As I near the end of my pregnancy journey (38 weeks this week) I reflect upon how much my pregnancy has become other peoples’ business; whether I know them, am related to them, see them around the neighbourhood, or have never met them in my life. I was very aware of the fact that many people may touch my stomach (without seeking permission), so I was prepared for that, but when I became pregnant, I became susceptible to viewpoints, touching, advice, and judgments far beyond my expectations.

All of a sudden I have my Nan asking me whether I have good shaped nipples for breast-feeding (in front of my Pop); I have a woman in the dog park telling me the baby hasn’t dropped yet or I’ve carried very low throughout the pregnancy; I have my husbands’ aunty telling me my pregnant belly is far more obvious than another family members’ (and here I thought because we were many centimetres apart in height and many kilograms apart in weight it was normal that we would differ in this regard); I have been bailed up in toilets at a St Kilda restaurant by a total stranger who felt it was her business to ask me every question under the sun about my pregnancy and my child (and this was while I had a look of complete and utter disbelief on my face which she clearly did not see); I have been asked whether I was planning on breast-feeding by a real estate agent selling the property next door; and to take the cake, I was trying to leave a good friends’ wedding the other week and was stopped by a woman who I have never met in my life (she gave birth six months ago) who felt it was her business to ask inappropriate questions about my pregnancy AND without me asking or even giving her an appropriate opportunity to bring it up, tell me ALL about her labour (from start to finish).

Now, I’m no prude, and I am certainly open to any information that could be helpful throughout the pregnancy, but there are certain details I’d like to keep to myself, and certain visions I would prefer not to have during conversations with people I wouldn’t be conversing with except for the fact I am pregnant.

Pregnancy is to be celebrated and enjoyed, but is it too much to ask to celebrate and enjoy it without feeling like I’m being advertised on a billboard in Times Square, NY?

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