Open Mouth. Insert Foot

Ouch. How embarassing.

Have you done it? Have you accidentally asked someone if they were pregnant when they were not?

Don't be embarassed, it's happened to the best of us. But, oh my goodness, could you feel more like a heel? What about the person you asked, they're probably mortified as well. As soon as you walk away from that conversation two things happen.

First, the offender starts going over all the things in their mind that made them come to the conclusion that the offendee was pregnant...
1. Big Flowy Shirt
2. Posture/back is arched
3. Duck walk, maybe?
4. Shiny glow

Second, the offendee starts kicking herself for giving the impression of pregnancy...
1. Darn that Baby Doll top, it looked good on the mannequin
2. I was sitting at the computer all day so I was holding my aching back
3. These shoes make me walk funny
4. I knew I needed more pressed powder today, i'm sweating!

Ladies who are indeed newly pregnant need a button or something to wear, so there's no mistake. Or maybe we should just keep to ourselves and not say anything at all. Is that it? Has the question of asking if someone is pregnant now in the category of...

Questions Not to Ask a Woman
-Have You Gained Weight?
-You're Not Wearing THAT Are You?
-[to an over due pregnant woman] Are You STILL Pregnant?
-[to any woman looking over 18] How old are you?
-now...When Are You Due?

Sometimes it's better to just keep quiet.

*Previously published at Beautiful! Fabulous!*

35 supporters in group:

  1. GoteeMan said...

    Well, as a southern gentleman soon to be 40, I know to steer clear of those questions, as well as how to answer questions asked of me by my sweetie, such as:

    Do these jeans make my butt look big?
    No, Tundra, you look so fine...

    Do you think I'm crazy?
    Nope... never.

    Am I starting to look old? I have crows feet...
    Honey, you are beautiful, and you grow more beautiful every year.

    well, you get the idea... and the good part is - I mean it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I like what I behold...

    J/ (goteeman.blogspot.com)

  2. ugagirl30 said...

    Awww....I like Goteeman.


    One time when I was a teenager I was a waitress. There was an older couple that I was waiting on (both obviously over 50) and they had a baby with them. While the woman was fixing her plate at the buffet, the baby was screaming. When she got back, he handed her the baby. I said something along the lines of "Grandma's touch." She replied with a "This is OUR son." I was mortified and they were probably regretting having a baby at that time in their lives.

  3. Casey said...

    That's the worst question, I never ask it ever since I witnessed someone asking my not-pregnant boss if she was. Ack. I did have a waiter offend me when I was about three months pregnant with my son (not showing yet). We were on vacation and he was trying to get me to order a mixed drink and I told him I couldn't because I was pregnant. He looked down at my stomach and said "oh yeah, you are. Sorry." My friends and I had a good laugh about that one!

  4. Unknown said...

    Well now isnt go-tee man just the sweetest!

    I am a walking open mouth insert foot kinda girl-I need to start carrying a roll of duct tape for my mouth or wear a shock collar!

    Good to know I am not alone

  5. Lori aka A Cowboy's Wife said...

    I know it all too well hun...
    http://acowboyswife.com/2008/07/13/no-im-not-pregnant-just-fat/

  6. Tyne said...

    Hey, I like the new fall colors on your banner and blog. Looking pregnant...story of my adult life. I told Caleb the other day that we have been married for 70 months and I have been pregnant for 36 of those months. Now that is just crazy!

  7. Desiree said...

    I just wrote a similar toned post, about weird things people have been saying... oi!

    http://desireefawn.blogspot.com/2008/10/cringe.html

  8. Bobbie said...

    Man, I have been there, done that...LOL

  9. Piece o' Coconut Cake said...

    i think my neighbor's pregnant...not sure. She's always been a bit chubby and her littlest one is 16 months so she could be (this would be her 3rd) and her belly looked kind of round and hard (pregnanty, not fatty) but I'm STILL not sayin' anything! Maybe in a couple of months when it's obvious.

  10. Darcie said...

    I've been asked if I was pregnant on five occasions that I can recall, and on none of those occasions was I actually pregnant. Unfortunately, I carry most of my weight through my torso, so I always look pregnant, no matter how flattering my clothes are.

    And it it very humiliating. It's not enough that you know how big you are from day to day, but then to be mistaken for a pregnant woman...ugh. My faces turns nine shades of red, my eyes well up with tears, etc.

    Not intended to make you feel worse, but it only took one person asking me to teach me to never ask any woman if she's pregnant!

  11. JESSICA said...

    Yes, I have been there. Definately a foot-in-mouth experience.

    However, I am always amazed at the questions strangers ask! Having twins makes it worse I think...how about being asked how you conceived!?! To which my reply was..."None of your business!" Would you ever ask any other woman who had given birth that question?

  12. Unknown said...

    With this lovely muffin top, I always look about 3 months pregnant.

  13. Mrs. Heck said...

    HAHAHAHAHA! Yes, I've done this, but I was also pregnant at the time and was trying to make nice with other "pregos" in my area. WELL, the lady I said it to was not pregnant, but her friend that she was with was not...and she didn't look pregnant. OOPS!

    I just try NOT to say anything anymore. I've learned when I open my mouth like that, I not only insert my foot, I insert almost an entire shoe store. HAHAHAHA! ♥

  14. Unknown said...

    After being pregnant at 16 I heard just about EVERYTHING along with some very interesting looks. Since then I've never opened my mouth for fear of offending someone.

  15. Unknown said...

    The pregnancy thing is tough stuff. I worked with a woman who WAS pregnant, but she was normally, kind of... how to put this nicely...um, large. So no one realized it! She was 7 months along and still, no one said a word. She was practically in tears telling people she WAS indeed pregnant and not just extra-heavy. How to react to that? Act like you already knew? Well, that's not very nice. Act like you didn't? Then you felt like an ass. Not a good sitch, that's for sure!
    Great blog, btw!
    :) Robin
    cinnamon & honey

  16. Unknown said...

    The pregnancy thing is tough stuff. I worked with a woman who WAS pregnant, but she was normally, kind of... how to put this nicely...um, large. So no one realized it! She was 7 months along and still, no one said a word. She was practically in tears telling people she WAS indeed pregnant and not just extra-heavy. How to react to that? Act like you already knew? Well, that's not very nice. Act like you didn't? Then you felt like an ass. Not a good sitch, that's for sure!
    Great blog, btw!
    :) Robin
    cinnamon & honey

  17. Unknown said...

    The pregnancy thing is tough stuff. I worked with a woman who WAS pregnant, but she was normally, kind of... how to put this nicely...um, large. So no one realized it! She was 7 months along and still, no one said a word. She was practically in tears telling people she WAS indeed pregnant and not just extra-heavy. How to react to that? Act like you already knew? Well, that's not very nice. Act like you didn't? Then you felt like an ass. Not a good sitch, that's for sure!
    Great blog, btw!
    :) Robin
    cinnamon & honey

  18. Tami said...

    I've banished the "When are you due?" question from my vocabulary until I've had confirmation of a pregnancy!

    And I love the hummus question in your side bar!! I don't even think my girls know who Gonzo is....or even the Muppets?? Maybe Kermit...

  19. Heather said...

    Heehee...that is why I steered clear of the baby doll tops prior to getting pregnant - they make anyone look pregnant!!!

    And since I've been wearing them, I think it is all obvious and everything but people are afraid, very afraid to ask!

  20. Jenni said...

    Ughhhhhh!

  21. MommaDJane said...

    I ran into a lady the other day that looked like she had lost weight. She was still a little heavy set and I couldn't bring myself to compliment her incase she had not lost any. Just couldn't remember for sure.

  22. Unknown said...

    OH my...I haven't ever said it, but I've certainly thought it...from both sides!!

  23. Barbara said...

    Ha! Yep been there, done that one. It can be very horrible for the person you ask because all that means is that they obviously appear to have a gut that they didn't want nobody bringing attention to, lol. My bff spent days once trying to figure out how another friend of ours could think she was pregnant.

    I guess the best thing about this is that it is a question that we either have thought, asked, or will ask another woman =)

  24. Kristen Andrews said...

    loved reading this again! I have done this only once and will not even ask even if they look 9 months prego! lesson learned.

  25. Mrs4444 said...

    Only once have I said something like this. I said to a pregant woman (before I had ever been pregant myself, of course!) "Wow! You must be ready to pop any day now, huh?!" She replied that she was due in two months. oops.

  26. OHmommy said...

    Yes! I can relate and my BF, newly prego, just blogged about people not asking if she is prego. She is pissed that no one will approach her now. LOL.

  27. Unknown said...

    Yep I have been in these kind of situations where I just wanna kick myself.

    We were having lunch with my hubby's colleague and

    she said: Oh there's another colleague right over there.

    i said: which department does He work at.

    she said : she's a she.

    Awk.ward.

    (Me and my big mouth)

  28. Leah said...

    Love your site. And guess what. You've been tagged. Stop by my site for the rules. participation is voluntary. :)

  29. Anonymous said...

    Talk about awkward! Ouch.

    Off topic: I love the color changes to your blog. Forgive the cliche (thanks to HGTV) but it really makes the site "pop."

    In other words, looks good!

  30. thedavies99 said...

    That does suck.

  31. Ali said...

    I love those baby doll tops. On mannequins. NOT on me.

  32. Insane Mama said...

    Ouch! I haven't done it, but my kids have. I had to cover for them.

  33. Mandy said...

    I have done the wonderful start to ask said woman if said woman is pregnant. Then cut self off mid-sentence while standing with said woman in awkward silence!!

  34. Dee said...

    THAT is why i no longer ask ANYONE anything about being pregnant unless they're wearing some shirt that BOLDLY says I'M NOT FAT, I'M JUST PREGNANT! LOL..i've had to open mouth, insert foot too many times now!

  35. Tara Jessica said...

    It's funny that you posted this because a couple weeks ago this exact thing happened to me and I wrote a blog about it. And for me I figured it must have been the flowy shirt.

    http://tarajchandler.blogspot.com/

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