Okay, I don't know if I'm just being selfish or if I have the right to feel this way, but it's really bothering me. My mom and mil are constantly asking about my belly and wanting to see and touch it. I am not comfortable with this. I know it's not like they are strangers or something, but I just can't accept it. I guess I am just a private person and am only comfortable with DH seeing/touching it. My DH thinks I'm being kind of selfish, but I get so upset about it sometimes, that I could cry. Does anyone else feel this way? I don't know how to tell my mom and mil because I don't want to hurt their feelings.

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Selfish? It's your belly I think that would get old for me as well. Maybe you should ask to see their belly next time they ask to see yours. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours!"

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Amy
Mom to Helen (4yrs)
It's a Boy! Due 6/20/08

Stand your ground and tell them you're not comfortable with them looking at your expanding waist line.

I don't know how you can get around the touching part. Maybe you can just tell them that you need your space right now.

In a nutshell ask them to respect your wishes and hope they don't get offended by it.

If my dh was telling me to "suck it up" I'd remind him who's preggo and also that he should be defending your wishes no matter how outrageous they seem. You guys are a team and he needs to play defense for you!!!!

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Ahh the joys of having a pg belly. Just wait til the baby gets here as strangers want to touch and see the new one.

Im weird and actually don't mind it. But the touching of the baby, nope. Only the people I know.

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Rachel
Proud Mother of 2 Boys and a Girl
Isaac David - February 2004
Carson Eli - January 2006
Kianna Rachelle - May 2008





***Just Add Baby ACD***

***Host of Baby Dust Grads***

Rachel, that's pretty funny...I even have issues with family touching my new baby!!

Sheri, if it really makes you uncomfortable, tell them. Maybe when you get bigger (3rd trimester) you won't have such a problem with it? I know that I'm extremely self concious and would die if someone asked me to pull up my shirt! My mom would even ask last pregnancy if she could touch because she knows what an issue it is for me! Sorry for the ramble...I do think that you would be better off telling them the truth than bearing it and being upset later. Good luck!

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Jeannette
wife to Jerry 09-10-04
Mommy to:
Dean 2-23-07
and
Jeigh 06-06-08

I agree- if you aren't comfortable with it, just kindly say, "I'm not comfortable with showing my stomach or having people touch it". I think people don't mean anything by it- they are probably very excited by your pregnancy- I think it is a woman thing...maybe they want to remember how fun it was to feel the baby when they were pregnant and now they know someone who is experiencing the joy of the body changes, the pregnancy etc. It doesn't mean that it's ok to touch- especially if you feel uncomfortable. You should say something- it IS your body.

I am totally not uncomfortable with it. I guess after the first baby you kind of just don't think about it. I like showing it off because pregnancy is such a beautiful thing to me.

Someone on this board had a website under her sig- about the cafepress website and some of the t-shirts on it are HILARIOUS! You should get one that says- I'll show you my belly if you show me yours- or something. I think there was one about touching it too.

My faves were- "my husband took me on vacation and all I got was (arrow pointing to your pregnant belly)." LOL THAT almost happened! I got pregnant a few days after we got back from vacation. HAHAHA Another was "If my breastfeeding makes you uncomfortable, feel free to put a blanket over your head". The other was If my breastfeeding makes you uncomfortable, feel free to go sit in the bathroom". (I actually did that with my first! UGH Would YOU eat in a bathroom? LOL) After my first baby- I didn't nurse in the bathroom anymore! The other one I LOVED was "The baby wants cake!" because it is a personal story in our family-

When Breylan was born, and my sister brought the older boys in to meet him, Aidan was 2.5 then (which is B's age now!) and there was a little cake on our table from the hospital. Aidan said- "Maybe the BABY wants some cake" - LOL It was SOOOOO cute. I even put that in my scrapbook because I wanted to remember the boys' reactions to meeting their new brother!

Those shirts on cafepress are adorable. I might get one...they are a little bit expensive but really cute. I liked the one that said "does this shirt make me look pregnant?" LOL

Didn't mean to hijack but your post reminded me of those funny shirts- and I went off tangentially.

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Francine mom to 3 awesome boys~Keiran 2/18/01 Aidan 11/14/02 (water birth)Breylan 5/02/05(water birth)
and and Hunter Grayce~born 6/7/2008 7 lbs 6 oz, a fabulous water birth
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Blinkie Maker
The day you deliver, outside will be warm. Your baby will arrive in the evening.After a labor lasting approximately 5 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 8 pounds, 15 ounces, and will be 17-1/2 inches long. This child will have blue eyes and dark hair.

Are they asking you to lift your shirt? If so, I can totally understand that making you uncomfortable, especially as early as it is. Once the belly is completely rounded out - closer to 7 or 8 months - you come to expect people to want to touch to see if they can feel baby moving. But now, it's a little strange to me for someone to ask, especially if they are wanting you to lift your shirt. The only person that even looks closely at mine is DH and that's understandable.

I would just use the line someone else suggested, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" if you aren't comfortable with just sitting down with them and telling them politely that you really aren't comfortable with that at this stage. Maybe when you're further along you will be - not necessarily the lifting of the shirt, but pulling your shirt tight against your belly for them to see/touch.

Hope you find something that works for you and that they are understanding if you do choose to ask them to "cut it out" until later on.

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I am sorry you are in this position. I would say something. my girlfriends want to touch my belly all of the time and even though I am a super touchy feely affectionate person I am not 100% comfortabl with it. Its your special belly and if it feels uncomfortable that is your right. After all it is your body and just because you are hosting a wonderous little miracle inside does not gove other free reign to touch it as they please.

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