Ready to POP?!

If you've seen the movie 'Knocked Up' with Katherine Heigl you might remember the scene where she is interviewing red carpet celebrities & they keep asking her if she is delivering tomorrow, or commenting that she is "ready to pop", or she can't possibly be 7 months pregnant she must be 9! Well the writers must've consulted with a preggo, as that scenario seems to happen to me regularly & when I ask other Moms they say the same thing happened to them. Just when you feel huge already someone (usually male) comes along and says "boy you must be getting ready for your epidural". Or when asked when are you due & you reply "I've got about 2 months left" they say "no way, you look like you could deliver tomorrow!" I've been getting these comments more & more these days & I can't help but start to feel a little self-conscious. "Should I look this big already?", "Do they know I've been pregnant for 1 1/2 years?", "Stupid men!", "You try carrying a baby around for 10 months!", "I must be retaining water today!", "Guess I shouldn't have had that extra scoop of ice cream last night!", "Maybe this baby will be big, my brother was 10.5lbs after all"... are all comments that have run through my head at times like those. And when I sit down and think about those seemingly insensitive comments I have to remind myself WHO CARES! I am carrying a healthy baby & if given the choice to be tiny having only gained 8lbs with a barely there bump & have an unhealthy baby or to look like I've gained the appropriate weight & get the "you must be ready to pop" comments on a daily basis, I choose option B. Embrace the belly, & forget about the "you must be ready for your maternity leave" comments!

Now that being said there are those folks who find clever ways to comment or ask questions about my pregnancy without implying that I look like Free Willy. I figured I would write those comments down as advice for those who just can't pass up an opportunity to say something about someone's bump.
-"You are absolutely glowing! When are you due?"
-"You are the cutest pregnant woman, you must be getting excited to have your baby!"
-"When are you due? Your baby will be so lucky to have such a beautiful Mom."
-"Pregnancy certainly agrees with you, when are you due?"
Now I'm not suggesting that flattery or exaggeration is necessary, but it certainly helps sugar coat the "I'm huge, bloated, tired, & I still have 2 months left" feeling that the preggo you are talking to is undoubtedly feeling. If compliments aren't your style, go for humor...
-"You sure have been hitting the beers this summer" (a parking garage attendant said that to me, I thought it was hilarious & he was so proud of his clever comment)
-"Did you swallow a basketball?"
-"Who's the man that did that to you, anyway?"
...yes, even preggos enjoy a good laugh. But whatever you do, don't say...
-"You look ready to pop!"
-"Are they inducing you tomorrow?"
-"You look like you could deliver a 10lb baby right now!"
-"Don't worry you will lose the pregnancy weight in no time!"
... because depending on the day, & what preggo you are talking to, you might get punched!

And preggos, from a fellow preggo, you DO look beautiful! Embrace the beautiful bump & the rest of it too, & remember that your body is the incredible vehicle that carries & delivers your beautiful baby. Love it no matter how many extra pounds you might've gained or despite the new cellulite field you've discovered, because nothing is more important than a healthy baby.