Motherhood: The New Celebrity

I recently went to a grocery store and ran into a woman who happens to know that my husband and I are trying to have a child. (By the way, never say anything in a Curves gym that you don't want the entire world to know.)

I was in the short line and had one thing in my hand: a bottle of wine. My husband was at home fixing up a nice dinner of prosciutto and pasta, and since I am clearly not pregnant and outside the range of possibly getting pregnant, we decided to make a nice meal and celebrate NOT being pregnant. Why not?

While chit-chatting, she looked down at my item and said, "Well, it looks like you're not pregnant yet, I see."

I was a caught off-guard a little bit because I'm not used to having my sex life (and really, when it comes down to it, that's what we're talking about) discussed in the 10 items or less lane at my local market. I've only told a few people that I'm actively trying to get pregnant, and I guess it was a little surprising to have an acquaintance bring up the topic. I mean, she doesn't know my name, but she does know that I'm trying.

This is my first public encounter with celebrity in the form of motherhood, or in my case, pre-motherhood. Pregnant women are high-profile these days. All the movie stars are showing off their bumps and baby weight. And everyone has an opinion about what pregnant women should and should not do. Once you start growing a life inside you, people start to treat you differently and not necessarily in the opening-doors-for-you and smiling-knowingly kind of way.

For now, I'm enjoying the incognito life of a woman without children. I have no screaming babe at hip to call attention to me. And I'm no big-breasted 19-year-old either. I can move unencumbered through the crowds for now.