You probably know someone pregnant or will know someone pregnant close to you in the future. Here are some words of advice from one pregnant lady. (here I go again with my lists)
1. It is not ok to touch a pregnant lady's belly without her permission. The bump isn't a free ticket to handsiness. (I think I just made that word up) Unless you are her husband, best friend, very closely related (we're talking immediate family) or 90 years old, you shouldn't assume you can touch her growing belly, unless you would be ok with her patting your own belly back. (I've been tempted to do this many times)
2. Never use the words fat, huge, quite a belly, bigger and bigger, or anything that implies the size of a house. That's just rude. The only one allowed to refer to the belly in any of those terms is the carrier of the belly. Also, never ask a pregnant lady how much weight she's gained unless she brings it up.
When pregnant with Jaden I had a lady tell me "you're just getting fatter and fatter every week!" Not the most flattering compliment in the world.
3. On a related note, it is not necessary to remind her of how huge she is getting everytime you see her. An appropriate and nice way of saying this would be to add the words "cute", "adorable", "tiny", "little", "sweet", and anything else that says "I notice your belly" in a nice way.
Again with Jaden, a relative of mine always likes to mention that my belly is "really sticking out there!" and insists on sharing with people how much weight I've gained. Not cool.
4. Offer to help when you can. Something as simple as carrying in the groceries can go a long way. (not a hit on Stephen. He always helps carry them in when he's home and it's helpful.)
5. Women's feet swell when they are pregnant. If you are a husband offer a foot rub if she's been on her feet all day.
P.S. This photo is NOT a current photo. It is me at 39 weeks pregnant with Jaden. More from the pregnancy files to come at a later date.
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