I’m not fat….

“I’m big boned!” (One of my favorite Eric Cartman lines on South Park.) Seriously, though, in the beginning of pregnancy, it’s hard not to feel fat, and also hard not to wonder if people who don’t know you are expecting think to themselves, “Poor thing, she is really letting herself go!” I know it’s shallow to think such things, especially in light of the miracle that is happening within my body, but a woman’s changing body shape takes some getting used to. Up until a few days ago, I didn’t notice any problems bending over to pick something up from the ground. Yesterday, when I was picking up something I had dropped, I became aware of my new “bump”, which made it a little more difficult to bend down. Thankfully I can still see my toes, but I know there will be a day when I won’t be able to. I also experienced my first episode of acid reflux when I was finishing a 3 mile walk around the neighborhood lake, and let’s just say: it was not pretty. I have a new appreciation for people who suffer from GERD on a regular basis,  and promise I will stop making fun of Nexium commercials. I get it. Acid reflux is real.

I’m always surprised at how many people want to touch a woman’s stomach when she is pregnant. How perfect strangers seem to think it’s ok to place their hand on your belly. Um, no, that’s not cool! I can understand a person’s curiosity at wanting to see how you look pregnant, especially if they are family members or friends who live far away. I have no problem showing them pictures of myself…fully clothed. I totally support women who want to “bare it all” during pregnancy, but I can say with authority that I am not one of those persons. So you will never see bare “belly shots” on my blog, on my Facebook page, or anywhere else on the Internets, or in real life.

Call me modest, but I’ve never been one to seek out additional attention, and in a time in my life when it’s hard to avoid attention, I prefer to have it drawn to me under my terms.