Overexposure of Maternity - Looky Loos go away

[gramma]

Times have changed. There are not many historical accounts of maternity clothing on the internet. I can testify that maternity fashions have changed in the past 20-30 years. Women today wear maternity clothes that show off every curve of their body exposing a baby growing within. There are many websites picturing pregnant bellies at various stages of pregnancy, twin or triplet bellies, stretch marks on bellies, ethnic skin color bellies and it doesn’t stop there. There are c-section pictures, vaginal delivery pictures, and breast feeding pictures and still it doesn’t stop. Starting with the April 30th LIFE magazine cover we’ve seen the womb inside and out. Need I show you all the pictures of life within the womb?

I grew up a country farm girl with a great sensitivity to nature. One thing that always got my attention was the private, covered matter of pregnancy, birth and infancy in the animal world. It was that way for humans as well – about thirty or more years ago. My mother wore maternity clothes made of generous amounts of loose fitting fabric and so did I. They were comfortable, modest and didn’t fit snuggly until the last 2-3 weeks. It isn’t easy to find maternity underpants that cover the whole belly. Most maternity underpants are bikini style

Even I have been caught up in the fashion of exposing life in the womb. When a digital picture of my granddaughter was sent to me I was ecstatic. After that I forwarded it to a few close connections but then later regretted it. Somehow I felt that I had violated what God meant to remain hidden for now. If God wanted us to see what was going on in the womb then there would be a little flap or window for convenient viewing.

The exposure is our unborn and newly born seems way out of hand and beyond God’s order of the blessed event.

Am I too old fashion - behind the times – too old to ride the range – full of crusty stale ideas? Have we allowed our penchant for modern day media expose that which should be kept most private and protected? Shouldn’t maternity, life in the womb and birthing be kept more private and less available to looky loos?

 

[kbleau]

Greetings!

I agree with you about maternity clothes. I have a hard time finding ones that hide my gargantuan belly when I’m expecting.

I do think that being able to see inside the womb gives us incentive to continue our pro life battle to save those precious miracles of life. It shows that babies are real little people, not just a bunch of cells!

 

[gramma]

Greetings!

I agree with you about maternity clothes. I have a hard time finding ones that hide my gargantuan belly when I’m expecting.

I do think that being able to see inside the womb gives us incentive to continue our pro life battle to save those precious miracles of life. It shows that babies are real little people, not just a bunch of cells!

It is tough to hide a 7-9 month belly Draping fabric rather than curve hugging fabric would be much more modest.

I’m thinking that collectively - all the exposure to bellies, birthing and womb life might be counterintuitive. It seems to make sense that we recognize that life begins in the womb as we view pictures but perhaps unsolicitated, overexposure of our most vunerable population inside and outside of the womb violates God’s order.

 

[Eucharisted]

We can’t bring back the past, but we can change the future with prayer, hope, and good example

 

[Bruised_Reed]

I don’t like to see skin but otherwise I like the more form fitting maternity wear And I don’t have a problem with pictures of pregnant bellies at various stages of pregnancy, twin or triplet bellies, stretch marks on bellies, ethnic skin color bellies or breast feeding pictures. I think they are fascinating and beautiful. Okay, I might be -]stretching/-] -]pushing/-] -]it with/-] overstating the stretch mark thing.

As far as c-section pictures, vaginal delivery pictures I don’t want them popping up any ol’ place but if they are available for research and the person is anonymous it’s a good thing. The pictures of babies developing in the womb? Again fascinating and beautiful.

From the OP’s first link:

True maternity wear in the modern sense of the word, fitting quite possibly only during a certain stage of the pregnancy, appeared for the first time around the middle of the 19th century, when prudery dictated that such unmentionable circumstances as pregnancy had better stay hidden.

Unmentionable? Really? It seems very out of step with TOB.

ETA: I’m a fan of the Pregnancy survival kit.

 

[Mintaka]

Cloth also got cheaper in Victorian times. A lot cheaper. So they rebelled against the formfitting clothing of the early 1800s, of course, just as they rebelled against the crazy bawdy lifestyles and language of the late 1700s.

Maternity clothes in paintings, like other elements of fashion, fluctuate in what is hidden and revealed according to the aesthetics of the times. Check out pictures of the Visitation, for example. There were many times in history when the preferred fashions made even non-pregnant women look pregnant, which is even more interesting.

Wear what you like and what makes you feel comfortable. Share what you want to share, don’t share what you don’t.

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

My mom was somewhat overly conservative when it came to natural things like pregnancy (and sex etc.)

She kept things hidden so I got the bare minimum regarding menstruation. So when my first period came when I was 11, I was not prepared, and totally embarrassed because it happened in such a totally obvious way.

I am about 7 years older than my sister. When my mom was expecting her, there wasn’t any sharing. All I knew about pregnancy is that my mom would throw up. I was told that the stork would bring the baby.

I am pregnant now. My 2 children have come to dr’s appointments and heard their little siblings heart beat. They came to the sonogram and saw their little sibling on the screen. They talk to the baby and feel the baby’s kicks.

I feel sad that my mom didn’t share any of this with me…that pregnancy was a secret, hidden thing.

 

[gramma]

Mary Gail 36 - My own background sounds much like yours.
I don’t feel sad about missing anything though. When my younger sibling was born I was four. My mind wouldn’t have wrapped around much of the biological stuff then.

Mintaka - Yes, pregnant women should be comfortable.

Bruised Reed - The Pregnancy survival kit looks like attractive, comfortable basics for any woman…good idea and affordable.

I don’t want to get hung up on the clothing aspect only. Unfortunately there is no clear evidence that modern overexposure of pregancy in the womb and outside of the womb, birthing and early infancy collectively has somehow compromised our general attitude and respect for life.
I’m not advocating that we plunge ourselves back into the middle ages or some kind of extreme prudery. Many of the maternity pictures tend to be rather interesting and educational to some degree. I’m suggesting that a little more privacy and modesty regarding life at earliest stages might add more respect to our most vulnerable population. Times have changed since I was pregnant twenty-something years ago.
There are no studies that reflect the correlation I am suggesting.

 

[sanctamaria17]

I see nothing wrong with women wearing tight pregnancy clothes or showing their pregnant bellies and sonograms. First, I think it’s a huge witness for the pro-life movement, to show that these are BABIES, not bunches of cells, etc. It shows that these are beautiful people. And I think women should be proud of their pregnancies.

Also, I found out that a friend of mine is expecting her first child with her husband. They are a beautiful couple, very pious, modest, and wonderful Catholics. She put her belly pix on her blog. I don’t think she was immodest for doing so. She’s very pro-life, very chaste, and very excited for her baby. So is her husband. I haven’t seen them since the end of the school year (they both just got their Master’s) so I was excited to see them. Yay babies!

 

[Faustina2001]

I have 2 little boys one of which was just born last month.Pregnancy is a very special gift. I think there is a line where woman wear clothing that is not appropriate during pregnancy, But i also think alot of clothing made now adays is not appropriate even when not pregnant esspecially if one is married. I am not saying we cant look good the world just needs a little more modesty. My first child was not planned and i had a difficult time about it. I knew abortion was wrong and never thought of doing it but i hid my pregnancy as long as i could almost 7 months wearing baggy clothes. I was raped and had felt ashamed even though it wasn’t my fault.But no matter how the child comes about (and I wish I had thought about this the first pregnancy) It’s a gift of God He forms the soul no matter who the parents are or how they act God Froms the childs soul and it is all pure. I think its something we should be proud of and not hide it at all. Our little boy is certainly a blessing and I wouldnt trade him for the world now. God surely blessed me even though i was mad at him at the time I truly thank God now to have two such special blessings in my life.

 

[Lil_M]

I don’t think in most cases it’s a matter of modesty. I just started into maternity clothes and I am dressing the same as I would normally, but the pants are much more comfortable! As far as broadcasting pictures of bellies, I don’t think I would post a bare one but I see nothing wrong with a clothed one or with clothes that don’t attempt to hide it- which sound kind of sloppy to me, and many women are in professional workplaces where such attire would not be appropriate. And like other posters said, images of pregnancy and fetuses are only going to encourage pro-life attitudes, no one could honestly call an unborn child “just tissue” when we can easily see a human shape from quite early on.

 

[gramma]

I don’t think in most cases it’s a matter of modesty. I just started into maternity clothes and I am dressing the same as I would normally, but the pants are much more comfortable! As far as broadcasting pictures of bellies, I don’t think I would post a bare one but I see nothing wrong with a clothed one or with clothes that don’t attempt to hide it- which sound kind of sloppy to me, and many women are in professional workplaces where such attire would not be appropriate. And like other posters said, images of pregnancy and fetuses are only going to encourage pro-life attitudes, no one could honestly call an unborn child “just tissue” when we can easily see a human shape from quite early on.

Congratulations Lil M My granddaughter is just about 12 weeks from her birthdate

Pregnant woman naturally show enough fanfare. Faustina2001 pointed out that there is a line women can cross. This is happening more and more.

And like the other posters I too agree that revealing life in the womb is a precious witness to life. I’m just suggesting that collectively the whole parade of bellies, inside wombs, birth pics etc. might be counterintuitive to respecting life.

 

[yellowbicycle]

I like alot of the maternity clothes out there. I don’t know about you all, but NO amount of baggy fabric was going to hide THIS girl’s pregnancy. I will say though, there was this one dress I had - it was cute and knee length when the pregnancy started but as the months wore on, it slowly started creeping up my legs until one day I put it on and my husband said ‘Is that a go-go maternity dress?’
Oh boy.
I started wearing it as a long top with pants under it.
As to the pics…I LOVE LOVE LOVE pics of babies in utero. I understand what you’re saying - this is an incredibly intimate event and we are showing it to the whole world - but it is also an event which ALL of us have experienced, some of us on BOTH ends of the event! What a miracle!
however, those shows on TV that show women in various stages of labor and birthing…um…yeah, my life was JUST FINE before I saw any of that nonsense. Yikes.

 

[Ruthie]

My first child was not planned … I was raped and had felt ashamed even though it wasn’t my fault. … Our little boy is certainly a blessing and I wouldnt trade him for the world now.

God bless you, Faustina!

 

[gramma]

God bless you, Faustina!

Yes God’s blessings, Faustina.

I understand how Faustina may have come to the point of hiding her pregnancy for 7 months. This is all so sad.
Over all, my hope is that all pregnant woman, regardless circumstances, find dignity in their beautiful gift of carrying a baby to term without feeling ashamed but at the same time show greater respect and dignity for the life growing within. Wearing super skin hugging, flesh revealing attire shouldn’t be part of the experience anymore than prior to pregnancy or after pregnancy.

Remember that my concern isn’t just about over revealing clothes I’m alarmed by overexposure of life in and out of the womb etc.

 

[taylorc]

I think old style maternity clothes are hideous! They make the woman look like a whale to be hidden. I like the more form fitting tops with stylish jeans and pants. A lot of slender women don’t even wear maternity clothes. They just dress like a stylish skinny woman with a baby bump. I don’t see why a pregnant woman has to stop being fashionable.

 

[Sam_Maloney]

For most women today, pregancy is a rare thing: they don’t plan to do it every year until menopause.

So they enjoy celebrating it, showing it off, reveling in the excitement and joy of new life.

A positive thing, in my opinion.

 

[leonie]

I think the use of images of babies in the womb is a tool that God has provided us in this age to convince pro-abortion people that those maternity bumps are holding a real persons.

Images of babies in uterio change hearts. In fact, many crisis pregnancy centers use ultrasounds to make real the baby inside to expectant mothers.

But, it can also be a tool of death. In some countries, women have ultrasounds so they can determine if the baby is a boy or girl. Then, they abort the baby based on sex. Or, babies with defects are aborted.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

(…)And like the other posters I too agree that revealing life in the womb is a precious witness to life. I’m just suggesting that collectively the whole parade of bellies, inside wombs, birth pics etc. might be counterintuitive to respecting life.

(…)
Remember that my concern isn’t just about over revealing clothes I’m alarmed by overexposure of life in and out of the womb etc.

How so? Have you observed something that gave you that impression?

My mom shared with me a while back that she hardly ever saw a pregnant woman when she was young and how shocked she was when she first saw a woman (besides my Grandma) obviously pregnant. Women just didn’t “go out” when they were showing at that time and in that culture. I wonder if it led to speculation of how she “got that way”.