Belly Rub

I can’t find the appropriate picture for this blog so here’s me in a kilt for no reason.

Yesterday in the city I saw something that got me thinking. This one’s for the ladies: does it bother you if/when a stranger rubs your belly when you’re pregnant? I was on a patio having a coffee, and by coffee I mean beer, and by beer, I mean vodka-cranberry. Anyways I saw this go down. There was a bunch of people waiting for a bus and from what I can make out, it looked like 2 people talking (I didn’t get the sense they knew each other) and a lady rubbed a pregnant lady’s belly. It also didn’t appear to bother the lady with child, but it got me thinking, is this normal?

I asked my wife if it happened to her whilst she was pregnant with our monkeys, and she said it had. I guess it’s not like every person who walks past you in the mall or at the butcher shop rubs your belly like it’s a genie lamp but I guess it does happen from time to time.

I’m really torn about this topic, unless some crazy medical advancements happen where men can “eat for two”, there’s a pretty good chance no one will rub my belly. I’m also torn because I’m typically a pretty touchy feely guy, I’ve got lawyer bills to prove it. I mean, if a stranger or even an acquaintance rubs your belly while pregnant, I’m sure it’s because they are generally interested in that little bun in the oven. I mean no one rubs a guy’s big ole beer paunch right after he eats 3 pounds of wings and washed it down with blue cheese right? Thinking back to what I witnessed, I’m guessing the one lady (without child) was asking the other lady (with child) questions like, what are you having? Is this your first? Do you have a name picked out? Which, when you think about it is really none of their business either. Never mind the whole rubbing belly part. But once again, I’m guessing they have the best of intentions because people love babies right? Maybe it just comes down to that, people love babies and they want to be connected to them even before it’s born. Also thinking back to that bus stop rubbing, I think that I’m nosey….I guess my last name Parker is pretty fitting.

I can tell you this, as a bald man, I’ve had strangers rub my head. 99.9% of the time it doesn’t bother me (remember I’m kinda touch feely myself) but maybe like a pregnant belly, a bald head invites itself to be rubbed? Who knows? I’m guessing this has been going on for centuries.

Oh, I just thought of something else, can you imagine how much a pregnant lady with a shaved head would get rubbed on? I wonder what that’s like. Sinead O’Connor, if you read this, what it’s like? In fact I’d love to hear from you, did strangers rub your belly whilst pregnant and how did you feel about it?