belly talk

why is it totally fine for men to grow bellies?
big strong men with bellies enough to take twins in!
but once a woman grows a belly there must be a baby inside!

people look at the pregnant lady like she oozes beauty
while she feels nothing but fat and out of balance!

there is nothing sexy about being huge!
and fat is not the new thin!
and no matter how much you try,
you will gain weight on the scale!

indigestion, multiple trips to the bathroom through the night,
nausea and an emotional roller coaster is the price to having heaven at your feet!

in egyptian culture and based on islamic teachings it is beleived that heaven is at the mother's feet and i say it better be!

no one is more intorrigated in social occasions like a pregnant lady!
and she elicits many smiles from strangers like she is a cute puppy walking the street!
strangers will touch your stomache like it is their own !


strangers will ask you how many months are you? is it a boy or a girl? and what you want to name her?!

everyone thinks they are the first to ask and that you are not tired of answering!

no one considers that you do not wanna answer because maybe you do not know them enough!
or that you are tired of answering the same set of questions a thousand times.

a pregnant woman is subjected to so many questions in every social occasion and it can be exhausting!

everyone thinks they can judge the name you chose!
and even openly show disgust while you have not asked them if they like it or not!

everyone thinks they can tell you what to do
and that what you are doing is wrong!
and that they know what is best for you and for your child!

everyone thinks you want to hear their horror story of their pregnancy, misscarriage , labor or breast feeding!

everyone thinks you are open like some kind of public property just because you are pregnant!

and it is not enough that you are blowing up, people think you are ready to be told that you gained weight as if you did not know, and they will ask you how many pounds you put on exactly!

while many obese people are left without being judged, the pregnant lady is open to judgement.

other than the sweet: you are glowing!
people think it is nice to tell you that you look tired!

you do not go asking people for the details of their life but they will come after you if you have a pretruding belly.

you bump into things because your dimensions changed
little things drive you mad!

and being bigger in size is not a feminine journey of fun like many people think!
it is like a practical joke!

you sudednly own a bigger body and live the life of the unattractive!
and i tell you it is no fun !

size matters!

everyone is in your buisness even sales people, they think it is extremely cute
because it is not painful for them and does not make them sick in the morning!

everyone scares you with stories you did not want to hear!
you are stressed because they tell you it is gonna be the hardest thing you will ever go through!

so many books to read! so much education!

so many wrong advice!
so many subjective advice!
so much pressure!
so mush bossing around!

like this is a group project!


like you are the only one on earth like that!


life as you know it disappears once the crying little one arrives!

it must be scary but it is your story!
you should be comfortable and it is not a public affair!

tons of older aunts should not bombard you, watch you breast feed like a monkey in a cage!!

they comment on the baby's looks and feel it is their right to say "ugly baby" like it is endearing to say it!


visits become open! and around the clock! in the egyptian hospitals things are hostile!

flashlights of cameras of peoples' phones almost blind the poor babies eyes!

millions of extended family members and friends under tons of make up and in high heels storm the room and watch the poor mommy be tired and stressed!

i have seen it happen to my dearest friends!

it is no fun at all being the center of attention
when all you want is to run away to a quiet place with your little one
and hide from all the eyes and all the crowd!


it must be tough being a parent
but if the cats can do it and the cave girl did it, so can we!


society can be stupid like that!
insensitive like that!
and totally heavy on you and your belly!

beware pregnant belly you will be everyone's buisness whether you like it or not!
and when the little one comes the endless unasked for advice rains on you too!

goodluck with that!

and if it is a girl, since day one they pray for her good marriage,
talk about pressure!


in egypt everyone waits for the bride to announce her pregnancy
and they stare at her belly everytime she is seen
even before she is pregnant!

when she finally becomes with child
she is releived that she will not be asked anymore if she is pregnant or not!
finally no more pressure!
but so many other questions arise ofcourse!

once you have a girl they will say: so when will you try for the boy?
and once you have the boy they will ask you:
when will you try for the girl ?
and that you gotta start trying because: tick tock tick tock and time is running out!
and it never ends!