New Law Prohibits Touching Pregnant Bellies

If you live in Pennsylvania or are planning to visit, watch yourself. You might see a pregnant belly and be tempted to touch, but it could land you in jail.

I’m not really sure where this started or why it’s become so widely accepted, but there’s kind of a universal belief that it's completely okay to walk up to a pregnant woman and touch her belly. Except a lot of pregnant women don’t think it’s okay.

As a matter of fact, so many pregnant women are so not cool with their bellies being rubbed like a little Buddha that the courts have stepped in to stop people.

Pennsylvania has just instituted a law making it illegal to touch a pregnant woman's belly without asking her first. All of this came to a roaring head because of a case in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania (just outside of Harrisburg) where a man walked up to a pregnant stranger and rubbed her belly.  The woman called the cops, and the man ended up being charged with harassment

So, now lawmakers have made it official- touching a pregnant woman's belly falls under harassment.  It’s a misdemeanor that will usually get you a fine or community service but could get you up to one year in jail in extreme cases.

There's no word if other states might also jump on board and make it illegal to touch, rub, or otherwise fondle a pregnant woman's belly, but I know a lot of pregnant women who wouldn’t mind if other states did jump on board.