Stop asking women if they are pregnant

It's time to stop women if they are pregnant, including stars such as Hailey Bieber. Photo by Getty

It is incredible that in 2023 it is still considered socially acceptable to ask a woman if she is pregnant. Think about it. You are simply walking down the street, perhaps you have stopped to purchase a coffee, but the last thing you are expecting is to be confronted by a stranger who has the audacity to ask you a deeply personal question such as, ‘How many months pregnant are you?’ or ‘It can’t be long until you drop.’ This is not a far fetched scenario, on the contrary it is something that Lisa Roukin has experienced on multiple occasions. Lisa told National World that “Since having my first child at 45 and having had an infertility journey for three years, my body has been through a lot, including four miscarriages prior to my miracle baby. My baby is now nine months old and since he was born, I have been continuously asked by numerous strangers when I am due or how many months pregnant I am.”

“I have suffered internally with all these unwanted comments. It baffles me how strangers just assume that one is pregnant and feel that it’s ok to ask such a personal question without knowing the person or their journey. I’ve been asked these insensitive comments on a weekly basis which is devastating as I’m not pregnant. It’s very hard to know how to respond when you're caught off guard, but the only way that I can respond is to say I’m not pregnant.”

I have been following Lisa on social media for some time and have felt incredibly saddened watching Lisa recount her upset at being asked if she is pregnant time and time again. It would seem that Lisa is not alone when it comes to being asked if she is pregnant as Hailey Bieber also revealed her upset about this in a recent interview. She told GQ that “Recently, everybody was like, ‘Oh my God, she’s pregnant, and that’s happened to me multiple times before.” She goes on to say “There is something that’s disheartening about, Damn, I can’t be bloated one time and not be pregnant? It would be a lie if I was like, ‘Oh yeah I don’t give a s**t.”

I personally have never asked a woman if she is pregnant and have never contemplated posing the question for one second. I also find it difficult to understand why anybody would ask someone they know, let alone a complete stranger. Although the person asking the question may think it is an innocent question, it is anything but. By simply asking a woman, you are immediately putting her in a vulnerable position as she more than likely has been caught off guard. Although some women may not be offended by the question, there are others who will be impacted very negatively by it. One woman may have just suffered a late miscarriage, whilst another might have just been told she can never have children.

When asked on multiple occasions if she is pregnant, Lisa Roukin has simply and politely replied that she isn’t. Although I understand it won’t be easy, I hope that next time the question is posed to her, she calmly replies “Just so you know, you should never ask a woman if she is pregnant, it is socially inappropriate, intrusive and ignorant and I won’t be answering.” However, quite frankly, she shouldn't have to respond like this as she should not have been asked in the first place.

Stop asking women if they are pregnant: Hailey Bieber and all women should not have to reply

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