Madison blogs - Rantings of a pregnant lady

PREGNANT women have a reputation for being moody and prone to the odd angry outburst.

Apparently it’s something to do with hormones.

But I have another theory. When your belly pops out enough for people to realise you haven’t just been eating too many cakes, you suddenly become public property.
 
Normal personal boundaries suddenly evaporate. Everyone wants to stroke your swollen stomach like you’re a Buddha statue (and they generally don’t respond well if you return the gesture).

Turns out many are experts on pregnancy too, offering a relentless barrage of unsolicited advice on what you should and shouldn’t be doing.

“Should you be drinking that?” I’ve been asked as I order my morning coffee.

“Should you be eating that?” I’ve been asked as I tuck into some (cooked) seafood.

Or “you should have some more – you’re supposed to eat for two”.

And you should have seen the overtly disapproving looks I received the time I gave in to a craving for a small shandy at a local pub while eight months pregnant with my first baby.

In retrospect, it probably would have been more comfortable to have drunk it at home.

But shouldn’t I be able to enjoy a drink in a public place like everyone else, given general medical advice is that one or two units of alcohol a week is considered safe in pregnancy (and that shandy would have been a half unit at maximum just in case you’re wondering).

Only last week a virtual stranger told my partner he should “have a word with me” after seeing me going for a jog a couple of days previously because I “shouldn’t be doing that in my condition”.

Given I was right next to him at the time, I had to grit my teeth and take a deep breath.

Because here’s the thing: being pregnant isn’t a disability. And I would not be taking a (slow) jog (at a cool time of day) if I thought it could be harmful to my unborn baby. 

In case you're interested, doctors says it’s healthy to keep exercising throughout pregnancy and continue with any non-contact sports you did pre-pregnancy as long as it’s comfortable.

Then there are the endless unwanted lectures on topics like sleep, stretch marks, family planning, when and whether you should return to work after the baby's born...  

It’s especially hypocritical when you get often outdated yet firmly administered and judgemental advice from older women who merrily smoked, drank whole bottles of wine and chowed down on lots of liver (all forbidden nowadays) during their own pregnancies.

So sure, if you see an obviously pregnant woman doing something REALLY bad like shooting up Class A drugs or downing a bottle of Vodka, feel free to try and intervene.

But here's some advice for non-pregnant people: try and show a little restraint and respect for the rest of us. Else those angry hormones might just lead to an unsolicited angry outburst...