A friend’s daughter is pregnant with her first child, and has experienced the joys of morning sickness, back pain, and unsolicited comments about the size of her body. She recently wrote a social media post on “things to never tell a pregnant woman,” inspired by what others, some of them friends and family members, have said to her.
Many people have cracked jokes. “How many babies do you have in there?” “You’re huge!” Some have remarked that she must be due any day now, even though she still has months left in her pregnancy. She laughs the comments off, but has said that they make her feel miserable and insecure.
Unless this is a close friend, you also shouldn’t ask if the pregnancy was planned. It’s not your business. If she wants to share, she will.
It’s impolite to touch a woman’s stomach – and may pregnant women object to the term “bump,” so follow the mama’s lead – without being invited to do so. Also, many parents-to-be are sensitive about their name choices, because everyone has an opinion. An expectant mother I know has vowed to not share her baby name until it’s born. She said that, during her last pregnancy, she got sick of being criticized for every suggestion she made. Bottom line: If you don’t like the name, you can have your own baby.