Milking my Belly

This cool blog post talked about the author 'milking her belly for all it's worth'- which is to say, in most cases, accepting the help that's offered as a result of her pregnancy.

#1: Someone gave up the coveted front seat of my building’s shuttle today, and instead of thanking him and moving along I graciously accepted. That extra leg room was much appreciated.

#2: When I was walking through the city my shoelace came untied. I stared at it sadly and then just kept walking. A man saw the untied shoelace and offered to tie it for me. I was shocked he offered, and even more shocked that I accepted. Sneaker-tying one month out from your due date is not easy.

#3: I rest things on my belly, like the remote control and my cell phone. Having your own personal table is really fun, especially because it means I get to control the remote all night. Sorry, hubs!

At the end, she asks:

Do you play the pregnancy card, or am I the only scoundrel out there?

Even before my own pregnancy, I considered behavior like this normal. I have watched (and helped) my 7-8-9mos pregnant friends struggle with 'simple' tasks like tying their shoes, loading groceries, etc, and it always seemed to me to be a given that you help someone who is pregnant.

Now, almost 5 months along (but still not really showing, dammit!) I gratefully use my pregnancy when I need help:

"Would you mind moving downwind from me while you're smoking, please? I'm pregnant."

"I'm sorry, I can't commit to that event in December, I'd like to come but I may not be feeling up to it because of the pregnancy."

So far, I can still do my normal tasks- and most of my shoes are slip-ons!- but rest assured, when my belly makes movement difficult, I won't hesitate to accept your help!