Everyone is Nice to Pregnant Ladies

With only 7 weeks to go, there’s one thing I’m realizing that I’ll definitely miss about being pregnant, probably more than anything else.  I know I’m supposed to say I’ll miss feeling my baby kick and move, or something like that.  And I will … a little.  But damn, I’ll really miss the way everyone is so crazy nice to me right now.  People are more compassionate, more understanding, they just seem to like me more.  It’s true.  Everyone is nice to pregnant ladies.

For starters, everyone’s nice to me at home.  My husband’s always a pretty nice guy, but now it’s like I have a free pass on doing and saying anything I want.  I never have to take the dog out, I don’t have to do the dishes.  He’s always willing to give me a little extra leeway.  And the rest of my friends and family are constantly asking how I’m doing.  As I get fatter, they flatter me and tell me I’m cute.  What a beautiful existence!

At work, my staff and my patients are so nice to me!  It’s as if I can do no wrong now!  Patients who would walk in before and maybe smile and say hi, now come in and beam and exclaim, “Oh my gosh, I didn’t know you were expecting!  How exciting!!”  The same ones who would have approached me cautiously with a confrontation about why their child is still wearing braces are instead distracted by my belly and would rather discuss my due date and the baby’s gender!  Then they ask a million questions.  Something about being pregnant makes people take a genuine interest in you.

I’m trying to figure out this phenomenon, and I have it narrowed down to a couple theories.

1. Pregnant women are not threatening.  I think that whether in friendships or in workplaces, unfortunately women tend to feel competitive with other women.  Maybe it’s our evolutionary nature to compete for resources with our peers?  Back in the caveman days, once a woman was pregnant, she no longer needed to compete for a mate, so perhaps she seemed less threatening and thus more likable.  Did this carry over to present day in our subconscious minds?
2. Pregnant women are relatable to other moms and future moms.  Every woman who has gone through pregnancy and childbirth seems to have a special bond with every other woman who has.  In the past, I had kind of observed this from afar, but I didn’t realize how true it was until now.  I suddenly feel like I’m in some kind of club or secret society.  I get to enjoy their empathy for my heartburn, and we can share “in the know” laughter about babies kicking you in the bladder.  They finally see me as one of their own – it’s as if I’ve been accepted into the tribe.
3. Pregnancy seems to bring out the sentimentality in all parents.  Even dads who I interact with seem to be reminded of the good and trying times of raising their own babies when they see that I’m pregnant.  They’re ready to laugh about it together and tell me all about what I’m in for.  They feel like they too are in a special club, and I’m finally a part of it.  And when people are reflecting on the joys and tribulations of raising their children, they are actually incapable of being mean to you at the same time.  Hence – non-stop niceness.

So yeah, I’m going to miss this.  I was debating whether I wanted to have any more children or not, but it might be worth it for the nine months of compassion I get to enjoy.