This Belly is Not My Own

The belly/bump/stomach area of a pregnant woman is an interesting thing.

First of all, it gets a lot of attention, whether wanted or unwanted. Some people just can't NOT feel a pregnant woman's stomach. Others have absolutely no interest in touching it. Some mothers love to post photos of their naked bellies on the internet and other pregnant women hide from any camera that appears. Some love seeing those photos and some are grossed out by them.

What I used to not understand is why pregnant women always rubbed their bellies. I mean, I never went around rubbing my stomach. But now I do all the time.

My belly no longer feels like it's mine. There are all kinds of movements that I feel and see that are out of my control. Every time I feel a limb sticking out or the rhythmic beats of hiccups, I am reminded that there is someone else, another person, in there.

When I rub my big bump, I don't think about me massaging my own body. Instead it's me letting my babe know that I'm here, me sending a little bit of love LC's way.