| User | Comment |
|---|
LindaH    | | posted 19-Mar-2007 10:20pm |
No. I've been pregnant 3 times, and I have never had a stranger do this to me. I've heard people complain about people doing that to them. It's not customary. I think it's just something that a small percentage of the population seem to think is okay. |
| ausfox | | posted 19-Mar-2007 11:35pm |
I don't know about 'customary' but it is definitely common. I didn't have it happen to me a lot when I was pregnant, but a lot of my friends have complained about it |
| llamamama | | posted 20-Mar-2007 12:27am |
I have no idea. I'm not usually pregnant nor do I happen to hang around people that are.
|
lily333  | | posted 20-Mar-2007 12:30am |
I don't think it 's customary but some people do it. It's pretty bold though. |
| RGirl | | posted 20-Mar-2007 1:06am |
I guess I could say it is customary but not for luck. My experience has been that many people think it is acceptable to just reach out and touch a strangers belly. I personally think it is rude and would never think of doing such a thing. I have heard about the luck thing though. |
| cabinfever | | posted 20-Mar-2007 1:13am |
As far as I know, this isn't 'customary' in American culture. But some people are nosy and can't resist... my sister used to get people walking up to her and touching her belly... and it really annoyed the hell out of her. She got to the point that she would catch their hands in hers before they got to her belly and she'd tell them not to touch her. When I was pregnant, I never had this problem... maybe I looked too much like a dog!  |
| Biggles | | posted 20-Mar-2007 1:50am |
I wouldn't say customary - and I don't think that many people would approach someone completely randomly. But I have heard of pregnant ladies being talked to by old women on the bus, who then proceed to touch their bellies. We are not very touchy-feely in England, so outside of a hospital/care setting, this is one of the few times you may be touched by a stranger.
On a sidenote, it's something I found very strange when I started working in nursing - I have to touch people all the time. Touching someone intimately (helping someone to wash down-below for example) is actually easier than the less intimate touching because it is acknowledged as unusual to be doing that. But for me to put my arm around a middle-aged person who is distressed, or even to hold someone's hand, goes beyond what is normal in this culture. I'm used to it now, and often catch myself touching a lot more than might be considered appropriate in England (not in an inappropriate way!!! Patting someone's arm for example...) |
| Amanda | | posted 20-Mar-2007 2:43am |
I wouldn't say it's customary, but there are some people that do this. It annoyed the hell out of me when I was pregnant. What makes someone think I want them to put their hands on me? |
| docgbrown | | posted 20-Mar-2007 3:36am |
Other; while it is not customary in my 'culture' (California-Nevada) but it is not uncommon for friends, relatives and old people to (normally asking permission first); to briefly hold their hand on the belly, hoping to feel the child moving. It has nothing to do for luck. It’s just really neat to feel the unborn miracle as it still develops. |
| Cleto | | posted 20-Mar-2007 3:42am |
No, this is not customary in my culture. |
| Cain | | posted 20-Mar-2007 7:55am |
I wouldn't describe it as a custom, but a lot of complete strangers did come up to me when Iwas pregnant and at some point during our conversation they would find an excuse to touch my belly. I hated it - I don't like being touched at the best of times, never mind when I'm heavily pregnant. |
| blondie20 | | posted 20-Mar-2007 8:00am |
No. |
bill  | | posted 20-Mar-2007 8:32am |
I'm going to go with "yes", though I really don't know. But, I've seen it and I may have even done it myself. When I see a pregnant belly, I have the urge to touch it. Not for luck or anything sick, but just to kind of experience the joy and wonder of it and to show the mother that I'm excited for her, or something like that. But, I almost never act on this urge. |
jettles  | | posted 20-Mar-2007 8:38am |
no it's not customary but to have friends who have been pregnant tell it, people just wander up all the time and think they are allowed to touch you. |
| Enheduanna | | posted 20-Mar-2007 9:48am |
I don't think it's "customary" although I have had pregnant friends say that people they have never met before, after having only a brief conversation with them, will rub their bellies. But it's not like people are just reaching out and rubbing as they pass them walking down the street, without saying a word. |
| Iseult | | posted 20-Mar-2007 11:13am |
I REALLY hope it's not. I'd be scared of anyone touching my stomach when pregnant, especially strangers. What if their hands are extremely dirty or they rub too hard. |
| kitti723 | | posted 20-Mar-2007 12:11pm |
I wouldn't say that I think it is customary but I would say it is common. I personally find it to be rude & only would I ask to touch the woman's pregnant belly if I knew her well & wish to feel her baby. I also think it is rude to approach a strangers child and touch them as people often do with new babies. I think one should ask the parent before touching the child. |
| gazelda1 | | posted 20-Mar-2007 2:14pm |
it happens..but women are getting better at telling people not to |
| mandy | | posted 20-Mar-2007 2:21pm |
It happened to me all the time when I was pregnant but I was flattered...it seemed like a unique blessing of sorts. I felt people were celebrating the miracle of the child growing in me. It was always done in a loving kind way. |
| Jody | | posted 20-Mar-2007 3:02pm |
I've heard of this happening but I suspect it's a big surprise to the pregnant women and they would probably have some concerns about random people touching them. |
| Luke777 | | posted 20-Mar-2007 3:09pm |
People did all the time when my ex wife was pregnant. Pissed Jenna off like crazy. |
| southernyankee | | posted 20-Mar-2007 3:51pm |
no not really.
I am sure that its not uncommon for some people do it without realizing that its rude but I wouldn't call it customary. If I had a pregnant girlfriend or wife or if I had been a woman, a pregnant one; I would probably confront the person and ask them "what the hell do you think you're doing?" |
| CCsHottieMami | | posted 20-Mar-2007 4:14pm |
I do not think so |
| cerealkiller | | posted 20-Mar-2007 6:25pm |
Yuck. Pregnant women are gross. |
| RGirl | | (reply to Biggles) posted 21-Mar-2007 12:11am |
Aw, that stinks! I did a lot of hand holding and arms around patients. Of course, it was usually easy to figure out who would welcome this and who wouldn't but most did. Maybe it was that it was oncology? |
| RGirl |
I'm surprised we don't here more of this in the news - "A pregnant woman in her ninth month ripped off the arm of a complete stranger today..." |
| Zang | | (reply to RGirl) posted 21-Mar-2007 2:46am |
> I'm surprised we don't here more of this in the
> news - "A pregnant woman in her ninth month ripped
> off the arm of a complete stranger today..."
|
| Zang | | posted 21-Mar-2007 2:55am |
Interesting how the comments don't seem to jibe with the results. The vast majority (19 No/5 Yes) say it isn't customary and yet most of the comments seem to imply that it happens all the time.
I only heard about this very recently and I must say that I was shocked! I couldn't imagine that happening here. Motherhood is considered to be almost sacred. I think you would be safer touching some random stranger's genital area. One person told me that this is customary in the rural United States and that people do it "for luck". I wasn't sure if I should believe them or not. |
| Zang | | (reply to Biggles) posted 21-Mar-2007 2:58am |
> We are not very
> touchy-feely in England
That's an understatement! |
gambler  | | posted 21-Mar-2007 12:40pm |
Not customary.....but it happens, normally a conversation is initiated first.......... I normally put my head against the tummy and make "heartbeat" noises |
| Biggles | | (reply to RGirl) posted 21-Mar-2007 5:01pm |
Hospitals are different - my point was that the way I am required to behave in a hospital environment is contrary to normal British behaviour outside of that setting. |
| Biggles | | (reply to Zang) posted 21-Mar-2007 5:02pm |
> |> We are not very
> |> touchy-feely in England
>
> That's an understatement!
We are also somewhat known for our reverse-hyperbole 
|
| RGirl | | (reply to Biggles) posted 21-Mar-2007 9:03pm |
I know what you were saying. From what I understand it is even worse in places like Japan where any show of emotion is taboo. That was a while ago. I don't know if it is still true but they told us about it in nursing school. |
| Zang | | (reply to Biggles) posted 21-Mar-2007 9:12pm |
I've retained quite a bit of that myself. For example, I'll walk into work during a torrential downpour, completely drenched to the skin and say nonchalantly "It's a bit moist out there today."  |
| cabinfever | | (reply to RGirl) posted 22-Mar-2007 4:55am |
Pennyann wrote:
> I'm surprised we don't here more of this in the
> news - "A pregnant woman in her ninth month ripped
> off the arm of a complete stranger today..."
"..... and beat her ass with it, screaming the whole time, 'It's my body and my baby, dog!' "
I just remembered I saw a 'Dear Abby' about this once. One pregnant woman whose belly would get rubbed on a nearly daily basis started doing it back to the people that did it to her. Can you imagine doing that to a fat woman? |
| they | | posted 22-Mar-2007 8:39am |
Yes. This is rude.
I also had a lady come up once and grab my daughter from my arms. She was the manager at the restaurant I was in..... I know she meant well, it just wasn't right. |
| they | | posted 22-Mar-2007 8:43am |
I always have the urge to just run up and press my hands against that amazing fullness.
I control myself though. |
| Biggles | | (reply to Zang) posted 23-Mar-2007 7:28am |
|
| Cleo | | posted 23-Mar-2007 11:36am |
I think the thing is ..... that if you rub the BUDDAH'S tummy you got good luck. Not a womens tummy.
I would NOT like it if a common strange came up to me & rubbed my tummy!! Family & friends okay but NOT strangers! |
| Wackadoo | | posted 23-Mar-2007 12:54pm |
No, it's not a custom. But I know people have done it. I don't understand how being pregnant makes it okay for some stranger to touch the belly. Because if the person wasn't pregnant, there's no way they would allow a perfect stranger to touch their belly. Well, unless it were a prostitute or something like that. |
| JessicaWoman99 | | posted 23-Mar-2007 6:42pm |
What customary are you kidding me leave my belly alone |
| mve17 | | posted 24-Mar-2007 6:04pm |
That's open to lots of mistaking big bellies for pregnant ones. A bit like 'When's the baby due?' and there is no baby.. |
| Gomezy3k | | posted 25-Mar-2007 9:49am |
Only if they want to get punched out by the preggo... At least the pregnant women I have known were like that... Kind of does make you want to rub it for good luck like you would a Buddha...although if they were lucky they wouldn't have gotten knocked up.... |
| JessicaWoman99 | | posted 25-Mar-2007 4:42pm |
Touch my belly and I will slap you |
| falkensmaze | | posted 25-Apr-2007 5:04am |
One of my friends slapped a guy's face for doing that. I get the impression that a lot of pregnant women get upset when you do this, so don't. |
| krazykatlady | | posted 23-May-2007 6:14am |
Years ago we had this neighbor who didn't seem to understand that it wasn't okay to pick up a stranger's baby from their stroller because she wanted to cuddle it. It took her almost getting arrested to make her stop. |
| darkshadowsseeker | | posted 14-Jul-2007 10:27pm |
I had some old lady come up to me & pat my pregnant belly. I gave her a dirty luck, but the only reason I didn't pop her one in the jaw was that she was elderly & may have broken a hip if I hit her hard enough to make her fall down. However, my grandmother told her in no uncertain terms to keep her hands off my belly. |
