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AIBU?

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Original poster

Not the happiest of pregnant people

103 replies

UsedUpUsername · 16/02/2020 07:21

So Kate Middleton is using a phrase I thought was rather a joke: She mentioned in a recent podcast that she was ‘not the happiest of pregnant people’

IABU to be annoyed that she’s using such an awkward and politically charged phrase?

(IABU in caring about this, but whilst the royals are shoved in our faces, I feel entitled to complain)

OP posts:
Original poster
UsedUpUsername · 16/02/2020 07:47

Although astonished that there are people who are unaware of the controversy around using people instead of women in circumstances like this

Me too. It starts fringe but then you get people as milquetoast as KM using it in an effort to be more inclusive. It’s a cultural shift.

Using mum, mother etc is not a problem in this view because men can be mothers too...

OP posts:
LizzieSiddal · 16/02/2020 07:48

Not the happiest of pregnant people

It’s a very awkward phrase. But “Not the happiest of pregnant woman” sounds bonkers.

IncyWincyTincy · 16/02/2020 07:48

I think it's more likely a case of simple alliteration Hmm

MissRabbitNeedsAHoliday · 16/02/2020 07:49

I’m the least ‘politically charged’ person ever in this arena; I’ve used the phrase pregnant person in relation to myself because I am, guess what, a person.
You’re reading far too much into it.

This ^
Think your overthinking it op

Igotthemheavyboobs · 16/02/2020 07:53

Using mum, mother etc is not a problem in this view because men can be mothers too

Well, if you're going down that route, don't TRAs also say trans women are women? If so the phrase women would also have been fine to say if KM was trying to avoid a TERF label.

myself2020 · 16/02/2020 07:56

oh holy hell. get a life. is there anything that doesn’t offend people? i refer to mysrlf as human/person/people, not as woman/girl. nothing political about it, just they way is perceive myself

Brazi103 · 16/02/2020 07:57

fgs really?

Oysterbabe · 16/02/2020 07:58

I can't believe I got sucked into reading more than 1 post of a trans thread. I wish people would clearly say what the fuck they're banging on about in the opening post.

You are massively over analysing, it was a harmless statement and one I might have made with zero political motivation.

ArriettyJones · 16/02/2020 07:59

Well, if you're going down that route, don't TRAs also say trans women are women? If so the phrase women would also have been fine to say if KM was trying to avoid a TERF label.

TBF, it was the Royal College of Nursing, or the General Medical Council or some such body that put out guidance a couple of years ago saying that the phrase “pregnant people” should be use in order to be inclusive. So that is an officially- sanctioned trans-friendly phrase. I just cannot imagine KM being so very —ridiculous— woke.

7Worfs · 16/02/2020 08:03

I spotted it immediately, and frowned.

Erasing words like woman and mother may be nothing to some, but it spells disaster down the road.

Igotthemheavyboobs · 16/02/2020 08:08

TBF, it was the Royal College of Nursing, or the General Medical Council or some such body that put out guidance a couple of years ago saying that the phrase “pregnant people” should be use in order to be inclusive. So that is an officially- sanctioned trans-friendly phrase. I just cannot imagine KM being so very —ridiculous— woke

This is my point though, they say people, not mothers. KM used women and mother throughout the whole podcast. Which is probably why most people didn't initially understand the issue in the OP.

The original argument about making everything inclusive was to stop using the term mother as not gender neutral. OP said using Mum/Mother is not a problem as men can apparently be mothers too, but then surely women would also be fine going by the TRA mantra.

cloudatlaschapter2 · 16/02/2020 08:09
  1. I mean .... could she possibly, just possibly consider herself a person?
  1. Is it awkwardly phrased because it is a hard thing to admit??
  1. She is allowed to use language that is chosen to be inclusive - whether you like it or not.
Berrymuch · 16/02/2020 08:11

I think 'not the happiest of pregnant women' actually sounds worse in relation to this, as if pointing out being a woman means there are another group who can be pregnant. I guess a lot is interpretation, can't get too worked up about it to be honest.

BadCatDirtyCat · 16/02/2020 08:11

I fucking hate being pregnant (much wanted baby etc etc).

Re the "people" thing: yes, I'm a woman but I'm also a person, I think you're reading too much into the phrase..

Iamtooknackeredtorun · 16/02/2020 08:13

You may have got more traction on the feminism board OP!

ArriettyJones · 16/02/2020 08:13

This is my point though, they say people, not mothers. KM used women and mother throughout the whole podcast. Which is probably why most people didn't initially understand the issue in the OP.

Yes, I agree, which is why I asked what language she used through the rest of the podcast.

It might even be that she has subconsciously picked up “pregnant people” as a phrase that’s about but isn’t aware of the back story and wasn’t using it with any political intent whatsoever. Or maybe the alliteration just appealed to her.

DuggeeHugs · 16/02/2020 08:16

I think you may be overthinking it. It struck me as a sort of third person phrasing people use when they want to talk about something difficult but don't want to refer to themselves too personally. It's a way of opening up and brushing off at the same time. A "the HG was awful and I felt guilty that I couldn't enjoy my pregnancy" type statement may have been more than she wanted to make, especially as her primary goal was promoting early years.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 16/02/2020 08:18

I agree OP, when I read that she had said that the first think I thought was that she'd been told to say 'people.'

BadCatDirtyCat · 16/02/2020 08:18

Also, I think using "person" is quite helpful in some ways.. reminds men that just we (pregnant women) are just "normal people" and we don't all sail through pregnancy/nausea/all the other shit while remaining happy and serene - we're allowed to moan just like they would!

NoWordForFluffy · 16/02/2020 08:19

I think it's more likely a case of simple alliteration

Me too. It's alliterative and therefore less awkward as a phrase than if she'd used 'pregnant women' which really does sound clunky.

MrHaroldFry · 16/02/2020 08:23

It was just alliteration

Igotthemheavyboobs · 16/02/2020 08:29

ArriettyJones I think it was just preferable alliteration. She did then go onto say women/mothers/mums etc.

Mintjulia · 16/02/2020 08:31

Blimey OP, can’t you find anything else to be outraged about.

She was pregnant and she is a person. And she wasn’t enjoying herself.

ArriettyJones · 16/02/2020 08:33

ArriettyJones I think it was just preferable alliteration. She did then go onto say women/mothers/mums etc.

Thanks. That does seem more “her”.

JayAlfredPrufrock · 16/02/2020 08:34

I’m an ardent terf and I did clock the phrase but think it was more alliterative than pc.