Strangers Touch Your Belly?
- How Come Everyone Has To Touch You?
- Poll: Do You Like Your Belly Touched By Anyone?
- How To Discourage Strangers Who Want To Touch Your Belly
- Pregnant Belly Rubbers: Right Or Wrong?
- Who Owns The Pregnant Belly? Is It Wrong To Touch It?
I have been a certified tightwad since I became pregnant with my first child and decided to find a way to stay home with him. I enjoy sharing my experiences in my journey back to financial health and planning for a future — which will include sending 2 kids to college and early retirement.
