Touching a pregnant woman’s belly will help her feel more connected to the baby inside. It is, however, one thing for the father or very close relatives and friends to do it — and even they should seek permission first. It’s another thing entirely when anyone you don’t know well or even a total stranger gropes the mother’s belly bump without asking. In such cases, some pregnant women feel deeply hurt and violated.
It infringes on their personal space.
To others, a pregnant woman’s belly can appear to be something other than a body part, like an exotic object that entices you to touch it. It is, however, still a part of that woman — a part of her body.
She probably wouldn’t let someone who wasn’t close to her touch her belly if she wasn’t pregnant, so there’s no need for her to start now. Some women also feel as if their bodies have become public property, with strangers thinking it’s acceptable to touch their bellies without asking first. However, it is abuse, just like any other unwelcome contact.
It can cause them to feel self-conscious.
When a woman becomes pregnant, all eyes are on her. Everyone needs to know how the mother is doing and how the pregnancy is progressing. However, many women do not want to be the centre of focus. And as they progress, some of them become more self-conscious about their weight and body image. As a result, touching their belly can be incredibly painful.
It could negatively affect their physical health.
When someone approaches a pregnant woman’s abdomen, they get really close to her and touch or kiss her baby bump with their bare hands. And, more often than not, this will occur in a public location. So it’s easy to imagine how many germs will end up on the mother.
And, in conditions such as the flu, pregnant women are more likely than non-pregnant women to experience serious symptoms and complications. So, if a woman refuses to let someone touch her abdomen, she is protecting both her own and her baby’s health.
During pregnancy, women may experience nausea, and rubbing their stomachs may make them feel much worse.
It could negatively affect their mental health.
Anxiety can be caused by hormonal changes during pregnancy. With all of the tension and worry that comes with being pregnant, having unknown people approach and touch them is the last thing women want. Such awkward circumstances, particularly if they’ve already had some sort of anxiety disorder prior to pregnancy — such as social anxiety, for example — may exacerbate the symptoms.
You probably won’t feel the baby kick anyway.
People who ask to touch a pregnant woman’s belly are most likely hoping to feel the baby kick. Babies, on the other hand, don’t kick too much, so there’s a slim chance you’ll hit the woman’s belly at the right time. And even if you do get lucky, you’ll be robbing the mother of her chance to bond with her child.
Has someone ever touched your baby bump without your permission? How did you respond to it? Is it appropriate to do so if you inquire first? Who would you let touch your tummy? Please leave your thoughts in the comments section!
Preview photo credit Mark Allen Johnson/Exclusivepix Media/EAST NEWS
