want strangers to talk to you?? get pregnant

i've noticed (again) that a complete and total stranger has a hard time resisting the urge to talk to you about your protuding stomach. this urge takes hold of them in all public areas, especially the grocery store. they are usually very polite and interested. they sometimes like to give you advice on topics such as breastfeeding (even if they happen to be male) or wish you well. i find these gestures curious. on occasion, these strangers also feel it totally appropriate to touch your stomach, rub it, as they talk to you. pregnancy is nothing new. it hasn't recently become a trend and everyone is doing it....much like the early days of plastic surgery. when women started having their breasts and lips done, i can see how people would feel it necessary to ask them questions such as "when did you have that done?" "what made you decide to do this to yourself?" "how much did it cost and where can i have mine done at?" it is possible that this new fashion gave way to the acceptance of people asking you as you wait in line at the store "how much weight have you gained?" "do you have cravings?" "how many other kids do you have?" "are you going to have anymore after this one?" i will give them all the benefit of the doubt. i see people out in public too and begin to wonder about their appearance. i see other pregnant people and wonder how far along they are, access the number of tag along kids they already have, and wonder how much weight they've packed on. i don't come right out and ask them these questions of course. also, what about the person you see (and you hear about these encounters) when you are sure they are about 8 months pregnant, maybe even sporting a maternity looking top, only to be mortified when you find out they aren't pregnant, only overweight. or, would be okay for me to walk up to joe somebody at walmart with the beer belly and ask him "so how many cases of beer would i have to drink to look like you?" i also don't go up to the blondie at the gym and with a 100% certainty feel her up and say "you should have gone with the full C implants instead of the D, you're going to have back problems". i know that these situations don't seem the same as being a little weirded out over people taking full advantage to speak to me about my expecting arrival, but still, the point is that it is weird and i'm just blown away that today, a woman about 60 years old said to me at walmart after a brief conversation "you make sure to apply lots of lotion to yourself if you're going to breastfeed dear...you don't want to be picking your sagging parts up off the floor when you're older like me". in shock, i listened to her tell me about the 5 kids she "raised right" by breastfeeding. she was so genuine and really wanted to let me know how wonderful it was for babies.....i didn't have the heart to tell her that i hated it with landon and am dreading it with dylan.
i do appreciate most of the polite, helpful conversations i have with strangers about this pumpkin shoved under my tank top, i really do.....sometimes though, you just get those people who have no tact or really just want to add to a miserable day by saying something crappy to you like "good luck (saracastically) with two boys" or "you must be sweating like a pig in this heat carrying that baby around". thanks a million. to the woman at babies r us that told me which diaper rash creme was the best to use on sensitive skin, i do apprecaite you.....just don't rub my tummy :)