To absolutely hate the phrase "to fall pregnant"

[CoheedandCambria]

I had never heard this phrase until I was well into adulthood and it sounds so wrong to me.

You fall ill, you fall from grace. To 'fall' has entirely negative connotations in my eyes. If ever anyone says they "fell pregnant" it always sounds like an unwanted accident to me but people say it of wanted and planned for pregnancies 🤷🏻

Dunno, people like to fall in love?

I came here to say this!

Oh that is a good point. Didn't think of that.

I agree - it indicates a fail, which I suppose it was back in the pre-contraceptive days

I see it more as just finding yourself in a situation that wasn’t necessarily planned (but also isn’t necessarily negative).
E.g. I fell into nursing as a career but that doesn’t mean it’s not the right career for me.

People also describe falling in love, which is usually a good thing.

Not an expression I would ever use because it sounds as though the woman concerned doesn't know how it happened. Whoops! How did that sperm manage to fraternity with my ovum?

To 'fall' has entirely negative connotations in my eyes.

Really?
fall in love?
my birthday falls on a Monday?

You are not alone, I hate it too. It sounds so twee, passive, limp...

Two people have presumably have actively had sex in full knowledge of that process and what might come from it. To then weakly say someone "fell pregnant" as if it was all a bit much and a completely unforeseen outcome seems quite disingenuous.

I think this is a normal phrase and people also fall in love, fall for someone etc.

I clicked on a thread on here the other day and it was a poster that was 40+ and pregnant and described her pregnancy as a ‘oppsie’ though and that sounded stupid.

Sometimes falling is seen more as a heavenly blessing rather than a failure. "The job fell into my lap". It may be more intended that the pregnancy is seen as a blessing bestowed upon you.

@CoheedandCambria agree

I see it as like a terrible misfortune like falling down a hole or something

But really, it's the same as someone fell ill

So it seems like a really strange phrase to use after contraception was invented.

Fell into anything means it was a surprise and not planned and if in love it's a positive thing, but when I read of falling pregnant it's usually a negative connotation, as in it was an unwelcome surprise

What really puzzles me is when it's used by people who actually wanted to get pregnant. It just sounds completely wrong.

It's not a phrase I'd have used myself because my kids were planned and the result of not using protection. I might have used it for an accidental pregnancy.

Disagree.

its not negative.

its simply another way of saying 'I became' or 'I got'

I don't see it as unwelcome.

Just as you say - a surprise.

Even when people plan to get pregnant they can't always guarantee it's going to happen.

How do you fall ill but not fall pregnant? They’re kind of the same thing, pregnancy makes you feel ill anyway…

Yes I guess "to fall" is not entirely a negative thing but it sounds like something that couldn't be helped.

So what did you say?

there's nothing wrong or negative about saying 'I fell pregnant the second month of 'trying'/stopping contraception.

Well there is one specific thing you must do in order to "fall pregnant". You can fall ill in just about any circumstances.

Contraception fail?

It’s also a cultural term, not heard in the U.S. for instance. And it hopefully won’t travel over there.

Well you don’t see it as “entirely” negative !!

CoheedandCambria · 22/03/2026 19:09
Wednesday is red in my eyes. And I like it when Christmas falls on a Wednesday - it feels right.

Nowhere near as bad as someone saying that they "caught pregnant" or "we'd only been trying for three months when I caught".

Doesn't even make grammatical sense!

wtf? Never ever heard that