A little over a week ago, I asked fellow mothers how they handled the "You're so HUGE" comments that seem ubiquitous when one is pregnant. I was especially curious after I heard a comment a couple of weekends ago that was delivered with particular enthusiasm. (Someone thought I must be having triplets after learning my due date. That's right. We are not just stopping at twins anymore! Her eyes bulged in disbelief when I affirmed there was just one baby in there!). It would seem that many in the general population have no scruples at all about letting a gestating woman know just how truly shocking her proportions are. As to appropriate replies, I heard everything from owning it (as in, "Yep, I am huge. Isn't it wonderful?") to pointing out the obvious ("This is what happens when you're growing another human being").
When I was pregnant with Ewan and got a "You're so big" comment one day, I had the great pleasure of simply answering truthfully, "I just had an OB appointment yesterday and am measuring exactly on a track for a woman pregnant with one baby. This is how I'm supposed to look." Such moments are truly rare!
I decided to coalesce some of these answers into a single reply. Believe me, I don't expect this to change these comments one bit -- but writing it out was a little bit cathartic and a whole lot of fun anyway. Because let's be honest -- the world isn't going to stop making comments about the size of a pregnant belly any time soon. This is more my way of saying "Hey, just in case anyone is listening, here's a thought -- maybe it's not the best idea to tell a hormonal pregnant woman who didn't ask for your thoughts on the matter just how enormous you think she is. Please consider it."
And I will leave it at that. :o)
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| This picture was taken when I was 34 weeks pregnant with Ewan. |
