Subjected to Office Awkwardness

nycgirlkat

So today's comment in the office at a gathering was, "oh look at your pooch, you are really starting to look pregnant". Then another person reached out to touch my belly and I almost broke her wrist. So now instead of touching my belly, she talks to it. It makes me so uncomfortable!!! And I feel like when people talk to me all they do is look at my stomach. Hello! My face is up here!!! Im probably overreacting, but the office attention I could do without. Anyone else getting weirded out or am I just an irrational kook???

avidkeo

I hate that!!! you manage to stop one weird behaviour just to get another one!!! I also managed to get the belly touching stopped, but now get the talking - I kinda just roll my eyes at the person because I would rather the talking than the other. 

Totally not overreacting - why does being pregnant make people think its OK to act totally weird around you!!!

Not sure you can do much about the looking at your stomach, I kinda just laugh now when I catch people checking me out, and I try to take it as a compliment - makes a bit of a difference from them looking at my chest!!!

The worst one for me is "oh how are you two doing?" for some reason that really grinds my gears!

CurlieWhirlie

OMG a woman in my office completely man-handled my belly today, it was SO AWKWARD. She then proceeded to tell me about how she and her husband are trying to get pregnant, so she wants some of my pregnancy-mojo, or something. We are talking two-handed rubbing all over the belly. I was too taken aback to do anything!

LittleLady77

I work with mostly dudes and they all treat me like a precious glass figurine.  It's kind of funny.

avidkeo

LittleLady77 said:

I work with mostly dudes and they all treat me like a precious glass figurine.  It's kind of funny.

I work with a bunch of nurses who do the same thing!!!! If I try to move a trolley or anything I normally do they tell me off!! Sometimes its good - I can avoid helping life very heavy pts which is not a fun job, but then I feel guilty for using pregnancy as an excuse to get out of stuff!

olenkapdx

This is one time when I am kind of glad I work with almost 100% socially-awkward guy computer programmers.  I even got shooed back to my cubicle by one of the IT people the other day, when I was trying to help put a bunch of laptops away after a training event we had. 

The only weird conversations have been with the couple of women on my floor, usually when we encounter each other in the restroom.

eireyes

@LittleLady77 OMG I work with a bunch of men too, and they're the same way!  One tried to tell me I should be taking it easy and using the elevator from floor to floor - that one made me laugh out loud in his face.  I couldn't decide if he was totally joking or only partly.  He's the same guy that thought I was due in July since I look so small! (I didn't have the heart to tell him it's partly my boobs fault for making my bump look tiny - they always stick out way further than anything!)

I just found out yesterday that someone else on my floor is pregnant - now our floor has been dubbed the "Fertile Floor" by some of the older men I work with, which frankly, made me laugh really hard - especially when an older woman commented she was staying away from the water fountains on this floor from now on!

LittleLady77

The boys made comments about me taking the elevator too.  I told them I'm supposed to be exercising a lot and now they ask me to walk with them every time they have to go to the other building.  Nice guys but they want me far away from their wives and girlfriends!  Apparently all guys think you catch pregnancy from water or close proximity )

Bun in the oven 2011

I have the opposite problem. Everyone at work kind of ignores my pregnancy. Every time I bring it up it feels awkward like im weird for making a comment about my pregnancy. Kind of upsets me a bit but I guess it's way better then having someone rub and talk to my belly! Lol.

MamaFantastic

the person i work with on a daily basis likes to step on my stomach, give it kisses, and lift up my shirt to investigate my stretch marks and lack of belly button.




he gets a pass, though, since he's 3 1/2 and he just wants to be close to his baby sister

LORIDYE

I work with mostly women, but since they haven't had children in a minimum of 16years they are so happy around me, no touching of the belly but are always trying to tell me how to prepare, what to eat, when I can & can't do things. Lol the funniest thing is I think this is the longest I've seen my manager so active, & In the Office the most amount of time since I started 3 years ago. The Dr I work for is the only one asking me things. He makes me feel better, we have casual conversation, followed with, oh btw you are doing great with the woman around here, they miss the baby days...then continues with the regular conversation. Funny man. He does however talk about my oldest more often & how she is handling the pregnancy, almost weird until I remember he never had the girl he wanted just boys, wise with experience I'm hoping.

chirico3

I get comments mainly from women. They comment on the fact that my belly is not showing, then, when I put their hands on it (it really doesn't bother me), they say "oh, yes! It's there!!! (Of course it is!)
And they comment on the fact that I snack on healthy food, like fruits and yogurt, then start telling when they were pregnant and only ate pasta and croissants. But by now I am used to that, and I quite like all the attention.

Rrrrrachel

I had to have a pointed conversation with my mom about not touching without asking. Seriously woman was pregnant five times, she should know better.

babym6705

I work at a school and it's 90% female coworkers which are super focused on my weight and remind me daily how big I am getting! It makes me want to TP them. However, the few men I work with aren't much better. I had a male coworker, twice my age, ask me about my birth plan and breast feeding. It was beyond uncomfortable. I also had a male coworker tell me his daughter is pregnant and that he is glad he is a man bc men get to enjoy making the baby but don't have to carry or birth the baby. I had no response.

TeachPeace

I teach middle school, so my work encounters are awkward even without my pregnancy being a topic. I've had several students ask to touch my belly and my response has always been "no, but thank you for asking." one boy reached out while I was talking to a class and touch my belly. I let him know that was pretty creepy. Yesterday, one of my classes was confused about the 9 months vs. 40 weeks thing, so I tried to clear that up when one boy brought up "how big the hole is" and I had to stop that discussion (as awkward as it was) to continue teaching systems of equations. They sure do keep me on my toes!

janice9821

My coworkers have kept their hands to themselves so far.  I do get asked a dozen times a day how I'm feeling, though.