I find it hard to believe that a bunch of old ladies will hit a pregnant woman. - regardless of the plaguing social issues that teenage mothers in the UK are leeches of the welfare system.

Hitting a pregnant woman? Like wow.

I can still hear the rant my grandmother went on when she saw one of my cousins wearing a dress that tucked a little under her very pregnant belly... I thought she looked lovely and feminine, but to the older generation it was scandalous and 'she may as well be standing in her underwear'

But if you shouldn't wear skin tight clothing when you're not pregnant (I include myself in this as I'm rather well endowed), this same rule should be followed when you are expecting.

In my option, the best looking woman is one who dresses according to her shape, pregnant or not.

I can so sympathize...I got horrible dirty stares every single day. I look young, not to brag (it can be annoying to get carded constantly, and in my career it helps looking old), but people were just unpleasant. I don't know why people have the stereotypical preconceptions of young loking preggo - must have been a mistake, an irresponsible decision, etc etc. They also gave dirty looks to my hubby. But they probably think old looking preggo, gray hair and all, must be responsible mama, with ton of resources and wisdom. I could really care less, but the black and white stereotypes got irritating. Oldish ladies wouldn't mind bumping into my belly, too. Pushing me, etc. There are ways people let others know, in a passive aggressive way, what they think.

I find it weird that people find prego ladies "sort of attractive in a weird, rebelious way.." hahaha...I know it takes an adjustment, to view pregos as hot chicks, but voila....the times are changing.

I don't know why would people have to hide their beautiful gift, why would they have to wear tents instead of normal, fitted clothes. Fitted and soft does not mean uncomfortable, at all. Reminds me old grannies talking a storm against jeans a few decades ago. Some jeans can be really comfy. And, imagine, there are jeans for pregos. Ha!

Show your figures, just like any other women. Big, small, fat, who cares. All beautiful.

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"L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein

The old people are just going to have to live with it! Getting old can't just be benefits, the world becomes more tollerant and they have to adapt or die.
And yes, many women are very attractive when they are pregnant.

Fixed that for you.

The world might be getting more tolerant in some respects, but it's also becoming much more illiberal in other ways.

I think we should have a little more sympathy for older people who see the world changing in ways they cannot always comprehend, and of which they might not really approve.

... short of manhandling pregnant women, or hitting them with handbags, of course. But stares and pursed lips never hurt anyone, did they?

Sympathy or no sympathy general mannerism hasn't hurt anyone either. It was rude to stare in 1927 and it is still rude to stare now.

Not in Switzerland.

You're right, probably not.

This thread reminds me...

While cleaning out some family papers I found a letter my grandmother had written to her sister, announcing my mother's pregnancy. Throughout the letter, while Grandmama was obviously overjoyed at the prospect, she referred to my mother as being 'in an interesting condition' or 'anticipating a happy event'. A product of her generation, my grandmother could not bring herself to write the word 'pregnant'.

We're talking 1950s here, not the Victorian era.

Even a generation later I remember my grandmother's only concession to changing times was to refer to her granddaughters as being 'expecting' - Grandmama still found the word 'pregnant' rather shocking.

That generation held very different notions, lived by a different set of social rules than we do today. Those social mores were drilled into our grandparents as children and young adults, they surface automatically - for many, changing with the times is easier said than done.

Best thing to do is to smile and go about your day - and to thoroughly enjoy your 'happy event'.

Usually when I get stared at it makes me want to do whatever it is more (if I can even figure it out!)

Also, I generally like to stare back with the same expression on my face as is on theirs just to show them how it feels when they are rude a#*holes. This generally backfires or has no effect, but hey, makes me feel better and it's kinda fun

Reminds me of last year when my little cousin had his girlfriend's very big bump as his facebook profile pic! Close up and with lots of veins.

Obviously I adore their baby girl but perhaps not the best way to announce a preganancy to the rest of the family!

She'll probably pass out if she sees how increasingly common it has become for people announce pregnancy on Facebook then.

A picture shot of the 12 weeks foetus in the uterus.

It's interesting to read all your observations and comments. My general comment is "gee" what is it with all the people being so obsessed about if somebody's being pregnant or not.

Last summer at the local tennis club where my wife coaches, we were sitting on bench and watching tournament matches for good few hours while basking in the sun. It might be just me but I like to put my hand on my wife's belly or from time to time pat her in underbelly nothing obscene whatsoever, so I did. I couldn't even know if the people were watching me doing that or not but few days later almost every woman in the club asked my wife is she was pregant. Why? Because your husband showed interest in your belly...

I have never seen more obstinate and nosy people than that, please get a life!

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I agree, and for most part I feel bad for folks who haven't adapted their views since 1920's...really. It takes social skills and not everyone has them, nor is flexible enough anymore to acquire them. I actually love hanging out with old folks, it is amazing how many nice, wise and funny old people there are, with healthy attitudes.

On the other hand, if those show their different opinion through aggressive or unpleasant behavior, then they should expect people to have a reaction to that.

I have a friend who delivered here, her Swiss mil made her wear some attrocious clothes and shoes when she was expecting, apparently it was "good" for her. My personal opinion and judging from other things this mil was very adamant about, she didn't want my friend to have that lovely attention and concern men pay to women who glow. She was jealous when my preggo friend even dressed like a scarecrow with some ill fitted crap, retirees pantoufles and hats too small (gifts from mil) still got positive attention from strangers and male members of the family. Mil also insisted the child shouldn't speak the mother's tongue, aparently useless, and the child (boy) shouldn't play with push chairs and dolls. Some people don't know how to let go...

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"L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein

This must be a female thing I think. No bloke, young or old I have ever known or spoken to has regarded it as acceptable to smack, wallop, slap, push or do anything physical to a pregnant lass. Nor would they do much staring, pointing or mumbling either. By and large chaps are usually fairly respectful to pregnant women, far more so than to ladies when they arent pregnant!

Sorry but regardless of who you are, how old you are or where you live it is utterly outrageous to physically harm (slap, push or otherwise) a pregnant women, child or anyone. Or force someone to wear something. Just who does these people think they are!!

Such behavior has less to do with elderly people struggling to live in a changing world and much more to do with downright bitter, twisted, nasty tendencies. It's completely unacceptable. What utterly miserable people to behave in such a way

In my teens, I believed in little blonde cuties innocence and if friends tried to convince me that Miss "xyz" which I fell for was screwed, I wouldn't believe them utill I saw one of them with huge round belly.. and tears came into my eyes. My innocent object of desire had sex with somebody else. I was so dissapointed.

In my twenties, I knew already what I had to know and what it was all about. I was surprised that she wouldn't have belly and was telling the truth. Or she lied and hid evidence one way or the other. I like Jeremy Kyle's program where he sorts out this kind of folks.

Now, in my thirties I know that she went thru all that and I would only be surpised if she didn't have a belly yet.

It is difficult to get rid of this stereotypical mindset, especially if you were brought up in conservative way.

But man if you see this belly, you obviously know...

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Laughing! You`r right. But I looked like the first picture. Only gained 8 kg and looked fine. Showing no skin. But they stared anyway. Maybe it`s more a religious thing. In the city of Basel it was fine. It was the small villages surrunding Basel it mostly happened.

Maybe it is because you were absolutely stunning and people were amazed to see such a hot mama!

See, when I was pregnant, it was during a baby boom in Basel (3 years ago) almost every woman was pregnant!!! I wasn't really original...

I am guessing they put something in the water here!

Well, just carry on provoking and the pregnancy will take care of it's self.