Looking Pregnant

The one good thing about Babies R Us is the fact that if you’re curious if someone is pregnant, the odds increase significantly that she is… since she’s in there shopping for baby stuff.

Most of us are terrified of ever saying anything to anyone about being pregnant. You just can never be too sure and what if… just WHAT IF she isn’t?! Then you’re stuck being the jerk for implying the gal had a big ol’ belly.

But when you are pregnant, you go around thinking ‘I wish I looked a little more pregnant… I just look heavy.’ You can see people looking at your bulging middle and you know they’re wondering, but everyone is too afraid to say anything. So they give a meek smile and walk on.

It wasn’t until I was about 7 ½ months that a stranger said anything to me. Even now at 8 ½ months I’ve only had two random people say anything to me. The first happened as I was pulling into a parking lot. The attendant said he’d give me the closer spot since he didn’t want me “walking too far” and he patted his belly. I was taken aback, and delighted and surprised that he’d say that. I mean, I was sitting in my car – ‘Surely I can’t look THAT pregnant?’ (See? We pregos are impossible to please.) Actually, I was really happy that I actually looked pregnant. I’d always heard that people are nicer to you when they see you’re pregnant, but up until then – I hadn’t experienced it.

Just a week or so ago I walked down to get the mail and Ginger trotted off towards my neighbor’s open garage (she LOVES garages… oddly enough). He lives a ways down the street and we don’t talk a lot, mostly wave. He and his wife were outside and he asked when the ‘little one’ was due and he gestured towards my belly. His wife looked at him a little horrified waiting for the scary moment. I smiled and told them in 3 weeks (his wife seemed quite relieved!)

So here we are… I don’t know what the answer is. I know that I NEVER ask a woman about being pregnant – EVER!!! I remember a substitute teacher in high school who absolutely looked 8 months along. Guess what? She wasn’t pregnant – she just gained all her weight out front like a basketball. I learned then that you can never be too sure. So then I ask you, how tacky is it to wear a shirt that says “Pregnant. Not fat.” Or just “Pregnant” or “Baby Bulge” It sure would help some of us out!