So, during the first few months of this pregnancy, I started
to show pretty early, and my coworkers could not get enough of telling me how
big I was, how I was getting bigger all the time, and how big my baby was going
to be.
I got really tired
of it- not because I felt insulted that they thought I was “fat,” but because the
comments had no point. And how was I supposed to respond to the 14th
“big” comment that week?
-Yes, I was getting bigger, but guess what? Pregnant women
get bigger. Have you forgotten your pregnancies?
-Yes, my belly is sort of big right now, but the ultrasound
puts him right on target for size, so- No, I don’t think he’s going to be a Giant
Baby™.
Anyway, right about the time when I would have lost it, my
weight gain evened out, and my coworkers stopped making it a regular
conversation topic.
Until this week.
I’m not sure if there’s been a surge in growth, or if it’s
the clothes I’m wearing, or if my coworkers are just starting to pay attention
again, but the comments (and pointing and laughing) have resumed. Only now,
they like to do impressions of me, holding their arms in a large circle (to
represent my belly), walking (or waddling) straight-legged, like some kind of
zombie (which, I must point out, is not how I walk at all. I still have my
dignity), showing how my belly comes through the doorway long before the rest
of me.
This afternoon, amazed, I said, “You
guys are lucky I'm not one of those pregnant ladies that gets really upset and
offended by people saying how big they are."
“Oh, no! I think it's beautiful!"
(Haha, yeah, I’m sure that’s what you
were thinking doing the zombie walk)
And I said, "Well, that doesn't
matter to a lot of pregnant ladies. They still don't like it, you know? They
already feel big and cumbersome, and don’t want to know other people see them
that way, too."
“We only say it because you know us,
and we know you."
(Which
would be a valid point, if it were true)
I said, "…No, i think you would
say that to anybody," since i know they can't hold their tongues very
well, and don’t have much of a filter.
And one of them said, "No! I just
saw Adrienne (another pregnant lady)
today, and I didn't say anything!"
...
And I said, "…Weeell, that's because you think Adrienne is tiny..."
"Yeah, but I didn't tell her how tiny
she was!!"
…
Yeeeaaah… I’m not sure you get the
point.
haha ridiculous. so sorry. i was never stuck in a room for 8 hours with the same people. they seem to be a special group.
ReplyDeleteI wont mention it at all when I see you
ReplyDeleteI had a coworker who was fascinated by my pregnancy in a very scientific way. (I worked with scientists and science educators, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.) Every day she would watch me walk in, stand up herself, and then circle me while staring at my belly. I never even felt like she was watching me; it was more like she was trying to see through me to see the fetus. She would ask very clinical questions and I swear she had a mental clipboard with her "findings" from my responses. She would tilt her head and stare at my belly during meetings.
ReplyDeleteSadly, now that she's pregnant, she lives in Davis and I live in Florida. Yikes, I shouldn't mention names. You may know her. You probably know her. You work at the same place (but it's a big campus) and are due at the same time. Well, if you do know her, please stare at her belly for a few minutes just for me.
Me during my first pregnancy, "haha, yeah, I'm pretty big". Second pregnancy: (accompanied by an evil glare) yeah, I wouldn't mention that again, especially if you don't want me to throw up on you and then punch you in the face." Third pregnancy: Do YOU REALLY THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO TELL A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN VOMITING, SWELLING, NOT SLEEPING, AND MOSTLY MISERABLE HOW IMPROBABLY LARGE SHE IS?". I was sort of joking the other day with a friend when I said that I'm in a bad mood for nine months. She nodded her head and said, "yeah, you kind of are."
ReplyDeleteOh Claire. I'm glad your dad made fun of you so much. Or you'd never be able to handle this kind of mistreatment.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it that commenting makes people feel involved somehow? And who wouldn't want to be involved with pregnant Claire? Really really cheerful pregnant Claire?
ReplyDelete