Pregnancy Etiquette Violations: Here's how to avoid them!

If you are a pregnant mother, you are probably familiar with these kinds of things. Whether it is on the street, on the bus, or at a relative's house, someone you don't even know suddenly touches your belly and asks, 'Is the baby okay?' Or at the office, everyone asks questions like, 'You must be going to the washroom all the time now, right?' When you hear these things, you feel a little uncomfortable, embarrassed, and even angry, don't you? These are really annoying and affect your privacy. But many pregnant mothers face this.

Are you bothered by unnecessary questions?

Many pregnant women think that if someone asks a question, they have to answer it, no matter how personal it is. But that's not the case. You are under no obligation to share every detail about your pregnancy with everyone. You have every right to say as much as you want, if you want.

So what do you do if someone asks you an uncomfortable question?

• Divert the conversation: If someone asks something like, "Is the baby being delivered by Caesarean section?", you can politely divert the conversation by smiling and saying, "We're both very excited about having a baby. So what's new with you?" This will help you avoid the question and redirect the conversation back to the person who asked the question.

• Answer with a question: This is also a great tactic. Imagine someone asking you, "Did you have a baby naturally?" You can simply ask, " That's a weird question, why do you want to know? " This will make them realize the inappropriateness of their question. They'll likely not ask you such personal questions again.

Labor room horror stories you can't stop listening to

For some people, unnecessary questions are the most annoying. But for others, unnecessary advice, especially scary stories about childbirth , is the most annoying. As soon as you find out you're pregnant, everyone starts telling you the scariest childbirth story they've ever heard or experienced, right?

At a time like this, you need to gather some courage and politely end the conversation.

You could say: " I know you know a lot, and if I have a question, I'll definitely ask you. But every pregnancy and every birth is different. So I'd like to see for myself what my experience will be like. "

Or, you could say something a little more directly: " Thank you very much, but I don't want to hear these scary stories right now. " While this may seem a bit harsh, it's important to make tough decisions like this when you're thinking about your mental health .

How can everyone stop touching their stomachs?

Unlike unnecessary talk and questions, touching the body, especially the stomach, is much more uncomfortable and a great violation of privacy. Even if you think it's okay for a friend or family member to do it, it's hard to bear it when a stranger on the street does it.

What do you do about this?

• Maintain physical distance: Sometimes your stomach may be closer to others than you think. Even if your head is far away, your stomach gives you more space. So, try to intentionally keep a little distance when you're with others.

• Change your attitude and posture: Your posture, your behavior , your gaze... all of these can send the message ' respect my privacy '. When you are confident and strong about your body, others feel that message. Then the urge to touch your body for no reason is much less likely.

• Be direct: If, despite all of this, someone tries to touch your stomach, you can calmly but firmly say, " Please don't do that, it makes me uncomfortable. " Never be afraid to say this.

How do you deal with these things in the office?

It's harder to deal with these kinds of things with people you meet at the office every day than with strangers. Because you can't hurt them, but you also have to protect their privacy.

The best thing to do here is to maintain your professionalism . When you behave professionally in your work and in your conversations, others will see you as a competent colleague, not a pregnant colleague. Then unnecessary jokes and conversations will be greatly reduced.

Also, don't be afraid to point out your boundaries, even if it's someone you meet every day. Saying something direct but polite, like " Please don't say/do that, it's uncomfortable for me, " is a great way to maintain the relationship and keep your peace of mind.

With all of this, you don't have to give up the special privileges you get during pregnancy (for example, the opportunity to take a little rest, the opportunity to work from home). You have every right to balance both!