The airport: a breeding ground for pregnancy comments
"Ross and I have made our final airplane trip of the pregnancy. Ross is relieved. He is convinced this baby is going to come early. I, on the other hand, still think it's going to be a late delivery. Regardless, all flights went well; Bucky didn't have any bad reactions to the cabin pressure.
When one is pregnant, one should be expected for random comments about one's growing belly, due date, how one is carrying, etc. I didn't expect the majority of these comments to come from airport and airline employees!
Encounter 1: I went to find a cheesy magazine to keep my mind occupied during the flight out for Thanksgiving. I'm standing a few feet from the magazine racks because a woman is replacing the depleted supplies. She turns around, almost directly into me, and stops. With eyes lit up, she asks 'When are you due?' AND POKES BUCKY! Yes, she actually poked me in the belly. But what was really weird about it is that it was such a kind poke, if there ever could be one.
It took me a second to gather my wits, and when I said the end of January, her reply was 'Oh, how wonderful!' Then she gave me a big smile and went about the rest of her job. I was so dumbfounded I left without getting myself a magazine.
Encounter 2: On the flight out for Thanksgiving, not the hours after the poking incident, I received my second comment. This one was on the more obnoxious side.
Pregnant women are more prone to dry skin, and with the expanding of the belly skin there is more itching than normal. I keep well moisturized, but some shirts that I wear just irritate my belly anyway. I happened to be wearing one such shirt on this flight.
I'm innocently scratching my belly (over the shirt, I am in public after all) when the flight attendant leans down and hoarsely rasps, 'Scratching will give you stretch marks!' and walks off. I was shocked! This encounter was startling, and her tone was quite reprimanding.
I thought to myself, 'I'll have you know, Ms. Flight Attendant, that I do NOT have any stretch marks. And I'll thank you to keep your advice to yourself!'
Encounter 3: Going through the security screening for the flight for my cousin's wedding I was asked by the gentleman on the other side of the metal detector. 'When are you due?' His voice sounded very concerned.
When I mentioned the end of January, he seemed quite relieved and replied with, 'That's wonderful, congratulations.'
I'm not sure if he asked because of airport regulations on how late a pregnant woman can travel, or if he thought I was really big and was hoping that I wasn't only six months along or something."
--Clare, 12/29/05
When one is pregnant, one should be expected for random comments about one's growing belly, due date, how one is carrying, etc. I didn't expect the majority of these comments to come from airport and airline employees!
Encounter 1: I went to find a cheesy magazine to keep my mind occupied during the flight out for Thanksgiving. I'm standing a few feet from the magazine racks because a woman is replacing the depleted supplies. She turns around, almost directly into me, and stops. With eyes lit up, she asks 'When are you due?' AND POKES BUCKY! Yes, she actually poked me in the belly. But what was really weird about it is that it was such a kind poke, if there ever could be one.
It took me a second to gather my wits, and when I said the end of January, her reply was 'Oh, how wonderful!' Then she gave me a big smile and went about the rest of her job. I was so dumbfounded I left without getting myself a magazine.
Encounter 2: On the flight out for Thanksgiving, not the hours after the poking incident, I received my second comment. This one was on the more obnoxious side.
Pregnant women are more prone to dry skin, and with the expanding of the belly skin there is more itching than normal. I keep well moisturized, but some shirts that I wear just irritate my belly anyway. I happened to be wearing one such shirt on this flight.
I'm innocently scratching my belly (over the shirt, I am in public after all) when the flight attendant leans down and hoarsely rasps, 'Scratching will give you stretch marks!' and walks off. I was shocked! This encounter was startling, and her tone was quite reprimanding.
I thought to myself, 'I'll have you know, Ms. Flight Attendant, that I do NOT have any stretch marks. And I'll thank you to keep your advice to yourself!'
Encounter 3: Going through the security screening for the flight for my cousin's wedding I was asked by the gentleman on the other side of the metal detector. 'When are you due?' His voice sounded very concerned.
When I mentioned the end of January, he seemed quite relieved and replied with, 'That's wonderful, congratulations.'
I'm not sure if he asked because of airport regulations on how late a pregnant woman can travel, or if he thought I was really big and was hoping that I wasn't only six months along or something."
--Clare, 12/29/05
posted by RB at 5:37 PM
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