Pregnancy always seems to bring out the best and unfortunately the worse in women. While you may think that the expectancy of a child may soften a woman’s heart, very often the constant morning sickness and whirlwind of pain searing through her body will make her more emotional and needy rather than the motherly, loving persona you’d expect.
While not every expecting mother will throw tantrums, it’s amazing how the littlest of words can completely change her mood in a split second even if the person saying it means well. Here are some things you’re allowed and very much welcomed to say to any pregnant woman
“You’re absolutely glowing!”
Okay, so women always want to hear this whether they’re expecting or not. Even if she doesn’t look it, tell her she does and chances are she’ll perk up and glow upon hearing your statement. Saying that she’s glowing is way better than ‘you don’t look fat at all’ because there’s no way it can be twisted into a negative remark!
“Can I touch your belly?”
Touching the belly of a woman can constitute sexual harassment and just because she’s pregnant, it doesn’t make it okay either. Always remember that both her baby and belly are her private property and before you intrude her personal space, always ask before you make physical contact or slam your ear down on her bulging tummy. Ask first, chances are she’ll allow you to touch (who doesn’t like the attention that comes with pregnancy eh) but be quick and don’t linger too long.
“After you”
With pregnancy comes err, special privileges. Apart from getting your doors opened, chairs pulled out, you also get priority seats on trains, bus and you get to cut queues. People like to feel special and being pregnant is somewhat special. A happy mummy means a happy baby!
“You look the same from behind!”
By saying this, you mean that the only weight she’s gained is the bump under her shirt, giving her the assurance that once the baby’s delivered, she’ll be back to the way she looked before her pregnancy.
“You make pregnancy look so easy!”
No two pregnancies are alike, some go through it with breeze while others are constantly struggling with morning sickness or incessant mood swings. Offer your support in every way possible by telling them that you know how hard pregnancy is but “you sure make it look so easy!”
“You’re carrying your future best friend!”
All women dream of a “Gilmore Girl” relationship with their kids (especially the daughters) to the point people thing you’re both sisters instead. Tell her this and she’ll be all dreamy about the possibility of this wondrous connection to-be so that every time things get difficult, she’ll reflect on the positives.
“Congratulations!”
Whether she’s carrying her first or fifth child, you can’t go wrong with congratulating a mother. Don’t go on about how hard things are going to get. It’s one thing to prepare them for what’s to come and another to scare them. Instead, just congratulate her and say something nice because it’s important to keep her happy all the time. For everything else, she’ll learn it soon enough!
