How do I get people to stop trying to put their hand on my stomach?

And yet this is what you first identify with about yourself, just going by your avatar. It’s your belly, it’s up to you to take control. You should resign yourself and get in practice now. You’ll have to do it a lot more over the next eighteen years. “No, I’d rather you didn’t touch me” generally works.
I’ve been pregnant three times and I’ve had people approach and ask if they could touch my belly. Saying no is aways an option and I don’t know that anyone ever touched me without my permission. You can see them coming and move away and say “stop” if worst came to worst.
And btw,hitting someone is not a “mom instinct”. Where did you get that idea?

I agree that your screen name practically screams “Touch my belly!” so I have to wonder if it isn’t something about you that provokes this.

I know and have known many pregnant women who never had that issue.

@jerv I wouldn’t know what would provoke anyone, I keep to myself most the time, and I’m the very quiet type.

@Mom2BDec2010 I don’t know you well, so I can only wonder.
But usually such things are done subconsciously, and if you are the type of person to go around Fluther as “Mom2b…” then it’s possible that you are sending out cues that you are unaware of. Cues that even those who touch your belly are not aware of, but that affect their behavior nonetheless.

It blows my mind when people do this, and I’ve never known a pregnant woman that it didn’t happen to. Apparently, women become public property or something as soon as they’re pregnant. I don’t even know.

I had one friend who got so fed up with people ignoring her and continuing to touch her stomach when she explained she didn’t like it or politely asked them to stop that she began slapping hands away any time someone even started to extend one toward her. And another of my friends took to returning the gesture by touching back in places that would make the person uncomfortable.

@MacBean Haha, I might consider doing both of those things.

@jerv Maybe its where I’m from. I live in a small town. I really don’t know anyone here, but my family has lived here forever, and I just recently moved here to be closer to them. They probably know my grandparents or something. It seems like everyone knows everyone here.

@Mom2BDec2010 That is possible. I know that I get treated a bit different whenever I go to the town where I grew up since my mother made a lot of acquaintances, which sometimes causes unwelcome attention (I am low-key enough that almost any attention is unwelcome) once they realize that I am her son.

I think you just have to be very forward and blunt with some people. If you see someone coming at your stomach, sternly tell them no and not to touch you. If it’s someone that is family that continues to do it, you have to stand your ground with them. Get use to it now because once the baby is born, they’ll be wanting to touch and hold your baby too.

@Mom2BDec2010 Oooh, the small-town setting definitely doesn’t help you, I’m sure. Anyway, if you do the touching-back thing, my friend had a few favorite spots. She found that men do it far less than women—they don’t want to be accused of sexual harassment—but once a bald man did it and she reached out and rubbed his head. He got the point right away! Other than that, she would mostly touch faces or waists (like you’re taking the lead for a slow dance). Intimate spots without being lewd. No butt-grabbing or anything!

Whiffle-ball bat.

And a T-shirt that states “Yes, I’m still pregnant. No we don’t know the sex. It’s due in December. No you may not touch the belly.”

@MacBean Here is one pregnant lady who hasn’t had that happen! People only have 4 more weeks to get a squeeze in—and nada!

Should I feel insulted that nobody has tried to touch my belly? Not even once? Boohoo.

Once you figure out how to get them to stop touching your belly then you need to figure out how to get them to stop telling you childbirth horror stories.
Freaking annoying.

Tell’em you have to fart or something. I don’t know. ;) I’ve never, ever felt the need to touch a pregnant woman’s stomach.
@Seek_Kolinahr Nice.

Yes, you sometimes seem to define yourself by your pregnancy. No, that doesn’t excuse their behavior. It’s the same kind of thinking as “well, she was wearing a short skirt, so she was really asking to be raped” – although, obviously, less severe, but a problematic thought process none the less. People need to take responsiblity for their own actions instead of blaming it on someone else.

Similar situation: A few years ago, I saw a woman walking down a hall holding a baby, perhaps 6 months old. One kid rushed up immediately to touch and coo, and with total kung fu reflexes, she held up her hand in a “talk to the hand” kinda way, blocking his path, and said “NO!” very sternly. She continued on her way without missing a beat. It totally worked (although the kid then whined about it for half an hour…).

@MacBean I think it’s possible women’s bodies are public property all the time. Proof: The hubbub over Miley Cyrus’s vagina.

I have never had the urge to touch someone’s belly when they are pregnant. I guess I respect people’s personal space. People should too. They should ask.

“Don’t touch my belly because if you do, the baby will reach out from my vagina and break your fucking hand.”

I’ve noticed that people seem to regard pregnant woman as Buddha and want to rub the belly for luck.

Even as a dumb male, I can clearly understand why this would bother you, although I’ve spoken to pregnant women who said they didn’t mind in the least – as long as they were asked first. Seems to me if you feel so strongly about it—and I certainly don’t fault you for doing so)—all you have to do when you see it coming is raise your hand palm out and say nicely but firmly, PLEASE DON’T. You don’t have to give a reason, and if the would-be assailant is hurt or offended, it’s not your problem.