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Pregnancy Put-Downs

The challenges of pregnancy

By Philip Harris


As if pregnancy weren't challenging enough. Researchers recently found that obviously pregnant women who applied for jobs—an act the scientists described as "masculine"—were significantly more likely than nonpregnant women to be met with hostility and rudeness. In contrast, moms-to-be who went shopping, an act the researchers labeled "feminine," were met with patronizing forms of discrimination that included being called "honey" or "sweetie" and having their personal space disregarded.

"Complete strangers think it perfectly acceptable to ask personal questions of, or even try to touch, pregnant women," says study co-author Eden King, Ph.D., assistant professor of industrial and occupational psychology at George Mason University in Virginia. Although King believes battling such discrimination shouldn't be the burden of pregnant women, she suggests protecting yourself by "emphasizing aspects of your knowledge and skills related to your competence and distancing yourself from accepted gender stereotypes."
October/November 2008

User Comments:

  1. I know the worst "put down" I have received is due to the fact that I look like I'm about 16 even though I'm 24 and people, including complete strangers ask me "what are you going to do about school" and "are you still with the father" One...I'm DONE with school AND college and Two...Yes!
    — Kim
  2. from about 5 months on i was always asked if i was due, then when i said about 3-4 months. i got told i better lay off the sweets. i only gained 15 lbs. i carried everything in the front so that when people looked at me from the back they couldnt tell i was pregnant. and aparently i was fat. what ever. i just started telling people that i had a tumor and had a permenant scowl on my face. I never had trouble after that.
    — sarah
  3. I'm a business owner, and part of my job is to manage projects on site. On numerous occassions, projects were postponed a year. One even sited "my physical situation" as the reason. Or they wanted to postpone because they were worried about me overdoing it. So frustrating. In many ways, they made it more stressful. Also, it may sound like discrimination, but when it is their money, they can hire and spend it how they wish.
    — Shannon


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