Written with help from Brimming



I was very excited when HR gave me the ok start interviewing candidates for the new sales position.  I knew I'd be looking at a lot of eye candy because most of our clients were female and having a good looking guy sell our product to them often helped seal the deal. HR always did a good job finding the best looking guys to interview.  

I flipped through the resumes, and spotted one that looked interesting.  His name was Andy; he played lacrosse in college, had gone to a good school, and listed triathlons as one of his hobbies.  I immediately put him on the top of my list.

I did have to see several other guys before Andy came in.  It was a good crop this year, all were tall, fit, good looking and had a great charm about them.  Throughout each interview I found reasons to eliminate each candidate, either they were dumb as rocks or didn’t know the first thing about sales.  Hopefully Andy would be better.

When Andy arrived for his interview, he was just as I imagined.  Tall, dark hair, grey eyes and built.  He had a smile that could melt you.  He wore a slim fit black suit that showed off the many hours he put in at the gym.  His interview skills were up to par and I could see him fitting right in with the rest of the company and being successful at his job.  Only thing I was intrigued by was the lack of 6 pack.  Andy was built like a brick house but he had a little belly going on.  Nothing anyone would notice or think twice about, but it stood out to me.  I spoke with my supervisor and agreed to offer Andy the job; his start date would be next week, the beginning of February.

By May Andy had really gotten good at the job.  He acclimated well to the environment and all his clients loved him.  As expected, the women responded especially well to him. Even though most of our contact with clients was on the phone or via Skype, his good looks were a real asset to the company.

Before this job, Andy worked in a sales environment that involved a lot of physical movement.  Going out to see clients, moving boxes and delivering product were all part of the job.  It was getting obvious that Andy's new desk job was taking a toll on him.  Andy had gained a significant amount of weight in the past 3 months.  It all seemed to go to his belly.  Luckily the clients didn't see as their interaction via Skype was from the chest up and he had not developed a double chin yet but I could tell it was just a matter of time before the weight went other places besides his gut.

Andy was no longer wearing slim fit suits, and jackets.  He switched to loose fitting polo shirts, which were nice in that they showed off his arms but because they didn’t have to be tucked in his belly was free to hang.  

I remember one day we were in my office.  I asked Andy to get a binder on the top shelf of my bookcase.  He obliged and got up and went to the shelf and reached up.  As he reached, his shirt went up and revealed the underside of his belly.  It was amazing how firm it looked; perfectly spherical on the underside.  When he sat back down, Andy didn't notice that his shirt had ridden up so far, exposing his belly from his navel down.  I noticed though. I saw how it sat heavily on his lap.  I suspected all the inactivity and high fat food had made Andy soft, but to the contrary, he had a solid beer gut.

By June people had started making comments to me about Andy's weight, including my boss. In August we had a big client meeting that we had to go to.  This was going to be Andy's first face to face client interaction and he needed to lose the weight before then.  It was time to talk to him about it.

I called Andy into my office that afternoon.  He lumbered in and sat heavily on the chair.  I could see the relief on his face as he got off his feet and sat down.  His belly, which now looked like he had swallowed a basketball, sat firmly on his khaki-covered thighs.

I pulled out a brochure for the gym discount program the company offered from my desk.  Because I couldn’t legally tell him he needed to lose weight, I strongly suggested he get back to the gym and get back into shape because of the certain look our clients expect.

Andy's eyes immediately welled up with tears.  I was so taken aback; I didn’t know what to do.  At that moment he told me he was pregnant!  He explained that he didn’t want to tell me in the interview because he really needed the job.  He planned to give the baby up for adoption so he wouldn't need the paternity leave, just a few days off after he delivered.  He sobbed, saying he knew he would have to tell me sometime but just didn’t know how.  

Andy was so caught up with emotion that he pulled his shirt up in a dramatic move to show me the baby belly he had been keeping a secret (though not very well).  It was quite a sight to see.  His muscular pecs still remained, but sat firmly on his round belly.  It looked perfectly round, except for what could have been a head or a butt poking out from the lower left side.  As he touched it, I could see the baby moving around, stretching his skin as it moved within Andy's womb.

I assured Andy that his job was safe and he didn’t have to keep his  secret any longer.  Although he was nervous about the client meeting in August, I said he would still go but he could do the prep work and stay behind the scenes.  I could literally see the relief wash over his face as I explained that everything would be fine.  

As soon as the rest of the office found out, everyone got together to throw a big baby shower.  We were all so excited for Andy.  In lieu of gifts (since he was giving the baby up for adoption) we all chipped in for a year's membership at the gym for Andy to use after he had the baby. Andy laughed at our gift and rolled his eyes but was very grateful. 

Everyone asked Andy when he was due. He told us mid September, making him 6 months along.  I'm not a doctor but he looked pretty big for 6 months but Andy is a big guy so maybe the baby was big too?  

With the cat out of the bag, Andy then started to wear paternity tops to work.  He looked and acted a lot more comfortable at work now that he didn't have to keep such a big (and always growing) secret and could wear more accommodating clothes. 

By the time August rolled around, Andy and I were deep into prep for the meeting that was taking place in a week.  We stayed many a late night at work and spent weekends in the office together.  I noticed that the pregnancy was finally starting to affect Andy.  

He was massive at this point.  From behind you couldn't tell that he was pregnant but as soon as Andy turned around his huge belly was startling.  The August heat was intense for everyone and poor Andy looked miserable. He had taken to wearing light-weight paternity polo shirts to work but by mid afternoon they were sticking to his belly with sweat.  I didn’t even have Andy doing much anymore but work in front of a computer it’s just that his belly was a giant orb of heat.  When his shirt would stick to Andy's round belly it was easy to see the movements of the baby.  I would sometimes find myself almost in a trance as I watched the orb for a rouge elbow or foot to deform the round sphere. 

When Andy did have to move around it was evident that his belly had already started to drop. It hung very low on his hips and he had to waddle around with a hand glued to his lower back.  I could see the strain the weight of his belly was putting on his spine.  The baby was big. Andy told me one day over lunch that at his last check up, the doctor said the baby was already over 13 lbs! The poor kid still had a month to go too! 

As we prepped for our meeting with the clients, Andy and I spent a lot of time in the conference room, sitting across from each other, our respective work spread out in front of us.  Every so often Andy would suck in a deep breath or groan softly. I always thought he was going into labor but it was just another jab from the baby. After each flurry of movement, Andy would lean back in his chair and rub his big belly. Looking at him you’d think he was overdue rather than due in 4 weeks!
 
After a particularly big roll, I joked that he must be having a boy because it looked like the baby was playing football inside him.  Andy chuckled and continued to rub his warping belly.  He winced as he told me that not only was he uncomfortable because of the big baby's movements but his skin was starting to get sore from stretching more and more on a daily basis.  He pulled up his shirt a few inches to show me the stretchmarks he'd developed.  They were faint but visible around the sides of his belly as well as along the bottom of the front.  They were a testament to how far the young man's skin was stretching to accommodate  the baby's continuous growth.  The skin was so stretched I could see blue veins on the bottom of his belly too.  

Andy and I decided to drive to the client meeting.  10 long hours in the car.  He told me he wasn’t comfortable flying, which was fine with me; we had a ton of paperwork to bring so we saved on not having to send it out there. Plus I wasn't too sure if any airline would even let Andy fly at his size and this late in his pregnancy!  

The car ride was miserable for the young, overly pregnant man.  He shifted in his seat every few minutes trying to get comfortable.  My back hurt from being in the car so long but I didn't say anything as I could only imagine how Andy's back felt. 

We arrived at the hotel, checked in and started to prep for the meeting.  Andy was slower than usual setting up computers and displays.  He waddled very slowly as he performed his tasks and needed to take frequent trips to the bathroom.  Andy had to get down on the ground to connect various wires to the computers.I was shocked to see that his belly was so big it touched the floor as he was crawled around on all fours!  Getting up was a struggle for him.  I had to stop what I was doing to help him off the ground as his centerr of gravity was totally off.  In hindsight, I probably should have brought an intern to help set up, rather than just a pregnant man. 


The next day the presentation went great.  Andy was not present much to the female clients disappointment but I had him dial in over Skype for the overview.  Little did the clients know Andy was just feet away in his room. 

I took Andy out to dinner to celebrate that night.  We went to a fancy steak house and were both enjoying our meals but I could tell Andy was miserable. He looked so uncomfortable wedged between his seat and the table. He kept shifting around, rubbing his back trying to get comfortable. Or rubbing his belly and moaning as the baby rolled around. I asked him if he was ok and he told me he was just uncomfortable and tired. I hoped that helping me set up/break down the meeting hadn't been too taxing on him.  We skipped dessert, I got the check and went back to the hotel.

I woke up to the sound of the hotel phone ringing.  I thought it was my 6AM wake up call but the clock showed it was only a little after 2AM. I picked up and it was Andy asking me to come over ASAP.

I got into my robe and walked down to his room and knocked.  Andy opened the door wearing a pair of boxers and his own robe but his was open, belly spilling out of the front. He let me in and told me he was in labor.  The poor kid was a sight to be seen.  His body was in great shape except for the belly that hung from his mid section.  It wasn’t as round as I remembered, it looked like he had a watermelon in there now. The bottom of Andy's belly was no longer a perfect sphere either. I could clearly see the outline of the baby's head. It was obviously ready to be born. It was then I remembered that Andy wasn't due for another month! 
  
I didn't let Andy see me worry. I told him not to freak out, we would go to the hospital. Many babies were born early and do just fine. It was then he confessed he was due next week.  He really wanted to come to the presentation this week.  This was no time to yell at him so I just helped him get dressed and downstairs to the lobby.

The concierge called a taxi for us and we were whisked off to the hospital. The cabby's eyes bugged as he saw how big Andy was as he huffed and puffed through a contraction in the back seat. Andy reached for my hand and I gave it to him as I encouraged him to breathe.   

We got to the hospital as Andy's second contraction of the night ended. I took him over to the reception desk to check in. The receptionist took down Andy's information but because this was not the hospital Andy was registered at we had to wait for his contractions to be 10 minutes apart or his water to break before he was given a room.  Currently the contractions were 25 minutes apart so we had awhile to go.

For the next 2 hours Andy and I waited for his water to break or his contractions to speed up which they slowly were.  We spent a lot of time outside in the courtyard which was just warm enough so early in the morning. I'd rub Andy's back as he slowly waddled around or leaned over a bench as he breathed through a contraction. With each contraction I watched his belly bulge out as the muscles clenched, pushing the baby farther down toward the birth canal.  

During a particularly strong contraction, I got the nerve up to touch Andy's belly. It was fascinating; it was hard as a rock and throbbing with motion, waves of muscle movement and the fluttering of the baby beneath.  I can’t imagine the pressure his insides and the baby were feeling as his belly became hard as iron.

Finally at about 7AM, Andy's contractions were 10 minutes apart. I alerted the receptionist who got an orderly to help us to his room.  I helped the orderly lower Andy into a wheelchair and followed behind as he wheeled my pregnant employee down various halls.  They didn't have any more private rooms so Andy was wheeled into a in a big room with 6 beds in it, each separated by a thin curtain.  

All the beds were filled with men in labor.  Moans, groans and pants constantly filled the room as 1 of the 6 men was always experiencing a contraction.  The orderly was helping Andy out of his clothes so he could put on a gown when Andy's water broke, spilling from him and splashing on the floor. The orderly finished getting Andy into his gown and into bed and then set to cleaning up. 

The gown closed in the front, which was awkward for both of us but I think this night really bought Andy and I closer together.  I was older than Andy by a good 15 years so I felt like a father figure to him as I helped him through his ordeal.

The orderly returned and opened Andy's gown and attached sensors to various part of his belly to monitor his contractions.  When he was done attaching the sensors, the orderly moved to close up Andy's gown but Andy asked for him to leave it open as he was getting very hot as he labored. The orderly complied, leaving the gown open but pulled a sheet over Andy's legs to right below his belly.  

Andy's labor continued for the next few hours as he continued to open up slowly.  Various doctors would come in to check his progress from time to time and always promised it would just be a little longer before Andy could push.   Andy's biggest complaint was the pressure he was feeling in his hips.  I could see just how hard his body was working as it prepared to expel the huge baby.  As Andy laid on his back with legs spread wide, I could see his belly taking on new shapes with each contraction.  The muscles contracted so hard against the baby I could see the outline of the kid's back as the contraction peaked.  I could see the baby struggling against the pressure too as various arms and legs would push out from the sides of Andy's belly.  All Andy could do was moan and pant with each contraction as it was still too soon to push.


By noon, Andy had reached 9CM. He would really be able to push soon!  Neither of us had slept all night so we were both exhausted.  Andy who had been enduring contractions for almost 12 hours started to look out of it. Poor guy hadn't even started pushing yet! 

Another doctor came around and gave Andy a quick check. It was 12:30PM and Andy had hit 10CM and could start pushing!  

They had run out of gurneys so Andy was placed back in a wheel chair and wheeled down to the delivery room.  As Andy was taken out of his bed and moved to the wheel chair, I could see how low his belly hung.  It looked so heavy and I could see how weary he was as he slumped into the chair.  His legs were spread wide, no doubt to make room for the head that was ready to be pushed out.  On his way to the delivery room, a monster contraction hit. Andy grabbed hold of his belly and groaned loudly. He told one of the orderlies that the baby was coming and it felt like it was about to fall out! The orderly assured him that with a baby this size, there was a lot of pushing required before it fell out.

When our small group reached the delivery room, 4 orderlies helped Andy on to the delivery bed and into the stirrups. Andy was so hot and sweaty now that his gown had stuck to the wheelchair so now he lay naked on the bed, legs up in stirrups spread wide open with everything out for all to see including me, his boss!   I could tell that was the last thing on his mind though as Andy yelled again that he had to push.

The doctor gave Andy the ok to push so with the next contraction, Andy gave his first push. He cried out loudly and grabbed for my hand. I thought he was going to break it he was squeezing so hard but I didn't say anything, just grinned and bared it. 

Andy was a strong pusher and within 20 minutes, the baby's head began to crown. I used my free hand to wipe Andy's sweaty brow with a towel as he huffed and puffed between contractions. Another contraction hit and Andy curled up over his belly and grabbed at his knees. He gave a pain-filled cry as the baby's head pushed against his opening. 

I couldn't help but take a peak in the observation mirror that was set up at the foot of the bed over the doctor's head.  I didn't want to look but Andy was so focused on pushing that he didn't notice. I could see the top of the baby's head slowly making it's way out between Andy's legs. It was an amazing sight. 

It took him half an hour, but Andy finally got the head out. The doctor commented on how big it was. It took two contractions before the baby's shoulders rotated and Andy could continue pushing. Now that he was loose from the baby's head, the shoulders didn't present much of a problem.  With three more strong pushes, Andy freed the rest of the baby's body. 

Andy collapsed back against the pillows and gasped for breath as the doctor cut the cord and waited for the after birth to pass. He asked to see the baby before it was taken away. A nurse brought the big, 13 lb. 9 oz. baby boy over and handed him over to Andy who rested him against his chest, on top of his deflated belly. He had tears in his eyes as he kissed his son on the forehead and handed him back to the nurse.



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