September 2015 Moms

People touching your belly

I am going to start this because I bet it has already started happening. Have people (family, friends, co-workers, strangers) started rubbing your belly? Do they ask first? Do you offer?

First time around I couldn't stand for anyone to touch my belly. Once I was in an elevator and every person there rubbed my belly. The first lady said it was good luck, and everyone else followed suit. I think it was only 3 ladies but being enclosed in a small space it felt like twenty! I was soooo freaked out! I told myself if anyone tried to rub my belly again without asking I was going to say "no thank you" in a loud, clear voice.

Fast forward to now and I am the crazy lady who if someone is standing close to me talking, I will grab their hand and put it on my belly. I promise you that it is pregnancy brain/hormones. I am a huggy person but never in a million years would have guessed I would do that. Lol!

I was recently at a cousin's wedding and when my dad was driving me back to the hotel to take a quick nap, he was like, "well that's different." Lol, I must have put like 10 different family members hands on my belly. I really love the reactions I get, and hearing they were wanting to but not sure how to ask. Still I feel like I have lost my mind a bit!

How have you been handling it? Do you enjoy it? Hate it?

Re: People touching your belly

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  • The only people that have touched or rubbed my belly other than my husband are my best friend, my mom, and my sister in law. They don't ask but I don't mind. I'm close to all of them and I know they are excited. :)
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  • Your elevator situation would make me feel SO weird and uncomfortable. Not many people have touched my belly but I don't honestly like it that much, I'm not a touchy feely person. My poor mom keeps trying to touch it to get the baby to kick and he never does, but if a non family member does it he always kicks! I think I'm more okay with my belly being touched, but I hate when they rub it
  • I am an office manager/ technician at a vet clinic.... Some of my regular clients have felt it necessary to touch..... Freaks me out.... First off, while I am wearing my scrubs, I still don't look pregnant. Second, my baby is very low and so placing a hand at the TOP of my abdomen is pointless and awkward.... Get your paws off me!!!
  • Not yet. My bump is just starting to be noticeable, but unless I'm wearing a fitted shirt I don't look pregnant yet, so a lot of people don't even know.

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    BabyFruit Ticker
  • WDDCHWDDCH member
    edited June 2015
    No one touches me without permission. I would physically swat their hand. Touch me, I touch you. And ya won't like it!

    So far I haven't had to do that. I don't think I appear to be an approachable person so it hasn't been an issue.
    Pregnancy Ticker
  • Some random person in an elevator the other day touched my bump and I was so shocked I just didn't even know what to do. I don't mind friends, family, or close co workers touching the bump with or without asking but I draw the line at random strangers, next one that does is getting their belly touched...let's see how appropriate it is then.
  • I don't mind family or SO's family touching my belly. I think it's sweet that they like to rub it and say hello to the baby. It is still a little weird to me, simply because I'm not much of a touchy person. I haven't had any strangers touch me (yet!) lol and I'm okay with that because I'm not gonna lie, that's a little creepy.
  • I love the idea of touching a stranger's belly back, but not sure I could manage the courage to do it. I should clarify that I would never (never!) put a stanger's hand on me. Eww. So far so good with the strangers leaving me alone. I think I am still going with a firm, "no thank you" if anyone tries. What is up with the elevator touching? Aren't we all supposed to look at the numbers and ignore each other?
  • Just my mom does it and she gets right down there and talks to it. I don't like it and usually roll my eyes or huff at her lol. I think she'd stop if I asked her too.
  • I have a Co worker who practically molest s my belly. I was aware from previous pregnant coworkers this was what was in store for me. Then she started to shake my belly if he didn't move I put my foot down with that. She then started to scratch my belly like an animal and I stopped that because one she's hitting my sensitive belly button and I'm severely ticklish. Only one other coworker touches belly once in a while rest of them ask. I work as an xray tech and two of my patients tried to touch my belly and I unconsciously moved my hands to protect my belly. My mother gets down to belly and has whole conversations with my belly which is weird but cute!
  • I don't mind friends and family doing it, but I get skeeved out when strangers try. Also, I have one friend that annoys me and I wish she'd stop touching me all the damned time, but she never gets my hints.
  • Strangers are a NOOOO NO. I seriously might go off if some random stranger touched my pregnant belly. That's CREEPY & completely out of line.

    Friends and family are welcome though :D .
  • We were at a wedding tonight and a drunk friend of the groom walks up to me and puts his hand on my stomach and says "when is the little soccer player due? Wait, you are pregnant, right?" I was awkward but I wasn't offended and thought it was funny.
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  • It doesn't bother me much, as long as they aren't putting pressure it doesn't make me uncomfortable. To me it is just a reminder of how exciting and miraculous the whole process truly is. People will forever be fascinated with pregnant women's bellies... I think it's cute as long as done respectfully :)
  • I have 2 coworkers that love to rub my belly and talk to the baby. I'm not totally comfortable with it but I know they mean well. Strangers haven't really tried thank goodness.
  • My mom has the last few times after she says "wow, you've really popped out" today I finally said "ok mom, stop!" I love my mom but I like my personal space. My husband touches my belly on occasion, but she's as much his daughter as mine.
  • Ugh just had my first belly rubber yesterday. A resident who mostly lives out of town that I haven't seen in months went STRAIGHT FOR THE BELLY when she came in. I was so shocked that I pushed my arm down on hers to swat it away and then she actually said "oh, maybe I shouldn't have done that" WHILE she was pulling me in for a hug. This woman and I have seriously never even shaken hands before! Usually I have the desk between me and the residents but I was picking something up on my day off so I didn't have my barrier lol. I'm a very physically affectionate person with animals and my boyfriend, but no one else. It creeps me out. My mom doesn't even try to touch my belly.
  • Yipes, I am glad you stood up for yourself! It is so strange, right, that she would want to pat/rub your belly when you don't hug or shake hands? People should definitely ask before touching you, but a good rule of thumb would be: Would I hug this person?
  • The only people to touch my belly so far are my husband and my brothers... I'm a big girl so I still don't look pregnant at 27 weeks. I don't like to be touched by strangers anyway but I'm pretty jealous of you ladies. I want people to know and acknowledge that I'm growing a little human in there... I've started to round out a little recent,y but still my tummy doesn't stick out really. I feel like if you measured my waist it would basically be the same as before I was pregnant. Sigh :/ oh well soon enough I'll be huge and waddling :)!
  • I have never had a complete stranger touch my belly so I can't be completely sure how I would react to that, I can say though that I have had several family, friends and church members touch my belly and I don't mind it at all. I am generally a "huggy" type person anyways so that may be why. Also I LOVE touching baby bellies of other pregnant ladies (I just love baby bellies) so I guess I understand why other people want to touch my belly :-p However, I don't think there is anything wrong with not wanting to be touched if that is something you aren't comfortable with!
  • I love it when family or friends want to feel my belly, I despise it when strangers try though.  I am flattered that my family is as excited about the baby as I am, so it makes me happy when they ask to touch it.  I feel like a lot of women are afraid to ask to touch it because so many women hate it.  
  • MiromiMMiromiM member
    edited June 2015
    The only people who have touched my belly, outside DH and my doctor, were my high school students (odd? yes, but even they knew to ask first). No one else has asked or even tried. Not my friends, family, coworkers, or strangers. I don't typically stand/sit close enough for anyone to easily touch any part of me I don't want them to. I'm not a touchy person.
    *Siggy Warning*

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  • I don't mind people touching my belly, IF I know them. If I don't know them, keep your hands off.
  • kjs08kjs08 member
    Just my parents, in laws, sister and BIL, and husband. Unfortunately, she's been super stubborn and moves for no one except me so my family members have been anxiously awaiting a kick. She doesn't move for my hubby either, but both our cat and puppy have felt her (neither had no idea where it came from, which was really funny to watch them both freak a bit). 
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • It doesn't bother me. I'm a pretty touchy feely person anyway so it doesn't make me uncomfortable. No one has asked if they can though, they just do it.
  • I haven't had strangers do it yet because I'm only just starting to look obviously pregnant to people who don't know me, so I don't know how I will feel if that starts happening, but when people I know do it it doesn't bother me. I think it's sweet, they want to connect with this little one. (S)he is already loved! Super cool!
  • I ran into an old coworker tonight. He describes himself as a hippie and totally fits the part. Well he put his hand on my belly and kept it for an awkward amount of time! It was so uncomfortable for me lol my husband just looked at my smiling cause he could tell how awkward it was, but honestly I've had more men touch my belly then women it seems! So odd
  • That's really odd for someone to touch your belly and just leave their hand there!
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