Ladies: Has anyone ever mistakenly asked if you were pregnant? How did you respond?

It happened to me once. I just told them I wasn’t and said I always hold a lot of my weight in my stomach. Of course they apologized, and I told them not to worry about it. It was during a time that I had had a few miscarriages, so the people around me knew I was trying.

If I know the woman I usually only ask a woman based on her breasts getting huge, not looking a little overweight, and I have always been right. Of course if she is far along and generally was thin it gets pretty obvious if she has a preggers belly.

If I don’t know the woman the only time I might acknowledge her pregnancy is to let her take my seat, or step ahead of me in the bathroom line if she looks uncomfortable.

Better: They just assumed I was, and asked “When are you due?”. I was so taken aback that I mumbled, “April…” and then stood there for several more minutes in shock as she rambled on about how I probably was going to have a boy, because I was carrying high…

Thank goodness, no. I’m surprised, but no. I did, however once have an older gentlemen (a stranger, mind you) tell me that when I do get pregnant no one will know because “you really can’t tell when a fat girl is pregnant. They just look fatter.”

True story. That should have been my answer to the other question. Particularly, because, I was actually thinner then than I am now by at least 20lbs, and although a bit on the chubby side.. I was hardly “fat.”

Ew, that makes me angry just remembering it.

Mr. Fiance once said “I’ll never ask a woman if she’s pregnant unless I can actually see a baby emerging from between her legs”! Good advice ;)

@Seelix I agree with your Mr. Fiance. Especially with obesity rates on the rise, it’s always better to err on the side of caution. Asking a woman beforehand if she’s pregnant is one of the most nerve-wracking experiences.

Yup I just said no, but thanks for noticing the extra weight.
I used to be really skinny and… strangely enough I was about 7/8 months pregnant and went into McDonalds, needed the loo as you often do when you are pregnant walked into the ladies only to be followed in by another woman who shouts, “Oi you what are you doing in the ladies? the mens is next door!” I turned round and she went as red as a beetroot it was hilarious she walked off in a right strop as if it was my fault she got my gender wrong!! To be fair I could still fit in size 10 (British sizes) under my bump!! and had very short hair so from behind I didn’t really look pregnant!

I carry my weight in my mid section. I have only had it happen twice. Both times I answered “unfortunately, no”. The people both walked away embarrassed, such wasn’t my intention.

I knew a woman who suddenly appeared with a baby boy. She said she had no idea she was pregnant and that she thought it was wind.

Yes, I have been mistaken for being pregnant. But this was before I lost weight.
A man came up to me and asked when I was due, I told him that I was seven months along. The scary thing about that, was that the man then told me he really likes pregnant women.
He beat me at my own game, and I walked away feeling really embarrassed.

No, but I have asked a number of people who weren’t if they were pregnant. Not fun.

I’m thin enough that I would be rather confused if someone asked me that, but it has happened to my sister several times. She would always say, “No. I’m just fat, thanks,” with a huge dose of attitude and a withering look. She figured that if someone was going to ask her that, then they deserved to feel terrible about it. In her defense, she has always struggled with her weight and she has a condition that makes it very unlikely that she will ever get pregnant, so it’s a bit of a touchy issue for her.

It happened once while working in retail. I was wearing an apron that, when I leaned forward, would poof out a bit. (And at the time I wasn’t overweight.) I was getting something from the case for a customer and she asked me, “When are you due?” I was puzzled and asked her, “Due to do what?” She said, “Oh… aren’t you pregnant?” I realized what had happened, laughed and said, “Oh! No, it’s just that the apron kind of puffs out.” She had the grace to apologize and I told her not to worry about it. Then she bought a lot more stuff than I think she intended to!

Once! I was at a farmers market on an extremely HOT summer day about three years ago. I was wearing shorts and this shirt that my husband hates, he says “it does nothing to flatter you”

Well, I have big boobs and when you wear a “flowing” shirt over big boobs the shirt flows out and not necessarily back in…

I was carrying a box of produce out to my car and this guy came running over and says “hey, hey there, you shouldn’t be carrying something heavy like that!” and he took the box from me… I was confused for like a half a second and then realized he thought I was preggers… I was far too embarrassed to correct him, so I let him take the box 30 feet or so to my car and put the box in the driver seat. I thanked him profusely and got in my car and drove away…

My husband nearly fell out of the chair he laughed so hard! I threw the shirt into the Goodwill Donation pile!

No, I was fairly thin until I got too old to be preggers. However, I have been on the other side. I actually once did ask someone, but it only happened once. That kind of embarrassment is something you don’t forget.

It happened to my mom. A lady said, “Oh, when are you due?” and Mom replied “Looks like around the same time you are. Maybe we can share a room.” (Neither of them were pregnant.)

It’s just crazy how often this happens. It’s not like asking someone about the time or the weather! This is definitely an example of “when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me.”

This hasn’t happened to me, but my brother and sister were born when I was 15 and 16. I’d often take them out to the park or to get ice cream, things like that. Sometimes people would say stuff like, “your kids are so cute!” Umm… thanks.

I don’t think that anyone has ever asked me that when I wasn’t, and I have never asked anyone if they were pregnant.
What I don’t understand is, in what context do you ask someone if they are pregnant? If you aren’t sure if they are, then you might just really embarrass them and yourself. Why would you ever ask that question?