SHAMED AND PITIED

Last night I took the metro home after celebrating a friend's birthday on Capitol Hill. The timing of my trip home happened to coincide with the end of the National's baseball game so all of the trains were crowded. I boarded a train, realized no seats were available, and quickly moved to the center of the car to optimize my grip and stabilize myself for the trip home.

As the train was departing from the station, a woman approached me from the other end of the car. She stopped about a foot away from my belly (two feet from my face) and pronounced:

"Would someone please get up and give this woman your seat. She is obviously pregnant and needs to be sitting down."

I was mortified.

How dare she pity me in front of others? And treat me like I was incapable of taking care of myself? Had I needed to sit down, I would have politely asked someone if I could have his/her seat.

And how dare she shame an entire train-full of people? It would have been a completely different story if I had asked for a seat and the train-full of people had denied my request. But those passengers did not need to be shamed my a woman pitying me for being NINE months pregnant. HOW DARE SHE!?!?!?

So about a dozen different people who heard this woman's request (on my behalf) turned to gawk at me. The nice man to my right began apologizing to me; he hadn't noticed that I was pregnant. He offered me his seat. I thanked him kindly, but told him it wasn't necessary; I was fine standing for my short trip.

I then glared at the woman who made a spectacle out of me and snidely thanked her for her concern.

I stood the rest of the way home (even as the train began to empty out and seats became available) out of spite. Probably not the wittiest or original response, but I'm tired and hormonal these days. It was all I could think of at the time.

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Stating the obvious: I'm still pregnant. About a week overdue.

Today: went to the doctor. Baby's heart rate is strong, fluid levels are "outstanding", and my blood pressure is a little high but normal. I haven't felt any contractions and I'm still at 2cm dilated (have been for more than two weeks now).

Big news: my induction is scheduled for Monday at 5pm, which means Baby D should be here sometime on the 7th. Stay tuned...