(Warning: pregnancy discussed in this post. Click away if you don't want to read about that right now.)
I have reached a point in my pregnancy where I feel like a bit of a spectacle. Any time I am in a public place, people inevitably stare at The Belly (which, at the rate it is growing, may need its own zip code soon). Even people I work with, who see me nearly every day, seem to be unable to resist the urge to check it out. A few have asked to touch it, too, and I have allowed them to do so. (I don't mind people touching The Belly as long as they ask first.)
I don't mind the attention--I think it's natural and probably happens to most women--but it is a little strange. I'm an average-looking gal who's spent most of her life overweight, so I'm not really accustomed to strangers scoping me out.
It's funny to me, too, how people like to comment on the size of The Belly. For weeks and weeks, the comments were along the lines of "You're really not very big for twins." Now they are more along the lines of "Wow, you're getting huge!" (Although most people are careful to add "You're not gaining weight anywhere else, just your belly.")
Last week, I was riding the elevator in my building when a woman I didn't know asked when I was due. When I said February, she looked shocked and disbelieving. . . . until I added "It's twins." Then she got an "Oh, that explains it" look on her face. LOL
Yesterday a coworker told me "It seems like you get bigger every time I see you!" And honestly, I could not disagree with her. She and I see one another about every other day, and the size of The Belly does seem to increase almost daily.
Even MM regularly uses the words "big" and "huge" to describe The Belly and exclaims over its growth. He views these comments as compliments and does seem to be genuinely excited that I'm now very obviously pregnant.
In a way, I guess this is good preparation for when our babies arrive. In the twin parenting books I've read, it's mentioned that going out in public with twins usually draws a lot of attention from strangers. So my feeling like a bit of a spectacle likely won't end with the birth of our boys.
Thank you so much for your comment on my blog...although it scared me! I am thrilled for you and honestly, if I could have had twin boys the first time around, it would have been my wish! I didn't have the huge double-pregnant belly, but what I found amazing was how inconsiderate people were toward a pregnant woman. For example, with my obviously large pregnant belly, people wouldn't hold a door for me. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations and I look forward to following your journey!
I'm starting to get comments about how big the belly is now and now that makes me happy but I can see how it would get old. Also I dont like when people assume I'm way farther along than I am, even though its illogical it makes me feel fat (dumb I know.)
ReplyDeleteWow, S. That sounds...different. I can't imagine getting all of that attention but your right, it is preparing you for what is to come. Getting bigger= healthy babies! Good work, mama.
ReplyDeleteYup! You will get TONS of attention and comments with twin babies in tow. You'll hear a lot of the same stuff over and over. Now, at 17 months, I still get tons of comments, so don't worry about not getting attention for at least a few years!
ReplyDeleteMy brother and sister in law have triplets in their family (her brother and SIL), and you should have SEEN the spectacle that was her belly. The triplets are 4 now, and the neighborhood paper does an article on them every year for the 4th of July. They are so cute that everywhere they go the cause a stir :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree with sunflowerchilde ... you get tons of comments. Mostly, though, it was from other parents of twins ... who were kind enough to to stop and tell me, "The first year is the hardest ... hang in there !!".
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how much those comments meant to me and without exception each one gave me some kind of good tip. It was like I had suddendly joined an exclusive club.
Congrats on the milestone ... it's an important one!!