Touching my pregnant belly doesn't bother me

So far I've kept personal rants out of this blog, as I wanted to concentrate on getting my list going and keeping my opinions out of the internet realm.  My attitude has always been - if you want my opinions, lets talk about it, preferably over a nice cold beer.  And I have opinions, oh boy I do.  But I have to come forth in defense of belly touching.

I'm five and a half months pregnant, and yes, I am finally showing for real.  No longer does it look like I *might* just be fat with unflattering clothes.  I now have a proud belly, get seats on the subway and have to wear belly accommodating maternity clothes.

I keep reading everywhere of people complaining about strangers and friends reaching out to touch their pregnant bellies, like its the most offensive invasion of privacy imaginable.  Like people are falling over themselves to touch them at all times.  This is not happening to me.  Au contraire, I am surprised not more people are touching it.

I want human contact.  I think its so wonderful to be a carrier of life, and when you see people's faces when they touch your belly and they have this mixture of awe and curiosity, you feel so special.  It makes all the discomforts and aches worth it to know that there's something truly magical going on down there.  I like it when people touch it, talk to it, whatever, and I"m kinda sad that it doesn't happen more.  People are respecting the concept of my personal bubble waaaay too much.  I don't have a bubble, and if I do, it must be one of those permeable types.

Yeah, it gets annoying to have people assume they can discuss your body at their leisure, to tell you what you should eat or do (if my doctor okay'd it, its really none of your business what I chose to do with my fetus).  But have we come so far in the pendulum that now I have my own friends double checking with me if they can touch the belly?  Its okay, a fetus lives in there for only a few months, I've already given up autonomy over my own stomach for that time.  

Its okay, touch it, and talk to it too.  I'm sure the baby likes the attention.