I finally experienced the awkwardness...

Kohler2009

...of a STRANGER touching my belly!  I was at a wedding reception over the weekend and as I was washing my hands in the bathroom another guest came in and started asking me about my pregnancy and then she dropped the bomb and asked if she could touch my belly.  It was so weird and I felt cornered, but I was like sure, thinking she would just touch it and go on her merry way.  Well, little did I know that instead of just touching my belly she was going to feel it in different spots.  Uugh it was SOOOOO weird!!!  Now I know what you all mean when you talk about this!  I guess I'm part of the club now :-)

mb1210

Welcome to the club!

[Deleted User]

At least she asked first!!

LovesMM

#1 At least she asked first.

#2 At least it was a woman

#3 At least you had a visible bump (I'm only guessing that you do)

 

I had a guy who I didn't know reach over when I was only 16 weeks with no bump at all. 

Kohler2009

LovesMM:

#1 At least she asked first.

#2 At least it was a woman

#3 At least you had a visible bump (I'm only guessing that you do)

 

I had a guy who I didn't know reach over when I was only 16 weeks with no bump at all. 

Good points...but, it was still weird.  Although, not as weird as what you went through I'm sure!!!

 

LovesMM

Kohler2009:

LovesMM:

#1 At least she asked first.

#2 At least it was a woman

#3 At least you had a visible bump (I'm only guessing that you do)

 

I had a guy who I didn't know reach over when I was only 16 weeks with no bump at all. 

Good points...but, it was still weird.  Although, not as weird as what you went through I'm sure!!!

 

I think anyone beyond immediate family rubbing the belly is weird. The ONLY exception would be if I went up to someone and said, "Feel." (I would NEVER ever do that) 

bosha711

kgorman:

At least she asked first!!

this!

I had my first stranger belly rub this weekend, too - at a bridal shower. She just reached over without warning & gave it a good rubbin'!

KateySue

I think my small town is extra-feely! It seems like everybody these days wants to get a feel, a rub, a whatever. I'm usually able to deter them with a stern stink eye as they reach for the belly, but some just don't get it - or choose not to get it. There is one man at my church who oh-my-goodness drives me bonkers! I do my best to avoid him, run the opposite direction, hide behind DH but somehow the fella always finds me. He's super quick - before I can give him the stink eye, or yell "NO!", he's got BOTH hands rubbing all over me like a fine piece of meat and he says things like, "ooohhhh baby" and "goooood baby". DH is always in the background, dying of laughter...really, in retrospect, it is pretty funny. Creepy, but funny.

Here's my thing - if I showed up one day with breast implants, it would be noticeable because I'm a tiny woman but I cannot name one person who would stop me at the pastry shop or in the hallway at church to rub all over my new "bumps" so why on earth do they find it acceptable and appropriate to rub all over my belly? Oh well - I'd rather them get their rub-a-dub-dubbing out of their systems now because come cold season, they won't be allowed to touch baby boy. 

bubbles231211

LovesMM:

#1 At least she asked first.

#2 At least it was a woman

#3 At least you had a visible bump (I'm only guessing that you do)

 

I had a guy who I didn't know reach over when I was only 16 weeks with no bump at all. 

Agreed and very true!

I also want to add that friends can make it an awkward experience also!  At work the other night two of my friends were grabbing my belly, and yelling at him to move so they could feel him kick.  I think this scared my LO b/c he didnt move for them.  It also scared me, and it was just so lovely to have our patrons walking by me and this crazy fiasco going on towards my belly.