Asking If a Woman is Pregnant When She Isn't

Has Anyone Ever Falsely Assumed You Were Pregnant?

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Is she or isn't she? Some people have a hard time telling the difference between a woman who is pregnant and someone who is wearing loose clothing or has a packed on a couple of pounds so they go ahead and assume she's expecting. This can be a sticky situation if the lady is not since she may take the inquiry as an insult. Has this ever happened to you?

Source: Thinkstock
PregnancyPregnancy Etiquette

10 Comments

This just happened to me today! It was awful and I cried for hours. I've been working out SO hard- I'm 125lbs, 5'7" and 12% body fat. I feel like all of my hard work is for nothing. It's not like the lady was crazy either- I usually buy my eye glasses from her. I was wearing a loose top, but obviously I wouldn't wear it if i thought I looked pregnant.
It has happened to me a couple of times, my stomach easily gets quite blown up (I am severely lactose intolerant) and I don't have a flat belly anyways. Once it was quite sweet, a tram conductor (an elderly lady) shooed a young man out of his seat and offered me the place, it wasn't until I got of that I realized she had probably thought I was pregnant due to the shape of my coat and my lactose belly. I have also had my drink taken from me and poured out by perfect strangers in a bar twice and have on numerous occasions been lectured about the dangers of drinking while pregnant, which is way less sweet. Since my lactose belly seems to get better when I stroke it and the reaction tends to make me slightly nauseous and dizzy I am aware that I do occasionally display symptoms of pregnancy, so I understand why people think I am pregnant, but people do tend to get out of line quite often (and why is it that they are more eager to lecture You on alcohol habits than offering You a seat when they think You are pregnant?). I usually take it quite well (I am getting sort of used to it) but sometimes it hurts, especially those days when I really wished it was true.
My mother-in-law asked me about a year after we were first married. I had gained some weight as a contented newlywed, and I had also started working from home and was much more sedentary. I was pretty sensitive about the added pounds. When she asked me, I told her, "No, I'm just fat." She persisted, telling me that I didn't have to hide the pregnancy for 12 weeks. "No," I said, "I've just gained weight." After she insisted again that I didn't have to be coy, I looked at her and said, "It's fat. Just fat. I'm fat." Looking back, it was probably just wishful thinking on her part.
blooditsnotfunny blooditsnotfunny
no, but after i eat a big meal i can stick my belly out and it kind of looks like i'm preggers. This is a funny practical joke for me (I'm not sure if my dad was as amused as I was)
amaebi519 amaebi519
It's happened to me - THREE times over the span of several years. It's just the way I'm built - I was maybe 120 lbs at 5'7" the first two times. Working out never seems to help, no matter what I try - it sucks but I've just had to learn how to dress to minimize my belly. It's one of the reasons I love being pregnant: I've never had more body confidence in my life! That said, God forbid someone ask a woman who is 'obviously' pregnant in the case she's just miscarried - that's the biggest reason I'd never assume.
wisecat wisecat
Oh...so many times...4 to be exact! In my opinion they were all ridiculous! First two times I was quite thin for a long time...I was about 5'5" and around 120ish. Then I gained some weight..nothing outrageous. I think at max I weighed 130...about a size 6 and two different people asked me. Someone that I saw everyday at our office cafe and someone that I had seen only a few times at a local retail store. THEN, there are three drs at my pediatrician's office. My son's dr was on vacation so we went in to see one of the other drs. My son was 3 months old. And he asked me when my due date was! REALLY?! You're a dr. I obviously had a baby 3 months ago. LOSER! Then when I came back to work (at 12 weeks) a co-worker asked when I was going to have my baby! Sometimes people are seriously stupid. I know I was carrying some baby weight and I do gain in my midsection but seriously?!
I was walking from my parking lot into work one day when a homeless man started yelling "hey woman! When you due? When you due? Answer me, anyone can tell you pregnant!" I was the only woman around. When I got home, I took off the blouse, put it in the washer, and as soon as it was clean and dried, I put it right into my Goodwill donation pile. I gave it away and have never seen it since.
I just don't know how people can't differentiate between a baby bump and pudge. They're shaped different. Not to mention, it just seems like common sense to me that unless you're POSITIVE a woman is pregnant, you shouldn't comment on her pregnancy. This means she's either hugely with child, or she told you she was pregnant. Why would you just guess that someone is pregnant?
This happend to a friend of mine -- she must have been devastated bc she never told me. She's my best friend and never told me -- the person who made the mistake came to me since we were best friends to offer further condolenses -- I opted not to mention it unless it was mentioned to me. You should never assume something like that.
SugarKat SugarKat
Yes...there was a man at a grocery store and he helped me with my groceries. I was grateful anyway, but I did throw that dress away.
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