Waiting until my belly gets smaller

When a friend had her first baby this spring, and showed up at her baby shower with a truly massive stomach, some people commented how they rarely see women that big. Is it because the pregnant women disappear from sight in the weeks before birth? Is it because others aren’t paying so much attention to pregnant women?

I’m not making any concerted effort to stay out of sight. But I do move around less. I venture further from home less often. And I’ve noticed that I’m ignoring events that would put me around unfamiliar people – things like networking get-togethers, small lectures, lunches – any event where I’d have to talk to new people and make an impression. There is no shame in being pregnant, I just don’t like it to be the primary thing people notice about me. I don’t really feel like being the super-pregnant lady.

So even though I may have some extra time in the coming weeks, I’m avoiding those events in favor of doing things with friends, family and those I interact with on a regular basis. I’ll still go to the gym, I may attend a performance or two (being a spectator in a large crowd is less of an issue), I’ll go about my anonymous daily errands, but I’m not out to meet new people, unless they are other pregnant women or new mothers.

Did you notice any changes in your socialization patterns as you became larger?