MIL Won't Stop Touching Mom-To-Be's Belly Despite Knowing That It Triggers Her, Gets Publicly Embarrassed Bored Panda Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app Continue in app Continue in browser Like what you're reading? Subscribe to our top stories Please enter email address By submitting email you agree to get Bored Panda newsletter. We respect your privacy. We will not publish or share your email address in any way. Almost finished... To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Almost finished... To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Are you leaving already? Are you sure you want to post this? We're asking people to rethink comments that seem similar to others that have been reported or downvoted this warning is a mistake x x Let's fight boredom together! Continue with Facebook Continue with Google or Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Forgot your password? Creating an account means you agree with Bored Panda's Terms of Service 0, text: error()"> Become a member Sign Up Have an account? Login Forgot your password? Creating an account means you agree with Bored Panda's Terms of Service 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Password reminder Please provide your email address and we will send your password shortly. Send Have an account? Login Don't have an account? Sign Up Get our top 10 stories in your inbox: Finish 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Please enter your email to complete registration Finish 0, text: error(), css: errorCssClass"> Activate to continue Your account is not active. We have sent an email to the address you provided with an activation link. Check your inbox, and click on the link to activate your account. I have already activated my account Resend activation link We and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our site to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. You can read more about it and change your preferences here. Agree Bored Panda iOS App Available on App Store Continue in App Bored Panda Android App Available on Google Play Continue in App By using our services you agree to our use of cookies to improve your visit. You can change your preferences here. Agree BoredPanda Login Add Post Search ArtPhotographyAnimalsFunnyTravelIllustrationComicsDIYGood NewsParentingChallengeAsk Pandas More Featured Trending Latest Newsletter The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here. Bored Panda MIL Won t Stop Touching Mom-To-Be s Belly Despite Knowing That It Triggers Her Gets Publicly Embarrassed Home Partnership Advertise Success stories Jobs About us Contact 74points 3.5K Parenting, People2 weeks ago

MIL Won t Stop Touching Mom-To-Be s Belly Despite Knowing That It Triggers Her Gets Publicly Embarrassed

Jurgita Dominauskaitė and
Monika Pašukonytė
Even when moms say that their pregnancy was easy and they didn't have much pain or other annoying symptoms, it still wasn't that easy, and how could it be when you are growing a whole new human inside you? But women suffer not only from physical symptoms. They have to face the pressure of always being healthy and stress-free so they don't harm the baby and they have to bear the touching of the belly. This mom on Reddit doesn't like to be touched in general, so when she repeatedly asks her family to make sure she is okay with being touched before putting their hands on her belly and her mother-in-law fails to do that, she tells her off like a child and is left in the jerk's position. More info: Reddit

Pregnant woman is tired of her MIL randomly touching her so she prepares the most condescending voice to tell her off

Image credits: Mustafa Khayat (not the actual image) The Original Poster (OP) is a 24-year-old woman who will soon become a mom for the first time and she feels excited about it. She comes from an abusive home, so touching isn't a form of love for her and before getting pregnant, her boundaries weren't overstepped. Now that she has a baby bump, everyone wants to touch it. She would rather them not touch her at all, but because she understands the wish to put their hands all over the belly, she would like to be asked first and have a sort of warning, because she would get belly rubs at random times.

The OP doesn t like to be touched in general but now that she s pregnant everyone wants to pat her belly

Image credits: u/No-Comfort-670 The woman's MIL and SIL don't respect her wishes most of the time, so the OP usually just backs up. On one particular occasion during her baby shower, she got very annoyed when MIL put her hand on her bump and practiced her parent voice. She told her MIL, "No, no, you know I've told you not to touch without asking first. You know how to ask first, do you? It's easy!" which is something you would say to a kid. The woman got really embarrassed to the point that she turned red and was upset at the OP. Her FIL was also not very happy about the situation and called his son to ask the OP to apologize, but she refused.

She expressed that she would like people to ask her permission first but her SIL and MIL don t really do that

Image credits: u/No-Comfort-670 Some people's urge to touch pregnant women's bellies could be explained by going back in time to a period when people couldn't communicate with language. Online resource for motherhood Motherly expands on it: "Touch is the core of communication. We are hardwired to touch. It's why, when a friend is upset, you instinctively reach out and touch her shoulder. It's why we kiss our partners, and it's definitely (one of the many, many reasons) why we kiss our babies. Touch communicates in a way that language can't."

One particular time the OP s MIL touching her belly really didn t sit right so she told off the woman like she would a child nicely but condescendingly

Image credits: cookcompanyltd (not the actual image) Image credits: u/No-Comfort-670 However, not everyone responds to being touched the same way, so not all pregnant women consider the touch of another person's hand pleasant. "Some women are okay with family members and partners doing it but not co-workers or strangers, while some flat-out don't want to be touched and have an almost visceral physical reaction to it." And the problem here is that people start to think that they can now touch a woman because she's pregnant and somehow now that protruding belly is public domain, while maybe they wouldn't have dared to do it before. The woman is still a woman, a human being with her own feelings, preferences and rights.

The MIL got very embarrassed trying to come up with excuses but the OP explained that if she acts like a child she will be treated like one

Image credits: u/No-Comfort-670 Scary Mommy lists some of the reasons why it is wrong to come up to a pregnant woman and pet her belly, one of them being that it's dehumanizing and it's violating the right to bodily autonomy. They also may not feel safe being touched because under that skin there is a human growing that they hold very dear. And while it is not wrong to ask if you could touch the belly, be prepared for whatever answer the pregnant woman may give and if it's a negative one, you need to respect it, not ask for an explanation and not try to ask again, or worse, try to touch it anyway.

The OP s FIL also intervened when through her husband MIL asked the woman to apologize which she refused

Image credits: u/No-Comfort-670 Image credits: highlander411 (not the actual image) Our bodies are no one else's property and if someone wants to do something with it, they need consent. If they don't follow these rules, they will be disciplined and in this case, the MIL was publicly shamed for her behavior. People in the comments thought that the OP's response was very appropriate and not over the top. She was nice and people believe that from now on, the MIL will remember to ask before touching. What is your opinion on people touching pregnant bellies? What were your own experiences? Do you think the OP should apologize? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

FIL called the woman a jerk but Redditors didn t think she did anything wrong because she has the right to defend her body

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing! Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Share on Facebook Jurgita Dominauskaitė Follow Unfollow Jurgita Dominauskaitė Writer, BoredPanda staff Jurgita is a content creator at Bored Panda. She studied Lithuanian Philology and Italian Language, but it was not enough to feed her hunger for knowledge so she also got a Master’s degree in Translation.

She is a positive and hard-working panda. In her spare time this panda likes to read, learn new languages and go for long walks. Her favorite writer is Umberto Eco and she will trade bamboo for strawberries. Read more » Monika Pašukonytė Monika Pašukonytė Author, BoredPanda staff Hey! I'm a photo editor. In my free time, I love going to art galleries, exhibitions, concerts or just hanging out in nature with my friends. My dream is to get an RV and travel around the world with my dog. Read more » Show All Contributors Get the latest inspiring stories via our awesome iOS app! Download Bored Panda app! 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Poor boy got so offended, but I said that just because I’m pregnant doesn’t give you the right, and if anybody else had tried it I’d have told them they’d be missing all hand or at least have a very nasty bruise. Not yours? No touchy! 27 27points reply Nikki Sevven Nikki Sevven Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 weeks ago MIL ignores OP because she thinks OP's boundaries are silly. Just don't touch people without their permission! This isn't a difficult thing to remember, especially when OP has told MIL a zillion times to not. 19 19points reply Panda Kicki Panda Kicki Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 weeks ago Touching someone against their clearly spoken wish is abuse. The abuser was very nicely treated, she may have had a more physical response from me. 13 13points reply Load More Comments POST KombatBunni KombatBunni Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 weeks ago When I was pregnant I had a guy I knew (and didn’t like) try to touch my tummy, he got a smacked hand and told not to try it again. Poor boy got so offended, but I said that just because I’m pregnant doesn’t give you the right, and if anybody else had tried it I’d have told them they’d be missing all hand or at least have a very nasty bruise. Not yours? No touchy! 27 27points reply Nikki Sevven Nikki Sevven Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 weeks ago MIL ignores OP because she thinks OP's boundaries are silly. Just don't touch people without their permission! This isn't a difficult thing to remember, especially when OP has told MIL a zillion times to not. 19 19points reply Panda Kicki Panda Kicki Community Member • points posts comments upvotes FollowUnfollow 3 weeks ago Touching someone against their clearly spoken wish is abuse. The abuser was very nicely treated, she may have had a more physical response from me. 13 13points reply Load More Comments Popular on Bored Panda I Used AI To See What These 23 Popular Cartoon Characters Would Look Like In Real Life 30 Y.O. 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