Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Preggo Primer

Have you ever wondered what you can or can't say or do to a pregnant woman? I've wondered that many times myself (before I was pregnant). But now that I've been preggo for 7 solid months, perhaps I can shed a little light on this. (Of course, this is just one woman's opinion, not to be seen as a representative sample by any means. The survey pool was 1!)

FAQ (that I used to wonder about)

Is it okay to touch a preggo's belly?
Yes, absolutely. I love when people feel my belly. My only complaint is they don't REALLY feel it. It's all very light touching, as if your belly is one large, fragile eggshell. Go ahead and give it a good push. It's really really hard! Like the washboard abs I never had. Oh the irony.

Is it okay for guys to touch a preggo's belly?
Yes, but only lightly.

What about strangers?
Hell to the no. Strangers should not touch, comment, discuss, stare, etc, unless said stranger is a sweet, older lady.

Do preggos ever get tired of talking about their pregnancy and impending motherhood?
Nope. It's a vast topic of fascination that never gets old. Even now, I find myself saying (to myself) everyday, "What the heck is going on? I can't believe I'm pregnant. What the?!"

Do preggo's get annoyed if I ask when their baby is due (or what the baby's gender will be) for the 5th time?
Nope. I don't expect people to remember little details like that. I frankly don't even know what week I'm in! Unless you are a very very close person (and really, I just mean the spouse), you are allowed to forget and repeatedly ask about any baby-related thing.

Do preggo's get annoyed by unsolicited advice?
Not at all. I love unsolicited advice. How else are you suppose to find out about stuff that you're completely clueless about (which, in my case, is everything because I'm not a voracious baby-book reader and I've never been around babies).

What is a preggo feeling during the pregnancy period?
Let me break this down by tri-mesters:

First trimester--excitement, exhaustion, nausea, and fear of a miscarriage.

Second trimester--excitement, excitement, excitement.

Third trimester--excitement and terror, because your life is about to change drastically and giving birth is commonly agreed to be the most painful experience a person can endure.

And fat, you feel really really fat. You are super-grateful for any encouraging words your friends may say about your (fat) appearance.

6 comments:

Portia said...

This is great. And I'm TOTALLY with you.

By the way, one of my favorite preggo moments involves you, actually. In the bathroom one day when I was like 7 months pregnant you asked me (very tentatively) if I was expecting. I almost laughed. :) But we hadn't seen each other in a while, and so I guess it was a valid question. :) Cracked me up though. And made me feel like maybe I didn't look *that* pregnant!

Alice in Wonderland said...

Lol! You can see how tongue-tied I was around that whole uncharted territory, ha ha. I'm still amazed that you pulled off pregnancy, finals, and bar exams simultaneously!

Peggy E. said...

Thanks for the insight! As a former preggo, I probably would have answered most of the questions differently. I hated telling people over and over how far along I was, if I was having a boy or a girl, if I thought of any names, etc. etc. etc.

Brenda Jung said...

Congratulations, Christina!!! I identify with so many of your answers. I can't wait to read the post, "New Mommy Primer" :)

Alaberi said...

hehehe was a great post. I'm a little freaked out by the "give it a little push!" encouragement: I'd be so afraid of incurring brain damage to the baby or something...

Alice in Wonderland said...

Thanks ladies! I'd be interested in knowing how you guys felt during the nine month haul. And especially about what happens NEXT! I feel like I'm about to fall off a cliff, aaaah.

@Alaberi--You're so funny. You're just like Michael who is afraid to hug me because he doesn't want to "break the baby's arms" in case they're extended, ha ha ha. But really, it's very hard, like a rubber tire!