To pretend I'm pregnant

[shoelaces]

Rather than tell a stranger they're wrong, I'm not pregnant, I'm just fat.

I've been fatter but also slimmer. I'm not happy with this weight. But this is the first time someone has assumed I'm pregnant. So did I smile and nod?

Or correct them? And how? What would you say?

I don't think she meant anything by it, some mums tend to be so bubbly and chatty they don't think twice about what they are saying and how it could come off to another person, she probably sees women all the time newly pregnant so she just assumed.

I'd take that as a compliment, somebody being blissfully unaware and thinking that you are just pregnant over silently judging you and thinking that you're overweight.

You can go along with it, if you're sure you aren't going to bump into them again that is.

I've been asked if I was pregnant by an acquaintance. I was wearing a floaty top that she must've thought was a maternity one. I told her truthfully I wasn't pregnant, I'd just put on a bit of weight. She thought I was joking and carried on asking questions, including when was I due, digging herself into more of a hole. When I was finally able to get a word in I told her very stony faced that she'd got it wrong & I'd just put on some weight. Oh my, the penny finally dropped & she was mortified. I have to admit I did kind of enjoy watching her squirm.

My DH used to do this!!! I've told him under no circumstances is it correct or polite to ask or say anything to any woman about being pregnant unless he's been specifically told she is or it's damned obvious.

unless he's been specifically told she is or it's damned obvious.

Problem is, sometimes it’s “obvious “ but also wrong. Since DD was born several years ago, I’v never gone back to my pr-pregnancy size/shape. Even to me, I currently look 6mo pregnant (oh, and have chronic lower backache to match).

My DS is 7 so I can't even blame a post baby bulge. the extra weight is due to health reasons and it has been desperately hard to accept that we can't have another baby.

I'm hoping not to bump in to her and loose all this weight over the summer. It's about 3 stone. Possible?! Or too extreme?!

'No im just fat' is what I say every time someone asks me. It happens a lot as I have awful bloat. I used to get upset but now I say it very blunt because I think it's bloody cheeky for people to assume. Most people are mortified and apologise . I wouldn't lie OP. I know it's so embarrassing though .

Thanks to my IBS I can look very convincingly pregnant when I’m bloated despite only being a size 8-10, and I’m frequently offered a seat on the tube. I smile, say thanks and sit down!

I was 11 weeks and hadn’t told anyone (previous history of MCs) and DH’s aunt asked me at a christening if I was pregnant. I said no just fat, and she was mortified. I felt terrible when I later told her the truth, she’d spent ages feeling bad about it. Shouldn’t have asked though really.

This has happened to me 3 times. Once in Tesco; the cashier asked me if I knew what I was having. I just said a girl and walked away! 2nd time, a client from work just said “how long have you got left”, my reply was “a couple of hours” because I thought she meant till the end of my rounds!!! She was suitably embarrassed!! Third time, another client asked if I was knew what I was having, I said I didn’t. She’s forgotten she said it and hasn’t asked again. My stomach muscles are shot from having 5 babies so yeh, it does stick out somewhat.

This is going to happen to me at some point. My 2nd is 7 months and I still have a bump. I think my body is just fucked.

for all sorts of reasons, never mention a pregnancy unless the woman tells you first! What is WRONG with people???

I spent months not mentioning an obvious pregnancy for fear of getting it wrong. One of my friends muscles have separated and she looks pregnant even though her youngest is over 2 the nhs won’t help her and the gym etc isn’t having any impact.

So the mum who said it quite fat, fatter than me. I'm now an 18 (still feel like a 12 though) and she looks about a 22/24.

Is it reasonable to down a slim fast, think fuck it, and have some buttered toast as well?! Diet starts on the next meal. I have done a fair bit of emotional eating recently. Need to slap that one out of me somehow. Or I will be forced to kidnap a baby...

Happens all the time on the tube.

When it's a man, I can think, ooh, maybe he's being chivalrous. When it's a woman, especially a woman who is older than me - it is absolutely mortifying and ruins the entire day. :(

I don't know why people do it - I only offer a seat to women who are 1) obviously many months along, 2) wearing a pregnant badge or 3) patting their tummies in the way that only pregnant women do. If in doubt if a woman was pregnant or fat, I wouldn't offer her seat unless she asked.

A lovely little old lady did it to me, I could tell she would be mortified for getting it wrong so went along. We were both waiting at the same time for something that then got delayed so it went on longer than anticipated 😲 DH turned up so had to grab him and debrief about our second child we were expecting. He of course pissed himself laughing and got totally into the swing of it, bit too much for my liking!

My womb is swollen due to adeno.
I have great joy in telling people I am not pregnant and watching them squirm.

I used to explain I wasn't and go in to detail about my health. Now, I just think eff them.

I still have an adeno belly, but some if it is far too much cake! (Possibly most of it)

I met one of my dearest friends this way about 15 years ago. Ds1 was a preschooler at the time and darted up to her exclaiming "you're having a baby". She found it hilarious and we've been friends ever since!

A colleague did this to me before I was actually pregnant. I was a size ten and she is easily a size twenty. She patted my tummy and said in front of about six other people, congratulations hope it's not a secret! I replied, 'what the fact I've just had a big lunch and need to work on my posture?' She then said again, no you're pregnant aren't you? Me- 'nope just greedy'. She ended up more embarrassed than me, it annoyed me because she doesn't know what people are going through, and the whole 'hope it's not a secret' , well Sheila if it was that comment would be even more inappropriate. I also hate that random people think it's ok to touch me now I am actually pregnant.

Don't worry OP, I have had this loads! I'm a completely healthy weight, mid range healthy BMI, and think I look fine. I'm just apple shaped with skinny legs so can look a bit pregnant at certain angles and it's rubbish when people ask but it doesn't mean you're fat. People are rude and make silly mistakes, it's no reflection on you!

I do this sometimes if I'm looking fat I just rub my belly like I would when I was pregnant I told dog the other day he said I am weird

I was at work one day and some one who just started came in and asked when I was due to infront of 5 other woman.

with a totally dead pan voice I said i wasn't pregnant just very fat.

she got all flustered but then told her not to worry about it and laughed, the truth is I am fat, she didn't mean to be rude or horriable but that brief 2 minutes of thinking she offended me has taught her not to assume. we're good friends now.