The Things People Will Say to a Big Belly

In the past week I’ve had some humorous discussions about my ever growing belly.  I had forgotten the funny things kids will do and say to a women with a big belly.  I was teaching 3 rd grade when I was pregnant with my son and my students were a never ending source of comical observations on my pregnant belly.

But, my own children are quite used to pregnancy.  They get it more than most.  I realized the other day that for my son I have been pregnant 27 months of his life… that means that for over 2 of his 6 yrs he’s lived with a pregnant momma.  (poor guy I know)!

Last week I was one of the parent volunteers at my son’s tutorial.  An adorable 4 yr old girl asked me why by belly was so big.  I told her it was because I had a baby in there.  She then asked, “Did you eat the baby?”

The girls in the kindergarten class seemed unable to keep their hands off of my belly.  Every time they saw me, they’d come over and rub it and say, “Your baby must be SO BIG!” 

My own daughter was commenting on the baby this week.  She is convinced the only way to talk to the baby is through my belly button (so she always lifts my shirt when she wants to talk to or sing to the baby).  When looking at my belly button the other day my 2 yr old said, “I hope the baby doesn’t get lost in the hole!”

On Saturday when Scott and I were delivering lunches with our church to the homeless in Baltimore,  my belly provided an ice breaker of sorts for starting conversations.  Sometimes I have a hard time knowing how to strike up a conversation when we’re there but many asked about my baby, what we were having, what names we were thinking of, it was a wonderful conversation piece.   When I told a few of them we were going to be surprised as to what we were having, one man replied, “Yea, I wouldn’t get one of those sonograms…the babies don’t like it.”  I told him we had a sonogram just didn’t find out what the sex of the baby was.  He commented on how the babies are always screwing their faces in weird positions probably b/c they don’t like the sonogram waves going through them.  I am never one to argue so I just kinda smiled and nodded.  He then said, “How would you like to have those waves go through you?”  I started to say something like, I guess I wouldn’t, when both of us realized the humor in his statement.  He laughed and said, "I guess you would know since it would have gone through you too.”  We then laughed and the conversation was over.

I’ve got approximately 5 weeks left to go in my pregnancy.  And  I seem to have reached that stage where people feel I am so big, I must be ready to pop any second, and thus the comments begin.  People start assuming that the time is “any day now” and when I reply that I have 5 weeks to go, they kinda stop short.  I then say something like, “yup, just gonna get bigger from here.”  The comments truly don’t bother me.  In fact, I think it is quite comical to watch people put their feet in their mouths and then try to get em out. 

When I was pregnant with my daughter I had someone tell me she was sure I was having a girl.  When I asked why she said “because people always have big butts when they are carrying girls.”

Hmmm…. thanks….

When I was carrying my son, I was often asked if I was having twins. 

Again I really don’t mind the comments, I just think it is so funny that people feel so comfortable walking up to a stranger and telling her she looks big.  I am a “keep to yourself kinda girl.”  Not one for small talk and never one to initiate conversations with strangers if I don’t have to.    So I find it so baffling when strangers feel comfortable coming up and sharing their thoughts with me. 

Am I alone in this or have any of you had some funny comments come your way when preggo?