Why do we say 'fall' pregnant?

[twiglett]

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guess it means you've done it again, regained some grace by being mother and then we just go and spoil it all by... you get the picture.

because its an accident

wonder if by any chance it has any connection with that charming phrase "Fallen woman"

I never say it - to me it always conjures up an image of someone tripping and kind of falling onto a willy and gtting pregnant in an "oopsadaisy!" type fashion - just accidentally, iyswim

That could just be me though

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Yep, I'm guilty of saying this too. All my female relatives say it so I get it from them. I have also heard women say 'when I caught on with ds/dd' !!

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bun in oven

'with child'

Bun in the oven?

I say fell pregnant and am an Essex girl!!

BR

Sorry, took ages to post and someone got there first.

Unmarried mothers would sometimes be 'sent to the country for their Confinement'

twiglett - I'm from Redcar in Teesside and my Mam's from Newcastle.

It is a reflection of the state of your breasts

LOL FF

and your pelvic floor.

At least falling pregnant is more decorous than what comes after - dropping a sprog.

its cos you've fallen from a state of grace eg untouched and virginal. All goes back to Adam and Eve and Catholic Church.

I didn't fall so much as dive.

oh no everyone knows I'm not a virgin anymore

No, really alicatsg? Must be subliminally why I've always disliked the phrase. Much prefer bun in t'oven (I'm originally a northerner) or up the duff for colloquialisms. Or just boring old expecting/pregnant. Market stall guy referred to me (when hugely pregnant) as 'in an interesting condition' which I thought was sweet.

But wouldn't you also use 'fallen pregnant' when talking about subsequent children? So how would that work then?

walked past a couple of middle aged ladies in the street yesterday, one said to the other: ooh, next year they're going to try for a family..ffs! the way we 'dance' around things in this country!